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How are new languages created? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 4
Pidgins, creoles, and mixed languages
Newsletter
A semiweekly newsletter showcasing the diversity of the world’s languages. Articles include deep dives about how language works, profiles of different languages, explainers of concepts in linguistics, reviews of language-focused books and media, and lots more! Some posts are only available to paid subscribers, but most are free.
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Are some languages more complex than others? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 3
Do languages get simpler over time? Could they get more complex?
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Are we stuck with the same grammar for life? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 2
How does your grammar change over the course of your lifetime?
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Why do languages change? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 1
Could a language stay frozen in time?
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Do Inuit languages really have more words for snow? And why does it matter, anyway?
A new study shows that Inuit languages really do have more words for snow, but what does that tell us about language?
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You probably missed this in Song of Achilles
Also, here’s what Patroclus and Cleopatra have in common
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Why English needs “y’all”
Why doesn’t English just have a plural “you” like other languages?
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The etymology of ‘one’: From Proto-Indo-European to Modern English
There are over thirty English words that derive from the Proto-Indo-European word for ‘one’. This is the story of how they came to be, and what that story teaches us about how language works.
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The etymology of “penguin”
Where does the word “penguin” come from? French, Welsh, or Latin?
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Did Kanzi the bonobo understand language?
Kanzi the bonobo, who learned language, made stone tools, and played Minecraft, dies at age 44. What can his remarkable linguistic abilities teach us about language?
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The etymology of "guacamole"
Where do the words “avocado” and “guacamole” come from?
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The linguistics of Trump’s official English policy
Trump issued an executive order making English the official language of the U.S.—sort of. Here’s what that order does, and what language in the U.S. looks like today.