How to Count Without Numbers
What if you couldn't say "one", "two", or "three"? For anumeric cultures in the Amazon and beyond, this is a reality. Discover the ingenious, non-numerical strategies they use to navigate…
Tag: aboriginal languages
Australia’s Sign Language of the Plains
Discover Warlpiri Sign Language, a complete and complex language used not by the Deaf, but by the hearing Warlpiri community of Central Australia. This remarkable "alternate" sign language co-exists with…
Speaking with Hands and Mouth
In central Australia, the Arandic peoples use a complex sign language alongside speech, a system developed for times when speech is taboo, like during mourning or hunting. This dual-modal language…
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 languages like Guugu Yimithirr in Aboriginal Australia, this isn't imagination—it's…
Classifying Reality: The Social Impact of Noun Classes and Grammatical Gender
Beyond the simple "he/she/it" of English, many languages categorize the world in ways that are deeply tied to culture and perception. From the gendered objects of French to the elaborate…
Language Stories: The Great Emu War of Languages
Among the myriad anecdotes about languages, none encapsulates the eccentricity and wonder of linguistic evolution quite like the story of the word “emu”. A fascinating...