The Adlam Script: A Modern Alphabet for an Ancient People
For centuries, the Fula language, spoken by over 40 million people, lacked its own native script. In the 1980s, two teenage brothers in Guinea decided to change that, inventing a…
Tag: identity politics
Isolate vs. Dialect Continuum
While language isolates like Basque stand as mysterious linguistic islands with no living relatives, dialect continuums show us how languages can blend seamlessly into one another across vast regions. These…
When Did We Agree on Place Names?
Ever wondered why Bombay became Mumbai, or why The Netherlands is no longer called Holland? The names on our maps aren't set in stone; they're the product of a fascinating…
Grammatical Viruses: The Spread of ‘-gate’
The suffix '-gate' has become a linguistic shorthand for scandal, but where did it come from? We trace its journey from a specific Washington D.C. hotel to a 'grammatical virus'…
Anti-Languages: The Grammar of the Underworld
Ever wonder how marginalized groups create secret worlds right under our noses? This post explores "anti-languages"—the cunning linguistic codes of thieves, prisoners, and other subcultures. Discover how these systems systematically…
Language, Purity, and Power
This post explores the often-overlooked link between linguistic purism and exclusionary politics. We move beyond simple vocabulary debates to investigate how the drive to "purify" a language of foreign influences…
OCS: The First Slavic Literary Language
Before there was Russian, Polish, or Bulgarian, there was their common literary ancestor: Old Church Slavonic. Discover the story of the language crafted by two missionary brothers, Saints Cyril and…
The Australian Kriol Language
** Did you know Australia's largest Indigenous language, by number of speakers, is an English-based creole? Move beyond pidgins to discover Australian Kriol, a complex and vibrant language spoken by…
Endangered Slavic Languages You Can Help Save
Beyond the major Slavic languages like Russian and Polish lie hidden linguistic gems on the brink of extinction. Discover the unique beauty of tongues like Kashubian, Sorbian, and Rusyn, each…
The Surprising Slavic Words in English
Did you know that when you talk about 'vampires' or 'robots', you're actually speaking Slavic? English is full of surprising loanwords, and many of them have fascinating stories that trace…
Why South Slavic Languages Are Drifting Apart
Once considered a single language called Serbo-Croatian, the languages of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro are now actively drifting apart. This linguistic divergence isn't a natural evolution but a conscious,…
Cyrillic vs Latin: The Great Slavic Alphabet Divide
Why do Polish and Russian look so different despite both being Slavic languages? The answer lies not just in linguistics, but in a fascinating 9th-century story of two saints, competing…
What Is AAVE? (And Why It’s Not ‘Slang’)
African-American Vernacular English is far more than just 'slang'—it's a complete, rule-governed dialect with a rich history. This post explores the fascinating grammar and phonology of AAVE, debunking common myths…
What Is Pidgin English? A Fascinating Story
Often dismissed as 'broken English', pidgin languages are actually complex, rule-governed systems born from incredible moments in human history. From West African trade routes to Hawaiian plantations, discover the powerful…
The Kazakh Alphabet Switch: A Nation’s Identity
Kazakhstan is undertaking a monumental linguistic and cultural shift, transitioning its national script from Cyrillic to Latin. This deep dive explores the complex history, political motivations, and fierce linguistic debates…
The Alphabet of the Hills: The Fraser Script
Discover the Fraser alphabet, a remarkable script for the Lisu language where letters are ingeniously rotated to represent different sounds. Created by missionary James O. Fraser and his collaborators, this…
Two Tongues, One Soul: The Hindi-Urdu Divide
While speakers from Delhi and Lahore can converse with ease, their national languages, Hindi and Urdu, are officially distinct. This post delves into the shared history of Hindustani and the…
The Telegram That Ended a War (With a Typo)
Discover the story of the Ems Dispatch, a royal telegram that sparked the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. See how master manipulator Otto von Bismarck used a few simple linguistic edits…
The Verlan of French Rap
Verlan, the French back-slang born in the suburbs, found its ultimate expression in hip-hop. More than just street talk, it became a rhythmic tool, a marker of identity, and a…
Verlan: The Real-Time Cipher of Paris
Ever heard a conversation in Paris that sounded like garbled French? You've likely encountered Verlan, a spoken 'cipher' that inverts syllables to create a secret language. This back-slang is more…