Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

The Dual Pronouns of Ancient Sanskrit

In our modern world, we count 'one' and 'many.' But Ancient Sanskrit had a third, forgotten category: the dual, a…

2 weeks ago

How Dogs Bark Around the World

Why does an English-speaking dog say "woof" while a Japanese dog says "wan wan"? The answer isn't in the dog,…

3 weeks ago

What Are Semantic Primes?

Have you ever tried to define a simple word like 'want' without using a synonym? The theory of Semantic Primes…

3 weeks ago

Is Cursive Better for Your Brain?

As schools increasingly drop cursive, we must ask: are we just losing an old-fashioned script, or are we sacrificing a…

3 weeks ago

Why Are There So Many Words for Snow in Sámi?

The old "Eskimo words for snow" trope is a well-known but misleading linguistic myth. A far more accurate and fascinating…

3 weeks ago

The Un-Diplomatic Turn

The coded language of traditional diplomacy, built on strategic ambiguity and nuance, is being replaced by a more direct and…

3 weeks ago

The Haida Language: A World of Its Own

Journey to the coast of British Columbia to discover X̱aad Kíl, the Haida language. A true linguistic isolate with a…

3 weeks ago

The Million-Dollar Mistake: When False Friends Cause Chaos

We've all heard humorous tales of language mix-ups, but so-called "false friends" can have consequences far beyond embarrassment. From derailing…

3 weeks ago

The Subjunctive’s Shadow World

For many language learners, the subjunctive is a grammatical nightmare. But what if it's not just about rules? This post…

3 weeks ago

The Uphill Verb: Grammar of the Himalayas

In most languages, you simply 'go' somewhere. But in the Himalayas, the very grammar of the language forces you to…

3 weeks ago

This website uses cookies.