> ## 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. # Ancient DNA rewrites the story of how Germanic and Celtic languages spread across Europe - URL: https://linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/2026-45/ - Published: 2026-11-14T10:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-14T10:00:00.000Z - Description: Also this week: Rediscovered 1935 recordings reveal earliest audio of Louisiana Creole + Collins chooses “mogging” as Word of the Year + The almost-forgotten Cherokee numerals invented by Sequoyah - Author: Daniel W. Hieber, Ph.D. - Tags: Current Linguistics 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! ⚠️ ****Content Warning:** This issue of the digest contains discussion of a taboo word (although as you’ll see, just how taboo it’s considered depends on your country!). 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.* ## 📢 Updates & Announcements *What’s new with me and Linguistic Discovery, and other announcements.* ### Support the documentation and revitalization of the world’s languages: Celebrating 30 years of the Endangered Language Fund The Endangered Language Fund has supported language documentation and revitalization around the world for three decades, and to celebrate this milestone, they’re sharing some recent successes from their grantees: projects that exemplify endangered languages, community impact, and measurable revitalization efforts: [The Endangered Language Fund![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/default-favicon-8994ca0c-daea-4198-8f7f-82a53f5fcf60.ico)The Endangered Language Fund![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/d6473e6b-879f-4ca2-a6ef-a0b5ab1c00b9-a58581cc-b1e4-48ba-ab29-b1aacccc0a79.png)](https://www.endangeredlanguagefund.org/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) You can support the foundation’s excellent work by making an online donation here: [https://secure.qgiv.com/for/endangeredlanguagefundinc/](https://secure.qgiv.com/for/endangeredlanguagefundinc/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) Checks can be sent to: Endangered Language Fund 300 George Street, Suite 900 New Haven, CT 06511 ### World “Hello” Day November 20 is World “Hello” Day! Here’s a fun article on the history of the word *hello*—and why we don’t say *ahoy* or *hail* instead. [World Hello Day: History of a Greeting | The Saturday Evening PostWhy do we say “hello” and not “ahoy” or “hail”? We explore the fascinating history of this relatively young word.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-Favicon-270x270-b57f1ff6-7906-4213-91b9-1987ca43b633.png)The Saturday Evening PostAndy Hollandbeck![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/2017-11-20-hello-banner-1a75c5f3-90f7-4a7b-ac4d-9863b0a14004.jpg)](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2017/11/world-hello-day-history-greeting/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 🆕 New from Linguistic Discovery *This week’s content from Linguistic Discovery.* ### All the ways English gets words from Greek Here’s the final video in my series with St. John’s College, on all the ways that the Greek language has given words to English over the years—often indirectly. ## 📰 In the News *Language and linguistics in the news.* Lots of lexicographical updates this week! ### Pwn, skibidi, girlboss, and more added to 2026 Scrabble dictionary ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/11/image-2.png) Merriam-Webster has updated their official Scrabble dictionary with lots of new words, including *kaiju*, *kawaii*, *boujee*, *pwn*, *skibidi*, *girlboss*, *rizz*, and *delulu*. - [Pwn, skibid, girlboss and other words added to the 2026 SCRABBLE dictionary](https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/pwn-skibidi-girlboss-and-other-words-added-to-the-2026-scrabble-dictionary?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (Merriam-Webster) ### Collins crowns *mogging* the 2026 Word of the Year Collins has chosen *mogging* as the 2026 Word of the Year: > “Mogging” is a tongue-in-cheek term jovially used by members of Gen-Z and Gen Alpha to suggest an outperforming or outshining of someone or something. *mogging* staved off tough competition from *rizz*, with a staggering 210% surge in usage in 2026. Like Merriam-Webster’s choice for word of the year, *maxxing*, *mogging* has its origins in the incel (involuntarily celibate) internet community (see also [Aleksic 2025](https://app.notion.com/p/Aleksic-2025-40550a282bc1818e8191cee30e97a0ca?pvs=21&ref=linguisticdiscovery.com): 128): > Believed to be born from the acronym “AMOG,” or “alpha male of the group,” it was previously used as a noun in bodybuilding culture to describe the strongest, most physically dominant man in a gym, the blog says. Later, it was transformed into a verb and briefly adopted by the manosphere. [Collins’ Word of the Year 2026: a year of being outdone - Collins Dictionary Language BlogRead about our Word of the Year 2026 and discover which words are on the shortlist!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-c-270x270-29cfe216-42c1-4aa8-b834-49da884c53fe.jpg)Collins Dictionary Language BlogAmy Herrick![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/26.10.30_WOTY2026_Bannerv2_1920x1080-9c2d331d-8896-4f5f-97e9-345c07a0992f.png)](https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/collins-word-of-the-year-2026-a-year-of-being-outdone/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [“Mogging” is Collins’ word of the year, but what does it mean?](https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/03/uk/mogging-collins-word-year-2026-scli-intl?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (CNN) ### Royal Spanish Academy presents the first ‘digitally native’ edition of its Spanish dictionary The Royal Spanish Academy (*Real Academia Española* \[RAE\]) has presented their 24th edition, and this is the first edition created digitally, with 6,000 new entries including *IA* (*inteligencia artificial*) ‘AI (artificial intelligence’, *edadista* ‘ageist’, *influencer* ‘influencer’, *racializar* ‘to racialize’, and *narcolancha* ‘drug speedboat’. This edition is the most pan-Hispanic yet, with contributions from all 23 member countries of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language, such as *acitronar* ‘to sauté with lemon’ and *bicisenda* ‘bike path’. [The RAE unveils the first native digital Dictionary"It marks the zenith of a generation of dictionaries," said Santiago Muñoz Machado, director of the RAE.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-c30c510d-172f-4064-a271-7e4314b3003d.ico)VOZAlejandro Baños![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/16x9-03f6acd3-356c-4c64-b424-01459d66eb97.jpg)](https://voz.us/en/society/261030/1000196/the-rae-presents-the-24th-edition-of-the-dictionary-the-first-native-digital-edition.html?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) \[The article below is in Spanish.\] [La Voz De GaliciaLa Voz De Galicia![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/sitetile-144-f7103864-bb54-4e4c-b9bf-916f159597c9.png)PressReader](https://edicionimpresa.lavozdegalicia.es/article/282209427864723?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (Thanks to George Greenia for bringing this item to my attention.) ## 🗞️ Current Linguistics *Recently published research in linguistics.* ### Rediscovered 1935 recordings reveal earliest audio of Louisiana Creole ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/11/image-3.png) > The earliest spoken-word recordings of Louisiana Creole, a uniquely American language at risk of extinction, have been uncovered and analyzed for the first time, shedding light on a tongue that defined the docks and saloons of New Orleans for well over a century. The *Promotology* newsletter has a great deep dive on the find: [History You Can Hear: A Language Beyond the ArchiveHear Louisiana Creole voices recorded in 1935, and explore what they reveal about language, memory, and the people who carry both forward.![](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-2Fb6d8a462-1087-443a-ab22-810b19c64430-2Ffavicon-48x48-44d11320-c205-4e3a-b558-2a349ffb5aa1.jpg)ProtomologyProtomology![](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-2F539f128f-ead9-4ba1-b169-823462cd37b0_1200x630-b827b849-444e-42c2-acf8-02076a047657.jpg)](https://protomology.substack.com/p/louisiana-creole-voices-1935) Here is some additional reporting on the topic: [Oldest recordings of Louisiana Creole discovered in Indiana archiveThe language was already endangered when Black linguist Lorenzo Dow Turner documented its speakers in 1935.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-ps-FE5102-1-2a629c8b-8b4c-450f-9d1e-b7f3399ac9e7.png)Popular ScienceAndrew Paul![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/Louisiana-Dock-Workers-1935-3e9cdce3-51e5-41d1-bf42-17999fa4ea6b.jpg)](https://www.popsci.com/science/oldest-louisiana-creole-recordings/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [Rediscovered 1935 recordings reveal earliest known spoken audio of endangered Louisiana CreoleThe earliest spoken-word recordings of Louisiana Creole, a uniquely American language at risk of extinction, have been uncovered and analyzed for the first time, shedding light on a tongue that defined the docks and saloons of New Orleans for well over a century.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Phys.orgFred Lewsey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/earliest-spoken-audio-7dd4070d-7fed-4b63-970e-f690947e0729.jpg)](https://phys.org/news/2026-10-rediscovered-reveal-earliest-spoken-audio.html?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) And here is the original research article where the recordings are described (and available for listening): - Mayeux. 2026\. Lorenzo Dow Turner’s field recordings from Louisiana, 1935\. *Language Documentation & Description* 26(1). DOI: [https://doi.org/10.25894/ldd.3083](https://doi.org/10.25894/ldd.3083?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). ### Ancient DNA rewrites the story of how Germanic and Celtic languages spread across Europe It has traditionally been assumed that the Germanic languages reached Scandinavia about 4,800 years ago, but a new study of ancient DNA finds evidence of a previously unknown migration from around the Baltic region around 4,000 years ago—800 years later. The authors of the study suggest that this migration may have offered a potential later vector by which the Germanic-speaking peoples arrived in the region. In another study using the same DNA evidence, the researchers also present data suggesting that the Celtic languages—whose exact origin has long been a hotly-debated mystery—spread westward from central Europe. This challenges the long-held idea that the Celtic languages originated on the Atlantic coast instead. **Reporting** - [A barbarian tribe’s mythic origin story is true, ancient DNA reveals: Skeletons across Europe confirm the Goths surged out of Scandinavia before sacking Rome](https://www.science.org/content/article/barbarian-tribe-s-mythic-origin-story-true-ancient-dna-reveals?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (*Science*) - [Mighty and mysterious Celts hailed from the heart of Europe: Ancient DNA sheds light on history of modern languages such as Welsh and Gaelic](https://www.science.org/content/article/mighty-and-mysterious-celts-hailed-heart-europe?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (*Science*) [Ancient DNA traces origins of English, German and Scandinavian languagesEnglish, German, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages are all members of the Germanic language group, spoken by hundreds of millions of people today. But where did these languages come from?![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Phys.orgUniversity of Copenhagen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/ancient-dna-reveals-wh-2-6653e628-32d4-4ecf-b027-1056b6c67573.jpg)](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-ancient-dna-english-german-scandinavian.html?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [Ancient DNA Rewrites The Story of How Germanic And Celtic Languages Spread Across EuropeHundreds of millions of people today speak Germanic languages: English, Dutch, German, Danish, Swedish, etc.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-sa-rounded-favicon-270x270-13a1a5fa-e0b8-49c4-a061-16cc1947f787.png)ScienceAlertJess Cockerill![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/ScandiAncient-1200x675-8f7fbf9a-444b-41a8-a33f-1008b84ebdf6.png)](https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-dna-rewrites-the-story-of-how-germanic-and-celtic-languages-spread-across-europe?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) **Original Research Studies** - McColl et al. 2026\. Tracing the spread of Germanic languages using ancient genomics. *Nature*. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09064-1](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09064-1?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). - McColl et al. 2026\. Tracing the spread of Celtic languages using ancient genomics. *Nature*. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11198-9](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11198-9?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). ## 📃 This Week’s Reads *Interesting articles I’ve come across this week.* The word *cunt* is getting some media attention this week, in part because of the release of the second edition of the book *Rooted: An Australian history of bad language* ([Amazon](https://link.amazon/B0aYiIgq2?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9781761170904?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)): [Love the C word? You might be Australian. Hate it? You might be AmericanAcademics and lexicographers are exploring how swearing is tied to national cultural identities – and how the internet may cause new, creative cursing to ‘flourish’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-56513501-8f78-46da-8ac4-fe48573bbd7c.ico)The GuardianSteve Dow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/2500-3a428e68-45f0-48e2-8a5e-4461cb663f76.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/nov/02/the-c-word-australian-culture-identity?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) Which reminds me of an explainer about the history of the word in *The Conversation* from a few years back: [They’re serving what?! How the c-word went from camp to internet mainstreamThe language associated with drag culture has become mainstream and is now often considered part of the ‘internet vernacular’.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/web-app-logo-192x192-2d05bdd6de6328146de80245d4685946-3a426a0d-5645-492a-bde4-5f57a908d087.png)The ConversationChristian Ilbury![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/file-20231212-25-1vks8n-dca31cc2-5fdf-46d7-84bf-89d74942cc88.jpg)](https://theconversation.com/theyre-serving-what-how-the-c-word-went-from-camp-to-internet-mainstream-210214?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/11/image-4.png) [Amazon](https://link.amazon/B0aYiIgq2?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9781761170904?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) The story of how Sequoyah, fresh from inventing the Cherokee syllabary, devised a ciphered-additive numeral system in 1828—one the Cherokee ultimately passed over for Western numerals, leaving it to survive in a single manuscript. - [Sequoyah and the almost-forgotten history of Cherokee numerals: The story of a numerical system nearly consigned to oblivion](https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/sequoyah-and-the-almost-forgotten-history-of-cherokee-numerals/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (The MIT Press Reader) And here are some other reading items for your week: [Film ‘Hope’ uses created alien language to explore the world of constructed languagesFrom Esperanto and revived Hebrew to AI-driven conlang design in ‘Hope’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/ds-symbol-ec1dba32-0e3a-4151-bb5f-4452cc21c5c2.png)DongA ScienceHyoBin Jang![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/1793674621561-660b8bf3-a852-493b-bd5a-1e62e54e2f79.png)](https://dongascience.com/en/news/80676?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [Why Bad Bunny, the world’s biggest Spanish-language musician, has set off a linguistic debateCriticism has focused on the musician’s unapologetic use of his native dialect.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-160x160.7d97c537daffcf114789e9abfa5fb07f.003-e5ca625a-c120-4ce3-9a7f-bbc75e61ee93.png)Scroll.inLourdes Moreno Cazalla, The Conversation![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/216413-prppsptkup-1793624258-e068bb4d-9d90-4d3a-aff1-2730df1e6060.jpg)](https://scroll.in/article/1096816/why-bad-bunny-the-worlds-biggest-spanish-language-musician-has-set-off-a-linguistic-debate?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [Why a dollar is like a Neanderthal](https://www.etymonline.com/columns/post/why-is-a-dollar-like-a-neanderthal?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (Etymonline) ## 📚 Books & Media *New (and old) books and media touching on language and linguistics.* ### How accents shape our lives A recent book by linguistics professor Valerie Fridland, who was raised in Memphis by parents with French accents, explores the power behind the way we speak: [Notion | Where teams and agents work togetherA collaborative AI workspace, built on your company context. Build and orchestrate agents right alongside your team's projects, meetings, and connected apps.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-a21d72ae-1047-49ab-bce8-917525e6adcf.ico)Notion![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/default-013a667c-a8ce-4deb-b1c0-e1347a9df7ad.png)](https://app.notion.com/p/36a50a282bc18103a1f0d944bd726c81?pvs=25&ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) You can get a copy of the book at the links below: - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4rXkM4I?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9780593830482?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/11/image-5.png) [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4rXkM4I?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9780593830482?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ### The mystery of Easter Island’s still undeciphered script Here’s a review of Daniel Harbour’s forthcoming book, *The book of lost languages: An epic quest to decipher the past* ([Amazon](https://link.amazon/B09tbS3ad?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9781635579253?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)), looking specifically at the mysterious undeciphered script of Easter Island, Rongorongo: [The mystery of Easter Island’s still undeciphered scriptWhen British and Ottoman forces defeated the remnants of Napoleon’s army in Egypt, General Menou, the Frenchman in charge of Alexandria, was ordered to surrender his personal collection of looted antiquities. ‘Never has the world been so pillaged!’ he moaned unironically. The item which provoked such self-pity was the Rosetta Stone, whose extraordinary value Menou![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-192x192-76e9b9f2-662f-4165-bf95-285cb75550be.png)The SpectatorDennis Duncan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/2Rongorongo-Getty-8c254be7-fdee-47a5-9cfc-cf327a80f32a.jpg)](https://spectator.com/article/the-mystery-of-easter-islands-still-undeciphered-script/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/11/image-6.png) [Amazon](https://link.amazon/B09tbS3ad?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9781635579253?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) The book releases on January 19, 2027\. Preorder your copy here! - [Amazon](https://link.amazon/B09tbS3ad?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9781635579253?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 🗃️ Resources *Maps, databases, lists, etc. on language and linguistics.* ### FamilyMapper: Guess language families by their contemporary speaker areas ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/11/image-7.png) I was proud that I got 9/10 on this one. Here’s a fun daily game from historical linguist Leonid Motz that tests your knowledge of where the world’s language families are situated. [FamilyMapperGuess 10 randomized primary language families from their contemporary speaker areas.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-58ab82f9-1c7d-42a5-9085-d8a8c74903d1.png)](https://leonidmotz.eu/familymapper/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ### 🗨️ A new corpus of spoken American English A brand new corpus of spoken American English is now available, open access, for non-commercial research and teaching purposes. It contains about 9.4 million words (\~1,300 hours) of conversation spoken by 1,116 speakers across the United States. It essentially functions as the American English counterpart to the widely used British National Corpus. Links to download the corpus files, access the corpus via #LancsBox X, and/or read the corpus documentation (e.g., transcription conventions, descriptions of the metadata, overview of corpus composition) can be found on the [Share Your Voice website](https://sites.google.com/view/share-your-voice/corpus-documentation?authuser=0&ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). As a dedicated linguistic functionalist who greatly values the importance of naturalistic discourse in genuine social settings, I’m thrilled to see this contribution to the field. Congratulations to project lead Elizabeth Hanks for the years of hard work spent bringing this incredible resource to fruition. [Share Your Voice - Corpus DocumentationCorpus Download![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/sites_2026_16dp-f8bbc9c3-530a-4cc8-a4b8-f73c87f0a494.ico)Corpus Documentation![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/APXyLQcjY9HDpgmdJ65zCwWPL4H-Kc6dCe84ZtaF58noUXlint1H7Zpo5Z_5nKs4oSpn1lNVXcoohHVqZnHta-KnUAxjuOpplOayUmYmac9widUKg7pc9nXi_hgfTbv006zHWx9ZsS1tNY82iagO9nn4vf1HUDKC6PvSHNqZRJ85qlzNHwz5xJZhx3kNuq1f49I-w16383-c743ead2-d811-4084-9a9a-5c2a691aa32b.png)](https://sites.google.com/view/share-your-voice/corpus-documentation?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - Hanks et al. forthcoming. Introducing the Lancaster-Northern Arizona Corpus of American Spoken English (LANA-CASE). *Corpora*. \[[pre-release version](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uQfc4etKThOECX8EorveAauJdpAgIUmQ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112288748382534651354&rtpof=true&sd=true&ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)\] ## 👋🏼 Till next week! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/11/image-8.png) [https://xkcd.com/2722/](https://xkcd.com/2722/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) 📚 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! 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