For centuries, the Fula language, spoken by over 40 million people, lacked its own native script. In the 1980s, two…
Ever wondered why your French friend says "email" but calls a skyscraper a "gratte-ciel"? Languages borrow from each other in…
When a shaman or ritualist speaks in a 'spirit language', it isn't random babbling but a fascinating sociolinguistic performance. Even…
Ever wondered why Bombay became Mumbai, or why The Netherlands is no longer called Holland? The names on our maps…
Ever wonder why people in isolated places like an Appalachian hollow develop such a unique way of speaking? It's not…
The suffix '-gate' has become a linguistic shorthand for scandal, but where did it come from? We trace its journey…
In Japanese communication, silence is rarely an empty space. This post delves into the "grammar" of 沈黙 (chinmoku), exploring how…
Ever wonder how marginalized groups create secret worlds right under our noses? This post explores "anti-languages"—the cunning linguistic codes of…
Ever heard a bilingual child say something that isn't quite one language or the other? This isn't a mistake, but…
This post explores the often-overlooked link between linguistic purism and exclusionary politics. We move beyond simple vocabulary debates to investigate…
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