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The History of Spanish Influence in America

Long before the English arrived, Spanish explorers and settlers left an indelible mark on the landscape and language of North…

5 months ago

How to Read a Phonetic Transcription

What do all those weird symbols in a dictionary entry mean? This beginner's guide to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)…

5 months ago

The Un-Googleable Name: A Branding Nightmare

Ever wondered why brands like 'Flickr' and 'Lyft' intentionally misspelled their names? This move is part of a high-stakes linguistic…

5 months ago

Why Do We Call Partners ‘Baby’?

Ever wondered why grown adults call each other "baby"? This common pet name is more than just a habit; it's…

5 months ago

Why is ‘You Guys’ a Pronoun Now?

Ever wonder how 'you guys' became the go-to way to address a group, even a group of women? This phrase…

5 months ago

How Do Linguists Map a Dialect?

Dialectology is the geography of language, revealing the hidden maps drawn by our words. From old-school fieldwork with clipboards to…

5 months ago

What Does ‘Native-Like Fluency’ Really Mean?

The quest for 'native-like fluency' is a holy grail for many language learners, a seemingly straightforward goal that promises total…

5 months ago

How Do New Signs Get Created in ASL?

American Sign Language is a living, evolving system, not a static code. The process of creating new signs for modern…

5 months ago

The Colonist’s Dictionary, The People’s Voice

Colonial-era dictionaries and grammars, once crafted as tools of control to convert and assimilate Indigenous peoples, carry a profound irony.…

5 months ago

“Correcting” a Language: A Brief History

Ever wonder why we have "correct" spelling and grammar? These rules aren't timeless truths but were forged by powerful forces…

5 months ago

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