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Why do the British pronounce “herb” with an /h/?
Why don’t Americans pronounce herb with an /h/?
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.
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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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In Memoriam: 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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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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Speaking American: How y'all, youse, and you guys talk
A beautiful and engaging coffee table book of 122 dialect maps showing how different regions of the U.S. say different things. A wonderful illustration of dialect diversity in the United States, this book is sure to spark great conversations. A must-have for any language lover.