Current Linguistics
Researchers uncover the origins of the Uralic language family
Also this week: Today is National Navajo Code Talkers Day! And the K-pop band is making Korean Sign Language famous
Daniel W. Hieber, Ph.D.
Hi! I'm Danny! 👋🏼 I am a linguist. 🗣️ I work to document and revitalize endangered languages, while studying the crosslinguistic patterns we see across the world’s languages.
Newsletter
Revitalizing a dormant language from 80-year-old manuscripts
How archival manuscripts are helping revitalize the Chitimacha language of Louisiana
Current Linguistics
A mysterious pre-Islamic script from Oman has been deciphered, while AI helps historians complete damaged Latin texts
Also this week: Does your native language affect how you feel pain? And did language evolve because of tools or baby talk? Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
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What to do when someone corrects your pronunciation
Some strategies for educating people about linguistics
Current Linguistics
The last native speaker of Caddo dies at age 95
Also this week: The long-lost Chinese typewriter that changed modern computing, plus why AI doesn’t work in bars. Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
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How are new languages created? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 4
Pidgins, creoles, and mixed languages
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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?
Current Linguistics
Who are better programmers—language nerds or math geeks? Can we identify extroverts by the language they use? Did the Huns speak a Yeniseian language?
Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Current Linguistics
Multilinguals may be more likely to take a vaccine if they read about it in English: Words shape how we process feelings and make decisions
Plus, can AI decode dead languages? And how do linguists reconstruct dead languages without AI? Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Newsletter
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?