Languages of the World

The Making of a Nation’s Voice: How Italy Chose Its Language

When Italy became a nation in 1861, a famous statesman declared, "We have made Italy. Now we must make Italians."…

1 month ago

Biography of a Word: The Journey of ‘Assassin’

Discover the dramatic history of the word 'assassin,' a term born from a mysterious medieval sect in the mountains of…

1 month ago

Decoding Kryptonian: The Linguistics of Superman’s Language

Go beyond the iconic "S" shield and discover Kryptonian, Superman's surprisingly detailed constructed language. This deep dive explores how Kryptonian…

1 month ago

North of My Foot: Languages Without ‘Left’ and ‘Right’

Imagine a world without 'left' or 'right,' where you'd say "there's a bug on your south leg." This post explores…

1 month ago

Turkey’s Alphabet Revolution

Explore one of history's most radical linguistic reforms: Turkey's 1928 Alphabet Revolution. At the direction of Atatürk, the nation abandoned…

1 month ago

The Great Germanic Sound Shift

Long before English vowels did their famous shuffle, a far more ancient and dramatic event rocked its linguistic family tree.…

1 month ago

Mapping the Land with Language

Imagine a world without 'left' or 'right,' where every instruction and description is given in cardinal directions. For speakers of…

1 month ago

The Language of Two Souls: Michif

Discover Michif, one of the world's most unique mixed languages, spoken by the Métis people. A fascinating blend of French…

1 month ago

Georgia’s Living Alphabet

At first glance, the Georgian alphabet, Mkhedruli, appears less like a set of letters and more like a collection of…

1 month ago

The Ghost Vowels of French: How Silent Letters Shape Pronunciation

Why does French have so many letters that aren't pronounced? Far from being useless spelling relics, these "ghost" letters are…

1 month ago

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