Linguistics

The Phishing Lure: Linguistics of Scam Emails

"Kindly update your details immediately". It's a phrase that feels slightly off, and for good reason. This article breaks down…

8 months 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.…

8 months ago

The Grammar of ‘Went’: A Tale of Suppletion

Why isn't the past tense of "go" *goed*? The answer lies in a fascinating linguistic phenomenon called suppletion, where a…

8 months ago

AI’s Word Boundary Problem

To a computer, what exactly is a "word"? This seemingly simple question opens up the "word boundary problem", a surprisingly…

8 months ago

Linguistic Passing: The Adopted Accent

Linguistic passing is the conscious act of adopting a new accent, not just to blend in, but to gain social…

8 months ago

The Grammar of “Chit-Chat”: Reduplication

From the simple 'bye-bye' in English to the Indonesian *wiku-wiku* (very fast), repeating words is a powerful tool found in…

8 months ago

Apraxia: The Brain’s Broken Speech Plan

Apraxia of speech is a mysterious neurological condition where the brain knows the perfect word but can't send the right…

8 months ago

Verner’s Law: The Glitch in the System

Grimm's Law neatly explains many sound changes from ancient Proto-Indo-European to Germanic languages, but puzzling exceptions remained a mystery for…

8 months ago

The Wanderwort: Words That Travel the World

Explore the fascinating world of "Wanderwörter", or wandering words—terms for tradeable goods like tea, sugar, and silk that crossed entire…

8 months ago

The Verbal Compass: How Rivers Define Direction

Forget North and South. For speakers of some languages, the entire world is oriented not by a magnetic pole, but…

8 months ago

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