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Why do the British pronounce “herb” with an /h/?
Why don’t Americans pronounce herb with an /h/?
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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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Renaissance on the bayou: Revitalizing the Chitimacha language
The Chitimacha language was once thought to be extinct, but today is undergoing a renaissance as young people learn the language again.
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From counting to cuneiform: How writing was invented
The earliest version of cuneiform wasn't used to write language at all—it was used to count! And that Sumerian system of counting still influences our counting systems today. Here's the story of Sumerian numerals.
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William Labov (1927–2024)
William Labov was the father of sociolinguistics who pioneered the study of dialectology.
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The linguistics behind Biden's "garbage" gaffe
Why an apostrophe might determine the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.
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Where do writing systems come from?
Writing was invented three different times in world history—in Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoamerica. But not all writing systems derive from those three original scripts. How can this be?
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3 things people get wrong about language
Here are 3 things people get wrong about language.
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Welcome to Linguistic Discovery!
Linguistic Discovery explores the science and diversity of language, a field known as linguistics.
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Does “fruition” come from the word “fruit”?
Does "fruition" come from the word "fruit"?
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‘dog’ vs. ‘horse’ in Native American languages
Why are dogs called ‘little horses’ in some Native American languages?
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What are language isolates?
A language isolate is a language that is unrelated to any other known language.
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Welcome to the new LinguisticDiscovery.com!
Welcome to the new LinguisticDiscovery.com!