Newsletter
Lavender Linguistics: Learning to live out loud
On Polari and the history of queer language
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.
Current Linguistics
Homophones, plurals, and language “rulescucks” are roiling prediction markets
Also this week: More Ukrainians are switching from speaking Russian to Ukrainian + Scientists say AI is bringing us closer to talking to animals + A new book on the world’s vanishing languages
Newsletter
The curse of knowledge (and what to do about it)
Inspiring words for linguistics majors
Current Linguistics
New study links receptivity to corporate bullshit to weaker leadership skills
Also this week: New Mexico is losing a form of Spanish spoken nowhere else + Study finds that isolated human groups speak more diverse languages
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