slur

Chavacano: The Spanish Creole of Asia

Journey to the Philippines to discover Chavacano, a unique Spanish-based creole that blends the vocabulary of colonizers with the grammatical…

2 weeks ago

The Body’s Betrayal: When Gestures Are False Friends

You know about 'false friends' in language, but what about in gestures? That innocent 'thumbs-up' or 'A-OK' sign could be…

3 weeks ago

From Insult to Honor: The Journey of Amelioration

While many words degrade, some do the opposite in a process called amelioration. This post explores the linguistic glow-up of…

3 weeks ago

The Walloon Language of Belgium

Belgium's linguistic landscape is famously divided, but beyond French and Dutch lies Walloon, a distinct Romance language with deep historical…

3 weeks ago

The Grammar of a Conspiracy Theory

Ever wonder why conspiracy theories can sound so persuasive, even when they lack evidence? This post unpacks the specific "grammar"…

3 weeks ago

Shadow Tongues: The World’s Anti-Languages

Ever overheard a conversation that sounded like your language, but made no sense? You might have stumbled upon an anti-language,…

3 weeks ago

Reclaiming the Slur: The Linguistics of Reappropriation

How does a word forged in hate become a banner of pride? The process, known as reappropriation, is a powerful…

3 weeks ago

How Words Go Bad: The Science of Pejoration

Why did "silly" once mean "blessed," and "villain" just mean "farmhand"? This post explores pejoration, the fascinating linguistic process where…

3 weeks ago

The Gestural Lexicon: When Hand Signs Become Words

We do it without thinking: a thumbs-up for a job well done, a wave to say hello. But these hand…

3 weeks ago

The Grammar of Propaganda: How Language Builds Tyranny

Long before "fake news," propagandists mastered linguistic manipulation, weaponizing the very structure of language to build consensus and justify atrocity.…

3 weeks ago

This website uses cookies.