> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://linguisticdiscovery.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Mom’s voice boosts language-center development in preemies’ brains - URL: https://linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/2025-41/ - Published: 2025-10-16T14:00:29.000Z - Updated: 2026-03-11T11:32:26.000Z - Description: Also this week: Smart dogs have a humanlike knack for naming new objects + Birds all over the world use the same sound to warn of threats + The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia - Author: Daniel W. Hieber, Ph.D. - Tags: Current Linguistics, etymology, animal communication, epenthesis, excrescence, phonology, sound change, language change Welcome to this week’s edition of *Discovery Dispatch*, a weekly roundup of the latest language-related news, research in linguistics, interesting reads from the week, and newest books and other media dealing with language and linguistics! ## 📢 Updates & Announcements *Announcements and what’s new with me and Linguistic Discovery.* ### *Words Unravelled* @ 100,000 🎉 Congratulations to Jess Zafarris and Rob Words of the [*Words Unravelled*](https://www.youtube.com/@WordsUnravelled?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) podcast for reaching 100,000 YouTube subscribers! Be sure to check out their celebration episode of their 100 favorite etymology facts: ## 🆕 New from Linguistic Discovery *This week’s content from Linguistic Discovery.* ### 🐹 *ham(p)ster* I went to spell *hamster* this week and it’s been so long since I had to write the word that I completely forgot it *doesn’t* have a ⟨p⟩ in it! And then of course that got me to thinking about epenthetic consonants. Here’s a brief thread I wrote on it: ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xtQl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45674d0a-3711-4272-a340-99a6befde37c_563x164.png) > *hampster* is an example of what linguists call **epenthesis**, when a sound is inserted into a word. When you do it with consonants specifically it’s called **excrescence** (horrible name, I know). > > Another example is pronouncing *something* as *sumpthing*. > > Sometimes the epenthetic sound becomes permanent and the pronunciation of the word changes: > > *tremble* comes from Latin *tremulāre*, but notice how English has a ⟨b⟩ and the Latin doesn’t. That ⟨b⟩ was added in Old French. Another example someone gave me in the comments which I had never realized is the surname *Thompson*, which etymologically is ‘Thomas’ son’, but with an intrusive /p/. [Danny Hieber, Ph.D. (@linguisticdiscovery) on ThreadsWHAT DO YOU MEAN “HAMSTER” DOESN’T HAVE A “P” IN IT![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/Pcnemah90K8-13.png)Threads![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/380965313_299589562694984_4986295180060593562_n-4.jpg)](https://www.threads.com/@linguisticdiscovery/post/DPwdI9HEdIT?xmt=AQF0Uh0dd-YZ3AWTR5Ml33fvSycH5s60GAYj3qoCeu%5FK-Ik&ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 🗞️ Current Linguistics *Recently published research in linguistics.* ### Smart dogs have a humanlike knack for naming new objects ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gOJc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F561aa960-5936-4afb-b46f-0ffe8606ab7e_1216x804.png) Border collie Whisky knew individual names for all her toys. Helge O. Svela A new study finds that certain dogs are “gifted word learners”, and can apply the name of a category of toy to a new toy that shares the same purpose, even though the dog has never heard the name used for the new toy before. ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ss7F!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F575b3185-971e-4562-8cd0-3d9e9c3a9282_507x737.png) A visual representation of the methods used in the study - [Smart dogs have a humanlike knack for naming new objects](https://www.science.org/content/article/smart-dogs-have-humanlike-knack-naming-new-objects?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) *(Science)* - Fugazza, Sommese, & Miklósi. 2025\. Dogs extend verbal labels for functional classification of objects. *Current Biology* 35: 1–7\. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.17632/jrktkb8s99.1](https://doi.org/10.17632/jrktkb8s99.1?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). ### Mom’s voice boosts language-center development in preemies’ brains ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y5OD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f127cc1-7c81-4edc-a688-a1598d5c69f6_1024x576.png) A mother reads to her newborn son. Premature infants who heard recordings of their mothers’ voices showed more advanced brain development. Todd Holland Premature babies who heard recordings of their mothers reading to them had more mature white matter in a key language area of the brain, a Stanford Medicine-led study found. During the study, hospitalized premature babies regularly heard recordings of their mothers reading to them. At the end of the study, MRI brain scans showed that a key language pathway was more mature than that of preemies in a control group who did not hear the recordings. It is the first randomized controlled trial of such an intervention in early development. [Mom’s voice boosts language-center development in preemies’ brains, study findsPremature babies who heard recordings of their mothers reading to them had more mature white matter in a key language area of the brain, a Stanford Medicine-led study found.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-180x180-6.png)News CenterErin Digitale![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/scala-melissa-headshot.jpeg)](https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/10/mothers-voice-premature.html?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [Frontiers | Listening to mom in the neonatal intensive care unit: a randomized trial of increased maternal speech exposure on white matter connectivity in infants born pretermObjectiveEarly speech experiences are presumed to contribute to the development of brain structures involved in processing speech. Previous research has been…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon_32-tenantFavicon-Frontiers-1.png)FrontiersKatherine E. Travis![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/WebsiteWebP_XL-FNHUM_Main-20Visual_Red_Website.webp)](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1673471/full?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ### Birds all over the world use the same sound to warn of threats ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MK2_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F21fa8cd6-036f-4713-8148-6122d58a6623_1920x640.png) An angry Australian Superb Fairy-wren confronting a Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo. [David Ongley](https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/281503311?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) At some point in the evolution of human language, our species transitioned from instinctual vocalizations to ones that had to be learned and passed down through culture rather than genetics. A new study finds a bird call that appears to be a mix of instinct and learning: over 20 species of birds from around the world, separated by 50 million years of evolution, using the same call when they see a brood parasite (birds that trick other species into raising their young). But while birds that have never seen a brood parasite know how to respond to this call, they don’t know how to produce it. They only do it after watching others produce it when a brood parasite is nearby. So while the response to the call is instinctive, producing the call itself is learned behavior—representing a midpoint between instinctive and learned vocalizations. [Birds all over the world use the same sound to warn of threatsThe findings of a new study about communication between birds also offer key insights into the origins of language.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/web-app-logo-192x192-2d05bdd6de6328146de80245d4685946-53.png)The ConversationJames Kennerley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/file-20251003-56-5sec6z.jpg)](https://theconversation.com/birds-all-over-the-world-use-the-same-sound-to-warn-of-threats-266618?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [Birds make an alarm call that spans species and continents—and may offer insight into the evolution of human language](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/birds-make-an-alarm-call-that-spans-species-and-continents-and-may-offer-insight-into-the-evolution-of-human-language-180987475/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (Smithsonian Magazine) [Learned use of an innate sound-meaning association in birds - Nature Ecology & EvolutionOver 20 species of geographically and phylogenetically diverse bird species produce convergent whining vocalizations towards their respective brood parasites. Model presentation and playback experiments across multiple continents suggest that these learned calls provoke an innate response even among allopatric species.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-f39cb19454-20.png)NatureWilliam E. Feeney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/41559_2025_2855_Fig1_HTML.png)](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02855-9?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 📃 This Week’s Reads *Interesting articles I’ve come across this week.* [Hindi, Greek and English all come from a single ancient language – here’s how we knowThis now-extinct tongue was probably spoken somewhere in Eurasia as many as 8,000 years ago. But how do we know Proto-Indo-European must have existed?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/web-app-logo-192x192-2d05bdd6de6328146de80245d4685946-54.png)The ConversationMark W. Post![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/file-20250923-56-k4ilbt.jpg)](https://theconversation.com/hindi-greek-and-english-all-come-from-a-single-ancient-language-heres-how-we-know-264588?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - I’d also like to point out that this article includes a really cool visualization (using a JavaScript library called D3) of the branches of the Indo-European language family, which allows you to hover over individual branches to inspect them more clearly. (Having a background in JavaScript myself, I may have to start using D3 for family tree visualizations like this. I had never thought of this use case.) ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ErvM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8fd30a3e-c231-442d-be4a-00ea1ffcd464_934x830.png) Graphic: The Conversation. Source: [D. Moskov, Loanwords and Language Unification (Theorised on the Basis of English, French and Russian) - Figure 1](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Proto-Indo-European-family%5Ffig4%5F379376274?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vqTr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F002a4cf3-c48f-4de2-8b23-ebdf766ca388_1220x986.png) [Your Guide to Endangered Languages and How To Support Them - Rosetta StoneUnderstand endangered languages with an explanation of language vulnerability, lists of at-risk languages by continent, and how you can help preserve them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-RS-logo-11.png)Rosetta StoneJennifer Gunner![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/shutterstock_1581481039-min.jpg)](https://blog.rosettastone.com/endangered-languages/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [How rhyme works (and why)A lesson in the anatomy of the syllable![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F310d0223-9c59-42bd-a916-905ade8897a2-2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180-8.png)Dead Language SocietyColin Gorrie![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F36d751a0-e9a1-4cff-bc45-4ac90d8db189_1200x874.png)](https://open.substack.com/pub/colingorrie/p/how-rhyme-works-and-why) - An especially neat article because Colin Gorrie walks you through the data step-by-step to figure out what the actually rules for rhyming are. It’s more complex than you’d expect! [Dogs name toys while elephants name each other. Animal language is more complex than we imagine | Helen PilcherIf we really want to grasp what animals are ‘saying’, we need to understand their communication on their terms, not ours, says science writer Helen Pilcher![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-11.png)The GuardianHelen Pilcher![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/3500.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/09/dogs-elephants-animal-language-complex?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [Speaking of Words: How Many Words Could English Have?If you count chemical names such as dimethylformamide and monothioglycerol, or medicines such as rivaroxaban and zanubrutinib, you would think the number of possible English words is effectively infinite, even if you place a limit on the number of syllables they can have.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-icon-idnh-270x270-9.png)InDepthNH.orgMichael Ferber![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/ferber-1170x823-9.jpg)](https://indepthnh.org/2025/10/14/speaking-of-words-how-many-words-could-english-have/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 📚 Books & Media *New (and old) books and media touching on language and linguistics.* ### *The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia: An A–Z of Linguistic Curiosities* ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-ixW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7d78c8-9e99-4e0e-97e6-bc11fee8e871_852x1391.png) [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4nHJNOf?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9781668098844?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) > A delightful rollick through language unlike any you’ve ever experienced. As the inventor of the bestselling game about words, *League of the Lexicon*, Joshua Blackburn has created an A–Z that’s part-encyclopedia, part-treasure map, and an all-around joy for anyone interested in words and language. Meticulously researched, joyfully written, and beautifully designed, *The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia* dives into the quirky, the curious, and the unexpected to reveal a world of language you never knew existed. > > Discover the biting humor of Scottish insults (*you’re talking mince*), the curious history of the Chinese typewriter, and the strange yet vivid color names of Elizabethan England—like “dead Spaniard” and “lusty gallant.” Whether it’s the dark history of the Index of Banned Books or the bewildering grammar of Yoda, each pithy entry is brimming with knowledge and wit. Illustrated with enchanting line art that evokes a 19th-century reference book, *The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia* is as visually delightful as it is intellectually captivating. It’s stuffed with quirky lists, surprising facts, and illuminating stories, making it the ultimate gift for any language lover. Want to uncover the secret of Ikea product names? Decode the euphemisms of Victorian England? Or understand why pedants are pedantic? This book has you covered—and then some. > > Blackburn’s infectious enthusiasm turns linguistic oddities into pure entertainment and offers up endless rabbit holes to dive down, with each thoughtful entry promising to charm, educate, and tickle. From the linguistic history of marijuana to the origins of nonsense, *The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia* is a must-read for anyone who revels in the beauty, humor, and sheer weirdness of language. The book was just released this week! Procure your own copy here: - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4nHJNOf?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9781668098844?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 🗃️ Resources *Maps, databases, lists, etc. on language and linguistics.* ### Living Dictionaries ![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdMg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F06e3667d-2219-40e2-b8fe-2dfd4733556c_2048x1092.png) Living Dictionaries are mobile-friendly web tools that support endangered, under-represented and diasporic languages. Led by community activists around the globe, Living Dictionaries are collaborative multimedia projects that help languages survive for generations to come. [Living Dictionaries | Living DictionariesLiving Dictionaries are language documentation tools that support endangered and under-represented languages. This online platform was created by Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages as a free multimedia resource for community activists and linguists who want to build digital dictionaries and phrasebooks.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-58.png)Living Dictionaries![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/livingdictionary-2Fimages-2FNEW_Living_Tongues_logo_with_white_around_it.png)](https://livingdictionaries.app/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 👋🏼 Til next week! ### Chicago’s hidden etymologies Here’s one for my fellow Chicagoans and Chicago-lovers, from [Adam Aleksic](https://open.substack.com/users/193395523-adam-aleksic?utm%5Fsource=mentions) (@EtymologyNerd): [![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SC8C!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F478ea0dd-94b9-4cc3-a5d3-6f9bf654647a_540x590.png)](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bix89vuFTAL/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&ig%5Frid=9e35cb2d-5eba-422c-b84a-9df4cb51fb6a) Adam doesn’t mention it in the infographic, but the word *Chicago* may be distantly related to the word *skunk*, both coming from an Algonquian root meaning ‘smell bad’. The original name for Chicago was either from the Fox language, *sheka:ko:heki* ‘place of the wild onion’ or from the Ojibwe language, *shika:konk* ‘at the skunk place’. Both ‘onion’ and ‘skunk’ would have been based on that root meaning ‘smell bad’. 💡 The Amazon and Bookshop.org links on this site are affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission from Amazon for purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you). If you’d like to support Linguistic Discovery, purchasing through these links is a great way to do so! I greatly appreciate your support! [Check out my entire Amazon storefront here.](https://www.amazon.com/shop/linguisticdiscovery?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)