> ## 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. # What an ape’s laugh can teach us about human language - URL: https://linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/2026-38/ - Published: 2026-09-26T09:00:29.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-26T09:00:29.000Z - Description: Also this week: Why grammar snobs don’t actually like language + Bluey released in an Australian indigenous language + Enrollment in advanced language classes dropping in the UK - Author: Daniel W. Hieber, Ph.D. - Tags: Current Linguistics, Pre-Greek, Ancient Greek, language ideology, language learning, animal communication, LLMs, Old English, Indo-European, history of English Welcome to this week’s edition of the *Linguistic Discovery* digest, a weekly roundup of the latest language-related news, research in linguistics, interesting reads from the week, and newest books and media on language and linguistics! You're reading **Linguistic Discovery*, a weekly newsletter about the science and diversity of language—a field known as ****linguistics**. I'm Danny Hieber, a Ph.D. in linguistics who works with indigenous communities to help them document and revitalize their languages. Topics covered in this newsletter include: ⚙️ how language works (cognitive/historical linguistics) 🌍 grammatical diversity in the world’s languages (typology) ℹ️ explainers of terms and concepts in linguistics 🗣️ language profiles 🗞️ the latest news and research in language and linguistics ⭐ linguistic reviews of books and other media Some posts are for paying subscribers only, but most are free. Paying subscribers get ****bonus articles** and ****early access** to my in-progress book projects! Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. **You can also subscribe on* [**Substack*](https://linguisticdiscovery.substack.com/) *if you prefer that platform instead. You’ll get all the same content and extras.* ## 🆕 New from Linguistic Discovery *This week’s content from Linguistic Discovery.* ### 🎗️ Reminder: *Pre-Greek: The lost language hidden within Ancient Greek* ### ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/image-30.png) If you haven’t yet finished the article on the Pre-Greek substrate language that influenced Ancient Greek (because it was unusually long!), this is your reminder to go back and finish reading it! If you do, you’ll be rewarded with some cool resources, such as: - A map (made by me!) of where we think the Pre-Greek language spoken, based on evidence from Pre-Greek toponyms (place names) - A list of all the words in English that are ultimately derived from the Pre-Greek language Happy reading! [Pre-Greek: The lost language hidden within Ancient GreekAround 1,000 Greek words can’t be traced to any Indo-European language. Where do they come from?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/languages-bordered-ba6823b5-7870-4796-af61-696319657075.png)Linguistic DiscoveryDaniel W. Hieber, Ph.D.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/map--3840x2160---1--a4d9f367-dbb2-476d-92de-dd488809d0e5.png)](https://linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/pre-greek/) ### Grammar snobs don’t like language Some thoughts on grammar snobs, in microblogging form: > **Grammar snobs don’t like language.** > > The grammar elitists only like the mythical version of language they’ve “perfected” in their minds, one that’s never existed and never will. > > The grammar pedants don’t appreciate the beautiful diversity of ways that language is *actually* used by real human beings in the world. They don’t see the elegance of language as a spontaneous order, shaped by billions of day-to-day interactions between speakers. > > To the grammar police, language is something to be constrained and controlled, striped of its vivacity and organic nature, made stale and lifeless. > > To the grammar stiffs, the creativity and diversity and individuality of language is the enemy. > > Don’t be a grammar snob. Learn to appreciate the wonderful messy diversity of language. - [See this post on Threads.](https://www.threads.com/@linguisticdiscovery?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 📰 In the News *Language and linguistics in the news.* ### Bluey released in an Australian indigenous language for the first time The award-winning children's cartoon series Bluey has been translated into Australian Indigenous language for the first time. Five episodes were released in Yolngu Matha, a collection of dialects from north-east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. The BBC's Simon Atkinson spoke to the producers of these special episodes, who hope the project will amplify First Nation voices, and help language preservation through storytelling. [Bluey released in Australian Indigenous language for first timeFive episodes of the award-winning children’s cartoon have been released in Australian Indigenous language for the first time.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-4d031845-bdfc-4b67-8392-121df8a2d1c8.png)BBC: World News & Stories![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/2768aa90-8017-11f1-b976-0b9c15b0ccfc-4f0e9eba-282a-409f-902d-5339067028b8.jpg)](https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c07y7r91vz9o?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ### Enrollment in advanced language classes dropping in the UK Since 2022, the number of A-levels (Advanced Level qualifications, 2-year subject-based courses in the UK) taken in French, German, and Spanish has fallen from 19,820 to 17,616. [This A-level subject could be in ‘crisis’ as entries declineSince 2022, the number of A-levels taken in French, German and Spanish has fallen from 19,820 to 17,616![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/icon-512x512-9a69dc0d-58fc-4a30-bafa-2ed8dcdb7b6d.png)The IndependentSascha Stollhans![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/785f4cb7fba839c405a8aa9d757fab89Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzg2NjM2MDA2-2.16777022-74f9aff0-c661-4e58-be83-cba611817737.jpg)](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/a-level-results-gcse-language-subject-b3032564.html?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 🗞️ Current Linguistics *Recently published research in linguistics.* ### What an ape’s laugh can teach us about human language A new study offers a glimpse into the evolutionary path toward human language—through laughter. The study found that ape species more closely related to humans, such as chimpanzees, were able to laugh faster than gorillas or orangutans. [What an ape’s laugh can teach us about human languageA new study offers a glimpse into the evolutionary path toward human language—through laughter.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-b20e812e-3047-4bdd-8a5a-92def00cd732.ico)Animals![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/SPI-2506024_16x9-b3d30d17-7f95-41d3-81f1-e06b757bff96.jpg)](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/apes-laugh-evolution?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - De Gregorio, Davila-Ross, & Lameira. 2025\. Rhythm and timing in laughter reveal that human vocal plasticity falls on a hominid continuum. *Communications Biology* 9 (824). DOI: [https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10499-z](https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10499-z?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). ### Humanity spoke thousands of languages at the dawn of farming — now many of them are lost ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/image-32.png) The transition to farming settlements in the Neolithic, like this one in Çayönü, Turkey, helped spur a boom in linguistic diversity. Credit: Omer Yasin Ergin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Here’s some additional reporting from *Nature* and other publications on the study published in *Science* earlier this year showing that there were likely tens of thousands of languages in use between 3,000 and 1,000 years ago: [Humanity spoke thousands of languages at the dawn of farming — now many of them are lostA shift from nomadic lifestyles could have triggered linguistic diversity before it then declined rapidly.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-48x48-b52890008c-3c4ca1dd-b545-428f-8923-a2062480d50e.png)Nature Publishing Group UKFreda Kreier![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/d41586-026-02279-w_53016690-52f6b78e-b0ee-4336-9d57-f28bc1236bd0.jpg)](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02279-w?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [Three millennia ago, humans may have spoken thousands more languages than we have today, during a linguistic ‘Golden Age’: A new study suggests linguistic diversity reached its peak between 1000 BCE and 1000 CE before declining](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-millennia-ago-humans-may-have-spoken-thousands-more-languages-than-we-have-today-during-a-linguistic-golden-age-180989197/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (*Smithsonian Magazine*) - [Tens of thousands of languages spoken in ancient times before collapse: A new Harvard study contradicts the previous assumption that languages peaked much earlier, after the last Ice Age](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/languages-linguistics-ice-age-ppgswpg7f?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (*The London Times*) - [Thousands of human languages may have been erased—even before colonialism](https://www.sciencealert.com/a-forgotten-wave-of-extinction-may-have-erased-thousands-of-human-languages?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (*Science Alert*) - **Original Research Article:** Blasi et al. 2026\. The rise and fall of language diversity through the Holocene. *Science* 393(6809): pp. 387–391\. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adx4343](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adx4343?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). ## 📃 This Week’s Reads *Interesting articles I’ve come across this week.* Comments on my [Pre-Greek article](https://linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/pre-greek/) led me to this excellent article by Matthew Scarborough about the percentage of Pre-Greek words in the Greek lexicon: - [How much “Pre-Greek” is there in the Greek lexicon proportionally?](https://consultingphilologist.wordpress.com/2025/08/13/how-much-pre-greek-is-there-in-the-greek-lexicon-proportionally/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (*Consulting Philologist*) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/image-33.png) Ken Hale was a pretty remarkable dude, well-known within the field of linguistics for his incredible language-learning skills, his keen scholarly insight, and his kind and warm personality. If you’ve never heard of him, check out this recent tribute article: - [Kenneth Hale, the Brahma-bull-riding theoretical linguist who spoke 50 languages: Paying my respects to a linguistic virtuoso](https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/paying-my-respects-to-a-linguistic-virtuoso/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (*The MIT Press Reader*) Here is his obituary from MIT, where he taught linguistics: [Kenneth L. Hale, linguist and activist on behalf of endangered languages, diesSpeaking over 50 langauges, Professor Hale was 'truly a voice for the voiceless,' said Noam Chomsky![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-5ede26d5-2cd7-4bd8-87ef-687189a22f53.png)MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/200908311111171076-008d799b-1ee5-4091-bfed-79170788a0b5.jpg)](https://news.mit.edu/2001/hale?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) Other reads this week: [If AI can translate instantly, why learn another language?There’s a difference between using a tool to assist you, and using one to replace cognitive effort.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/web-app-logo-192x192-2d05bdd6de6328146de80245d4685946-096df305-1c3c-487a-8743-9e7ab3b010c9.png)The ConversationMark Antoniou![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/file-20260430-57-slgsoc-cd717e17-207d-4b10-b2c4-e5ac120bcf52.jpg)](https://theconversation.com/if-ai-can-translate-instantly-why-learn-another-language-280310?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [The Prehistory of A.I. SlopBefore ChatGPT, there was the Plot Robot, Auto-Beatnik, and a century’s worth of schemes for automating authorship.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-fc91ce7c-341c-409f-aeb6-ea90bb9b8f57.ico)The New YorkerJill Lepore![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/r49216-dc053c80-0b5a-4f40-8754-84bdb616c2d1.jpg)](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/05/25/the-prehistory-of-ai-slop?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [How Do Old English Letters Differ From Modern English? - Rosetta StoneWhen you think about Old English, you may imagine pages from Beowulf or a swinging storefront sign reading “Ye Olde Shoppe.” But what did Old English letters![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-RS-logo-42a1ef48-5de2-4972-9d57-5bbb102647a6.png)Rosetta StoneJennifer Gunner![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/Old-English-letters_2114283167-1-b3fdad87-56ce-4d9e-b9e1-eb7c435939fc.jpg)](https://blog.rosettastone.com/old-english-letters/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 📚 Books & Media *New (and old) books and media touching on language and linguistics.* ### Things I loved about *A deadly education* as a linguist ### ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/image-34.png) [Amazon](https://link.amazon/B0bB4J24U?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9780593128503?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) I recently finished reading *A deadly education*, the first book in the *Scholomance* fantasy trilogy, and had a great time with it. Here are a few things I enjoyed about it as a linguist: - Spells in Old English and Proto-Indo-European! - The more languages you know, the more spells you can learn, and the better a wizard you are! - Fun shoutouts to *Lord of the Rings* in a few places. (The main character is named *Galadriel* and makes a quip about it at one point.) The author clearly has some awareness of historical linguistics and language reconstruction, which was a lot of fun: > The bookcases in between are full of crumbling scrolls and carved-stone tablets in some parent language so ancient that nobody knows it anymore. \[…\] I made up a special project for myself: analyzing the commonalities between spells of binding and coercion in Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Old English, and Middle English. \[…\] The topic also near-guaranteed that I’ll be assigned the Proto-Indo-European seminar next year. (pp. 102–103) Get your own copy of the book here: - [Amazon](https://link.amazon/B0bB4J24U?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9780593128503?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ### *The Cambridge encyclopedia of language* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/20230609_033758296_iOS.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/version-1-uuid-732D1BBA-604B-417D-AAE5-9D99CF3A30FE-mode-compatible-noloc-0.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/version-1-uuid-3B3CC1F7-545B-43FE-9B60-BB37E9BA6DF8-mode-compatible-noloc-0.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/version-1-uuid-7A6C8AB8-A711-472B-8BEB-05153C5C6EF1-mode-compatible-noloc-0.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/version-1-uuid-7E27FED4-9052-4FB8-8AD8-1E626DA7A29B-mode-compatible-noloc-0.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/version-1-uuid-7B5FB216-AFAB-4D4F-AC5E-17BEE448A28B-mode-compatible-noloc-0.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/version-1-uuid-9D9A8D58-E1C3-4DEF-AB0B-EBF65648BC04-mode-compatible-noloc-0.jpeg) This is honestly one of my favorite coffee table books, by the prolific and always excellent David Crystal. People love to leaf through this when they come over. - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4h9S3nm?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9780521736503?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 👋🏼 Till next week! *Sketch Plantations* made an infographic for the World Cup this past summer explaining the difference between endonyms and exonyms. Read the accompanying article here: [Endonyms, Exonyms and the World CupLocal names and outside names![](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-2F66fb3287-dccc-4657-96a6-f18df807b9fa-2Ffavicon-48x48-fa2bded1-28a7-45ec-8a33-73a91b68c412.jpg)SketchplanationsJono Hey![](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-2Fdb45945e-7ba4-4279-9c2e-b579bcf8e91f_3329x3329-02d37674-380f-4966-aae1-d4bbbda1e716.jpg)](https://sketchplanations.substack.com/p/endonyms-exonyms-and-the-world-cup) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/09/image-35.png) 📚 The Amazon and Bookshop links on this site are affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission from those companies 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 Amazon storefront here.](https://www.amazon.com/shop/linguisticdiscovery?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [Check out my Bookshop storefront here.](https://bookshop.org/shop/linguisticdiscovery?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)