Newsletter
Why English needs “y’all”
Why doesn’t English just have a plural “you” like other languages?
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
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.
Current Linguistics
Inside the fiercest debate in linguistics—Universal Grammar. Plus, why your brain can process short text messages so quickly.
Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Current Linguistics
Linguists unlock the grammar of music in language, and runes show that Elfdalian is its own language
Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Current Linguistics
Critics hate the new French dictionary, and linguists discover the universal language of pain
We’re also making progress on talking to aliens, and a new book on Proto-Indo-European is on its way. Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Current Linguistics
The writing on a recently-discovered tablet has linguists baffled, and GPT passes the Turing Test
Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Current Linguistics
When did humans develop language? + How whistle languages work
When language evolved, how whistled languages work, and what alien languages might be like. Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Current Linguistics
Bonobos combine their vocalizations the way humans combine words—a trait once thought unique to humans
Bonobos challenge the uniqueness of human language, penguins learn etymology, and China adopts a new gender-neutral pronoun. Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Current Linguistics
The sad passing of Kanzi, penguin etymology, and what “fixin’ to” / “finna” mean
Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
Newsletter
The etymology of “penguin”
Where does the word “penguin” come from? French, Welsh, or Latin?
Newsletter
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?
Current Linguistics
How hypothetical are protolanguages?
How hypothetical are protolanguages? How did the Indo-Europeans spread? What does conversation look like in the brain? Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.