
Newsletter
How are new languages created? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 4
Pidgins, creoles, and mixed languages
A semiweekly newsletter showcasing the diversity of the world’s languages. Articles include deep dives about how language works, profiles of different languages, explainers of concepts in linguistics, reviews of language-focused books and media, and lots more! Some posts are only available to paid subscribers, but most are free.
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Pidgins, creoles, and mixed languages
Newsletter
Do languages get simpler over time? Could they get more complex?
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How does your grammar change over the course of your lifetime?
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Could a language stay frozen in time?
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A new study shows that Inuit languages really do have more words for snow, but what does that tell us about language?
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Also, here’s what Patroclus and Cleopatra have in common
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Why doesn’t English just have a plural “you” like other languages?
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There are over thirty English words that derive from the Proto-Indo-European word for ‘one’. This is the story of how they came to be, and what that story teaches us about how language works.
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Where does the word “penguin” come from? French, Welsh, or Latin?
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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?
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Where do the words “avocado” and “guacamole” come from?
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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.