Newsletter
Is it “Iran” or “Persia”? “Persian” or “Farsi”?
On Persia, Iran, Farsi, and Aryan: The many names for Iran, its peoples, and its languages
Current Linguistics
When words look like their meaning, we process them faster
Also this week: Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to a Eurovision Song Contest that embraces linguistic diversity + Linguists are mapping Rhode Island’s linguistic diversity
Current Linguistics
Homophones, plurals, and language “rulescucks” are roiling prediction markets
Also this week: More Ukrainians are switching from speaking Russian to Ukrainian + Scientists say AI is bringing us closer to talking to animals + A new book on the world’s vanishing languages
Current Linguistics
We’re losing 338 spoken words every year, linguists find
Also this week: Sperm whale communication closesly mirrors human language + Why toddlers don’t understand the words “I” and “you”
Current Linguistics
Deciphering the Singapore Stone
Also this week: The linguistics of Project Hail Mary + The beautiful linguistic chaos of Iran + Your dog might be eavesdropping on you (linguistically)
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