language and thought

The Logic of ‘Doch’: Germany’s Magic Word

German learners are often baffled by tiny words like 'doch'. This post unpacks the world of German modal particles, the…

5 months ago

Can AI Detect Irony? The Sarcasm Problem

Teaching a machine that "Oh, great" can mean the exact opposite is one of the toughest challenges in artificial intelligence.…

5 months ago

The Data Drought: Why Some Languages Are Invisible to AI

Why can AI translate French perfectly but struggles with Navajo or Swahili? The answer lies in the "data drought", a…

5 months ago

The Shape of a Word: Intro to Word Embeddings

How does a computer understand that "king" is to "queen" as "man" is to "woman"? We dive into the magic…

5 months ago

The Brain’s Filing Cabinet: What is a Lemma?

Ever had a word on the tip of your tongue? This frustrating moment is a perfect window into the brain's…

5 months ago

The Alphabet That Follows the Sun: The Cherokee Syllabary

The Cherokee syllabary, invented by the brilliant Sequoyah, is more than one of history's greatest intellectual achievements. Its lesser-known secret…

5 months ago

Linguistic Exogamy: Marrying Out to Survive

In certain Amazonian societies, there's a strict rule: you cannot marry someone who speaks your own language. This practice, known…

5 months ago

Are There Any Absolute Language Universals?

For decades, linguists have searched for features shared by all 7,000+ human languages, a quest for a "Universal Grammar." But…

5 months ago

Gender-Neutral Pronouns in Romance

Grammatical gender is a core feature of Romance languages, making gender-neutral expression a complex puzzle. Yet, from the rise of…

5 months ago

Learning a Language with Dyslexia

Learning a new language with dyslexia can feel overwhelming, but it is entirely possible with the right approach. This guide…

5 months ago

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