Morphology

The Three Genders of Dyirbal

Ever heard of a language that groups women, fire, and dangerous things into a single grammatical category? Dive into the…

3 months ago

The ‘We’ of Two vs. The ‘We’ of All

Most languages count one and many, but what about a number for precisely two? Discover the "grammatical dual", a lost…

3 months ago

The Syntax of Your File System

Did you know that every time you save a file, you're using a form of language? Your computer's folder structure…

3 months ago

The Inuktitut “Word-Sentences”

Imagine a language where "I don't hear very well" isn't a sentence, but a single, perfectly grammatical word. Welcome to…

3 months ago

The Reduplication Spectrum: From ‘Bye-Bye’ to ‘Chit-Chat’

Reduplication isn't just baby talk like 'bye-bye' or 'choo-choo'. This surprisingly common linguistic tool is used across the world's languages…

3 months ago

Decoding Slavic Cases: A Guide for the Desperate

Tired of staring at endless declension charts? Slavic cases don't have to be a nightmare. This guide ditches the old…

3 months ago

Are Slavic Languages Gendered? Yes, and It’s Wild

Forget everything you thought you knew about 'he' and 'she'. In Slavic languages, a table is a 'he', a book…

3 months ago

The ‘Defective’ Verb: When Grammar Has Gaps

Ever wondered why you can say 'I am running' but not 'I am musting'? These grammatical black holes are the…

3 months ago

Linguistic Taphonomy: Word Decay

Just as paleontologists study fossils to understand ancient life, we can explore the fossils in our own language. Linguistic taphonomy…

3 months ago

The Final Word: Verb Chaining in Papuan Languages

Imagine a sentence that lists a dozen actions before revealing the main verb at the very end. This is the…

6 months ago

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