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Ottoman Ciphers: Turkey’s Secret Script

Journey back in time to uncover Siyakat, the secret script of the Ottoman Empire. This deliberately complex and stylized writing…

2 weeks ago

Your Guide to Spanish Punctuation (It’s Easy!)

What's with the upside-down question marks (¿) and exclamation points (¡) in Spanish? Far from being a random quirk, these…

2 weeks ago

How to Type Portuguese Accents on Any Keyboard

Struggling to type Portuguese characters like ç, ã, or é? This simple, no-fuss guide breaks down the easy keyboard shortcuts…

2 weeks ago

The Secret of French Accent Marks

Ever been mystified by the little hats and slashes in French words? These accent marks aren't just for decoration; they're…

2 weeks ago

The Pilcrow’s Tale: The Paragraph’s Lost Symbol (¶)

Ever seen this symbol: ¶? Once a vibrant and essential mark in medieval manuscripts, the pilcrow guided readers through dense…

2 weeks ago

The Case of the Stolen Letter: Compensatory Lengthening

In the history of language, sounds can vanish without a trace. Or can they? This post explores compensatory lengthening, the…

2 weeks ago

The Brazil-Portugal Spelling War

Imagine a civil war fought not with weapons, but with dictionaries. For decades, Brazil and Portugal have been locked in…

3 weeks ago

The Scribe’s Shortcut: A History of the Tilde (~)

That familiar squiggle, the tilde (~), is more than just a decoration on the Spanish 'ñ' or a casual emoji.…

3 weeks ago

The Upside-Down Question Mark’s Origin

Why is Spanish the only major language to use inverted question marks (¿) and exclamation marks (¡)? This unique punctuation…

3 weeks ago

How Vietnam Got Its Latin Script

The Vietnamese alphabet, Quốc Ngữ, presents a fascinating paradox with its Latin letters used for a tonal, Austroasiatic language. Originally…

3 weeks ago

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