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Pumpkin Spice Linguistics
What the words “pumpkin spice” teach us about language change and indigenous history
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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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An experiment with the Aboriginal language Murrinhpatha suggests language influences perception
Also this week: Why all languages have words for ‘this’ and ‘that’ + Antarctic leopard seal ‘songs’ are surprisingly similar to nursey rhymes. Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.
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Revitalizing a dormant language from 80-year-old manuscripts
How archival manuscripts are helping revitalize the Chitimacha language of Louisiana
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What to do when someone corrects your pronunciation
Some strategies for educating people about linguistics
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How are new languages created? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 4
Pidgins, creoles, and mixed languages
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Are some languages more complex than others? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 3
Do languages get simpler over time? Could they get more complex?
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Are we stuck with the same grammar for life? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 2
How does your grammar change over the course of your lifetime?
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Why do languages change? The linguistics of “The Iron Dreamers”, Part 1
Could a language stay frozen in time?
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Do Inuit languages really have more words for snow? And why does it matter, anyway?
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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You probably missed this in Song of Achilles
Also, here’s what Patroclus and Cleopatra have in common
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Why English needs “y’all”
Why doesn’t English just have a plural “you” like other languages?
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The etymology of ‘one’: From Proto-Indo-European to Modern English
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.