Daniel W. Hieber, Ph.D.

Newsletter

The Ass Camouflage Construction

What this African American English expression teaches us about the world’s languages

Current Linguistics

New evidence that language evolved before humans did

Also this week: Universals of swearing across languages + Does learning Latin improve your SAT scores? + What killed penmanship

Newsletter

The Great Men™ of Language

Language is shaped by everyday people, not the Big Names™ of history

Current Linguistics

We’re losing 338 spoken words every year, linguists find

Also this week: Sperm whale communication closesly mirrors human language + Why toddlers don’t understand the words “I” and “you”

Newsletter

Baby, talk to me: How children get their accents

A sneak peek at Dr. Valerie Fridland’s new book, “Why we talk funny: The real story behind our accents”

Current Linguistics

Linguists work to create UK’s first swear map

Also this week: Bumble bees show a surprising knack for rhythm + Sperm whale songs are surprisingly like human language

Newsletter

Baby talk in the languages of the world

How parents talk to their children around the globe

Current Linguistics

Has forensic linguistics solved the mystery of Bitcoin’s creator?

Also this week: How slang works, and how Black culture is shaping Gen Z’s slang

Newsletter

Were the Ancient Greeks colorblind?

Why Homer uses colors so strangely in the Iliad and the Odyssey

Current Linguistics

Deciphering the Singapore Stone

Also this week: The linguistics of Project Hail Mary + The beautiful linguistic chaos of Iran + Your dog might be eavesdropping on you (linguistically)

Newsletter

What kind of language is Eridian, question?

The linguistics of Project Hail Mary

Current Linguistics

Did Homo erectus have language?

Also this week: Did writing just get pushed back tens of thousands of years? + How slang works + We finally understand why horses whinny