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.
Latest
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.
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.
The sad passing of Kanzi, penguin etymology, and what “fixin’ to” / “finna” mean
Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
The etymology of “penguin”
Where does the word “penguin” come from? French, Welsh, or Latin?
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?
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.
Gestures can counteract subtle stereotypes introduced by language
This week I discuss the growth of science communication in linguistics, plus how simple gestures can counteract subtle linguistic biases.
The etymology of "guacamole"
Where do the words “avocado” and “guacamole” come from?
Babies can learn multiple languages from birth—and they’ll slow the onset of dementia if they do
Babies can learn multiple languages from birth—and they’ll slow the onset of dementia if they do. Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
The linguistics of Trump’s official English policy
Trump issued an executive order making English the official language of the U.S.—sort of. Here’s what that order does, and what language in the U.S. looks like today.
gen z loves lowercase, but they’re losing their southern drawl
gen z loves lowercase, but they’re losing their southern drawl. meanwhile trump makes english the official language (sort of).
Discovery Dispatch
1,000 subscribers! 🎉 And did Proto-Indo-European have SOV word order?
The Linguistic Discovery newsletter just reached 1,000 subscribers! 🎉 And linguist Danny L. Bate suggests that Proto-Indo-European didn’t have Subject-Object-Verb word order after all.
Discovery Dispatch
Is AI changing language? Plus new evidence for a “language protein”
A recent article argues that AI is wrecking language, and new research has found a "language protein". Here's what happened this week in language and linguistics.
World of Words
Hawaiian only has 8 consonants—What happens when it borrows words with other sounds?
The Hawaiian language only has 8 consonants. So how does it deal with sounds in words borrowed from other languages?
World of Words
The etymology of "love"
The etymology of the word "love" and all its related words in English.
Discovery Dispatch
The quest for the first Indo-Europeans, and whales communicating like humans
New DNA evidence emerges in the hunt for the first speakers of Indo-European, and researchers discover that whalesong shares a property of human language never before found in the animal kingdom.
Discovery Dispatch
Honest aliens and yet another attempt at Proto-Australian
An analysis of the linguistics of The Three-Body Problem, and new research claiming to reconstruct Proto-Australian.
World of Words
What alien languages can teach us about human language: The linguistics of The Three-Body Problem
Imagine if every word you thought could be heard by everyone around you. In this world, thinking would be the same as communicating. What would language—and society—be like?
World of Words
Why is “February” spelled with two ⟨r⟩’s?
Why is “February” spelled with two ⟨r⟩'s even though most people only pronounce one of them?
Discovery Dispatch
Welcome to Discovery Dispatch!
Discovery Dispatch is a weekly roundup of the latest language-related news, research in linguistics, interesting reads from the week, and newest books and media!
World of Words
Why do the British pronounce “herb” with an /h/?
Why don’t Americans pronounce herb with an /h/?
World of Words
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.
World of Words
From counting to language: How writing evolved
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.