Current Linguistics
Did Homo erectus have language?
Also this week: Did writing just get pushed back tens of thousands of years? + How slang works + We finally understand why horses whinny
Current Linguistics
Baby chicks know their kiki from their bouba
Also this week: Why human language isn’t like computer code + Why English needs “y’all” + Why do so many women’s names end in A?
Current Linguistics
Bilingualism affects your moral decision-making
Also this week: Did Kanzi the bonobo have imagination? + A better English alphabet
Current Linguistics
Swearing could give you a physical edge
Also this week: How the theory of the humors shaped English + New research uncovers the cerebellum’s crucial role in human language
Newsletter
The etymology of “love”
“love” and its many related words in English
Newsletter
The science of libfixes
How libfixes work, where they come from, and what they teach us about language and the mind
Current Linguistics
Language may not be so hierarchical after all: A new study challenges 70 years of linguistic theory
Also this week: Some dogs learn words like children + “How to kill a language”, a new book by Sophia Smith Galer
Newsletter
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?
Newsletter
Libfixes: When word parts go rogue
What happens when parts of words declare independence
Current Linguistics
World’s oldest alphabet discovered
Also this week: Researchers determine that bees understand morse code + ⅓ of grammatical universals stand up to rigorous testing
Newsletter
Why is the ⟨g⟩ in “longevity” pronounced twice?
How the spelling of “longevity” is playing a mental trick on you
Current Linguistics
Men speak with vocal fry just as much as women
Also in the news this week: Merriam-Webster chooses “slop” as the 2025 Word of the Year; Gaelic and Scots now recognized as official languages in the UK; and Canada’s prime minister called out for using British spellings