Semantics

Word Salad: The Linguistics of Schizophrenia

Schizophasia, or "word salad", represents a complex linguistic breakdown found in conditions like schizophrenia, where the structure of language remains…

6 days ago

E-Prime: What Happens When We Delete “To Be”?

Uncover the fascinating linguistic constraint of E-Prime (English Prime), a version of English that completely eliminates the verb "to be."…

6 days ago

From ‘Meat’ to ‘Flesh’: Semantic Narrowing

Have you ever wondered why candy is sometimes called a "sweetmeat", or why we "starve" from hunger but the word's…

1 week ago

Polysemy vs. Homonymy: One Word, Many Meanings?

While "Bank" (river) and "Bank" (money) sound identical by pure historical accident, "Foot" (body) and "Foot" (mountain) share a deep…

1 week ago

The Liar Paradox: When Language Breaks Logic

"This sentence is false." It is a simple statement that traps logic in an infinite loop: if it's true, it's…

1 week ago

Dysphemism: The Weaponization of Language

While euphemisms sugarcoat reality, dysphemisms are the linguistic weaponization of language, designed to downgrade, insult, or shock. From calling a…

1 week ago

Semantic Satiation: When Words Lose Meaning

Have you ever repeated a word so many times that it started to sound like nonsense? This psychological phenomenon is…

1 week ago

The Hierarchy of Color: Why ‘Red’ Always Beats ‘Blue’

Why do almost all languages develop a word for "Red" before they create a word for "Blue"? This post explores…

1 week ago

The Treaty That Had Two Meanings

New Zealand's founding document, the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, exists in two languages—but it tells two different stories. A crucial…

2 months ago

The Hidden ‘Event’ in Every Verb

Have you ever wondered how a simple action can be described with endless detail? The secret lies in a hidden…

2 months ago

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