AI’s Low-Resource Language Crisis
AI models like ChatGPT can write poetry in English, yet they stumble over languages spoken by millions. This 'low-resource' language crisis is creating a new digital divide, silencing entire cultures…
Unlocking the Universe of Languages
AI models like ChatGPT can write poetry in English, yet they stumble over languages spoken by millions. This 'low-resource' language crisis is creating a new digital divide, silencing entire cultures…
When we think of a linguist, we picture quiet libraries, not active conflict zones. But for a small group of fieldworkers, documenting the world's most endangered languages means facing down…
Imagine a language that has never been written down, a rich tapestry of human thought existing only in sound and memory. For a field linguist, the challenge is immense but…
To a computer, what exactly is a "word"? This seemingly simple question opens up the "word boundary problem", a surprisingly complex challenge in AI and linguistics. From handling compound nouns…
Long before a language falls silent, its unique writing system can fade into obscurity. This post explores ten beautiful and endangered scripts, from the vertical Mongolian alphabet to the Philippines'…
Translating a video game isn't just about swapping words; it's about rebuilding an entire world for a new audience. From untranslatable puns to UI that breaks under the weight of…
Ever wonder what happens when a catchy brand name in English means something utterly embarrassing in another language? From cars named after slang for private parts to slogans that sound…
Why do children in some countries seem to learn arithmetic faster? The answer may lie not in their schools, but in their words. This article explores the surprising link between…
For over two centuries, Japan was sealed from the world. Yet, on the tiny island of Dejima, a single language—Dutch—became a secret bridge, funneling Western science and ideas into the…
Why can you say "three dogs" in English, but speakers of Chinese, Japanese, and Mayan languages must use a special word to count almost everything? This post explores the world…
In the high-stakes world of diplomacy, clarity can be the enemy of progress. This post explores "strategic ambiguity", the art of being intentionally vague to forge peace treaties and resolutions.…
Born from the horrors of war, Blissymbols was a universal language designed for peace, built on pure logic. This post explores how this unique pictographic system combines simple shapes to…
What's in a name? For a global brand, it could be a billion dollars. This post explores the high-stakes world of linguistic consulting, revealing the phonetic and semantic traps that…
The Vietnamese alphabet, Quốc Ngữ, presents a fascinating paradox with its Latin letters used for a tonal, Austroasiatic language. Originally created by 17th-century Catholic missionaries to spread their faith, the…
John Searle's famous "Chinese Room" thought experiment poses a timeless challenge to the idea of a truly thinking machine. By exploring the crucial difference between manipulating linguistic symbols (syntax) and…
The concept of "face" (面子, 체면, メンツ) is a cornerstone of social interaction in East Asia, deeply encoded in language. This post explores the intricate linguistic dance of indirectness, honorifics,…
Mandarin is famously a tonal language, but what many learners quickly discover is that the tones they memorize often change in mysterious ways during conversation. This isn't a mistake—it's a…
Once the official language of China's last imperial dynasty, Manchu is now on the verge of extinction with only a handful of native speakers left. This is the story of…
Esperanto, the most successful constructed international auxiliary language, was invented in the late 19th century by L. L. Zamenhof with the intention of fostering harmony...
Just as the West has its infamous mistranslation of Marie Antoinette’s “Let them eat cake”, the East too has seen its fair share of blunders....