#linguistics
#linguistics

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#english-language

English Spelling Is a Mess. When is EnoughEnuf?

English spelling is notoriously inconsistent and has thwarted any significant attempts to simplify or standardize it.

Sunday Puzzle: Alphabetical arrangements

Explore phonetic variations of 'TH' in English.

Challenge invites listeners to engage with linguistic puzzles.

English Spelling Is a Mess. When is EnoughEnuf?

English spelling is notoriously inconsistent and has thwarted any significant attempts to simplify or standardize it.

Sunday Puzzle: Alphabetical arrangements

Explore phonetic variations of 'TH' in English.

Challenge invites listeners to engage with linguistic puzzles.

moreenglish-language

#cognitive-science

Philosophers Challenge the Idea That AI Lacks True Understanding | HackerNoon

Large language models provoke reevaluation of cognitive competence and traditional philosophical debates.

Do You Think Differently in Different Languages?

The human brain adjusts its processing of sentences based on grammatical differences between languages.

Prompt Chemistry: Building "Word Catalysts" to Optimize LLMs

The evolution in prompt design enhances AI engagement, viewing prompts as compounds that deepen cognitive interactions.

Fifteen Word-Link Puzzles

Connective thinking reveals how language and meaning are interconnected, highlighting cognitive processes through word puzzles.

Philosophers Challenge the Idea That AI Lacks True Understanding | HackerNoon

Large language models provoke reevaluation of cognitive competence and traditional philosophical debates.

Do You Think Differently in Different Languages?

The human brain adjusts its processing of sentences based on grammatical differences between languages.

Prompt Chemistry: Building "Word Catalysts" to Optimize LLMs

The evolution in prompt design enhances AI engagement, viewing prompts as compounds that deepen cognitive interactions.

Fifteen Word-Link Puzzles

Connective thinking reveals how language and meaning are interconnected, highlighting cognitive processes through word puzzles.

morecognitive-science

#cultural-history

10 Medieval Phrases We Still Use Today - Medievalists.net

Many everyday phrases used today have medieval origins, evidencing how historical language persists through time.

How Chinese Characters Work: The Evolution of a Three-Millennia-Old Writing System

Chinese characters represent morphemes, not simply pictures, revealing their complex linguistic nature.

10 Medieval Phrases We Still Use Today - Medievalists.net

Many everyday phrases used today have medieval origins, evidencing how historical language persists through time.

How Chinese Characters Work: The Evolution of a Three-Millennia-Old Writing System

Chinese characters represent morphemes, not simply pictures, revealing their complex linguistic nature.

morecultural-history

Interjections Are, Uh, More Important than We Thought

Interjections in conversation serve as crucial tools for regulating dialogue and facilitating mutual understanding.

AI Helping to Decode Sperm Whale Language

Sperm whale communication, now revealed to be complex and structured, shows similarities to human language through advanced AI understanding.

Common texting mistake makes you seem too INTENSE

Excessive punctuation in text messages can amplify perceived emotional intensity.

Huh? The valuable role of interjections

Conversational fillers like um and mm-hmm are crucial for regulating conversation flow and fostering mutual understanding.

Bonobos' Complex Calls Share an Extraordinary Trait with Human Language

Bonobos exhibit advanced communication abilities similar to humans, specifically in creating complex meanings through nontrivial compositionality.

Whale Songs Obey Basic Rules of Human Languages

Human language and whale vocalizations share universal statistical patterns, suggesting deep-rooted similarities in communication systems.

Interjections Are, Uh, More Important than We Thought

Interjections in conversation serve as crucial tools for regulating dialogue and facilitating mutual understanding.

AI Helping to Decode Sperm Whale Language

Sperm whale communication, now revealed to be complex and structured, shows similarities to human language through advanced AI understanding.

Common texting mistake makes you seem too INTENSE

Excessive punctuation in text messages can amplify perceived emotional intensity.

Huh? The valuable role of interjections

Conversational fillers like um and mm-hmm are crucial for regulating conversation flow and fostering mutual understanding.

Bonobos' Complex Calls Share an Extraordinary Trait with Human Language

Bonobos exhibit advanced communication abilities similar to humans, specifically in creating complex meanings through nontrivial compositionality.

Whale Songs Obey Basic Rules of Human Languages

Human language and whale vocalizations share universal statistical patterns, suggesting deep-rooted similarities in communication systems.

morecommunication

#animal-communication

Will humans ever speak wolf? A scientist unravels the complexities of animal chatter

Arik Kershenbaum's work illuminates animal communication, revealing insights into language evolution relevant to humans.

Bonobos communicate using a universal principle of human languages

Bonobos exhibit a form of communication with compositionality, similar to human language, challenging the belief that this ability is unique to humans.

Machine learning helps to discover sperm whale 'alphabet'

Researchers applied machine learning to decode sperm whale communication 'alphabet' through coda sequences, similar to human linguistic structures.

Will humans ever speak wolf? A scientist unravels the complexities of animal chatter

Arik Kershenbaum's work illuminates animal communication, revealing insights into language evolution relevant to humans.

Bonobos communicate using a universal principle of human languages

Bonobos exhibit a form of communication with compositionality, similar to human language, challenging the belief that this ability is unique to humans.

Machine learning helps to discover sperm whale 'alphabet'

Researchers applied machine learning to decode sperm whale communication 'alphabet' through coda sequences, similar to human linguistic structures.

moreanimal-communication

How Might Aliens Communicate? The Answer Could Reveal the Point of Language

The film 'Arrival' inspires real research into how humans might communicate with extraterrestrial life through the field of xenolinguistics.

#french-language

Verlan: France's backwards language you need to learn

Verlan, a French slang, involves pronouncing syllables back-to-front and is popular with younger generations.

A to Z of everyday French phrases - The Good Life France

The French language is rich with phrases that reveal historical context and cultural nuance.

French Word of the Day: Occasion

The French word 'occasion' means both opportunity and second-hand items, leading to potential shopping confusion for tourists.

Verlan: France's backwards language you need to learn

Verlan, a French slang, involves pronouncing syllables back-to-front and is popular with younger generations.

A to Z of everyday French phrases - The Good Life France

The French language is rich with phrases that reveal historical context and cultural nuance.

French Word of the Day: Occasion

The French word 'occasion' means both opportunity and second-hand items, leading to potential shopping confusion for tourists.

morefrench-language

French Word of the Day: Mot-valise

Mot-valise is a French term for a word that combines two words into one, similar to the English 'portmanteau.'

Sunday Puzzle: Two of the same

Identify a famous American whose name contains four identical consonants and has a total of eight letters.

Sunday Puzzle: Can you guess these words from these phonetic clues?

The phonetic puzzle challenges participants to combine sounds with letters to create new words or phrases.

One Ski Instructor Explored the Taxonomy of Snow

There are numerous descriptive terms for snow, with variations influenced by region and culture, as explored by Russ Scholl and Ian Bogost.

French Word of the Day: Une coquille

The word 'coquille' has different meanings based on gender, showcasing the complexity of language.

Words of the year: maybe I'm delulu, but these don't seem like words people actually use

Words of the year often lack genuine usage outside niche communities, as evidenced by their absence in crossword puzzles.

French Word of the Day: Mot-valise

Mot-valise is a French term for a word that combines two words into one, similar to the English 'portmanteau.'

Sunday Puzzle: Two of the same

Identify a famous American whose name contains four identical consonants and has a total of eight letters.

Sunday Puzzle: Can you guess these words from these phonetic clues?

The phonetic puzzle challenges participants to combine sounds with letters to create new words or phrases.

One Ski Instructor Explored the Taxonomy of Snow

There are numerous descriptive terms for snow, with variations influenced by region and culture, as explored by Russ Scholl and Ian Bogost.

French Word of the Day: Une coquille

The word 'coquille' has different meanings based on gender, showcasing the complexity of language.

Words of the year: maybe I'm delulu, but these don't seem like words people actually use

Words of the year often lack genuine usage outside niche communities, as evidenced by their absence in crossword puzzles.

Opinion | Why Creole Languages Are Not Broken English

Nonstandard languages like Kriol are legitimate forms of communication, deserving respect and recognition, contrary to public perception that misclassifies them as substandard.

#cultural-differences

Why Ow! Needs Absolutely No Translation

Vocal expressions of emotions may have universal characteristics influenced by evolutionary functions across cultures.

Animal sounds in different languages

Onomatopoeia reveals cultural variations in how animal sounds are interpreted across different languages.

Searching for Thongs at Walmart

Language evolves over time, leading to sometimes humorous misunderstandings of new meanings.

Words can change meaning drastically across generations, affecting communication.

Why Ow! Needs Absolutely No Translation

Vocal expressions of emotions may have universal characteristics influenced by evolutionary functions across cultures.

Animal sounds in different languages

Onomatopoeia reveals cultural variations in how animal sounds are interpreted across different languages.

Searching for Thongs at Walmart

Language evolves over time, leading to sometimes humorous misunderstandings of new meanings.

Words can change meaning drastically across generations, affecting communication.

morecultural-differences

#african-languages

Norbert Cyffer: Farewell to a bridge-building linguist DW 03/18/2025

Professor Norbert Cyffer significantly advanced the study of the Kanuri language, highlighting its academic neglect and cultural importance.

The Nigerian linguist who brought Europe and Africa closer DW 03/18/2025

Norbert Cyffer's research on Kanuri significantly advanced African linguistics, highlighting its neglect and promoting awareness in academia.

Norbert Cyffer: Farewell to a bridge-building linguist DW 03/18/2025

Professor Norbert Cyffer significantly advanced the study of the Kanuri language, highlighting its academic neglect and cultural importance.

The Nigerian linguist who brought Europe and Africa closer DW 03/18/2025

Norbert Cyffer's research on Kanuri significantly advanced African linguistics, highlighting its neglect and promoting awareness in academia.

moreafrican-languages

#artificial-intelligence

Do AI Models Challenge the Need for Innate Grammar? | HackerNoon

The debate on language acquisition centers on whether innate knowledge is necessary for mastering language rules, as artificial neural networks challenge traditional views.

Could we ever decipher an alien language? Uncovering how AI communicates may be the key

AI research on emergent communication could provide insights into the evolution of human language.

The Limitations and Failure Cases of DreamLLM: How Far Can it Go? | HackerNoon

DREAMLLM showcases advanced MLLM capabilities but is constrained by model scale and training data quality issues.

Do AI Models Challenge the Need for Innate Grammar? | HackerNoon

The debate on language acquisition centers on whether innate knowledge is necessary for mastering language rules, as artificial neural networks challenge traditional views.

Could we ever decipher an alien language? Uncovering how AI communicates may be the key

AI research on emergent communication could provide insights into the evolution of human language.

The Limitations and Failure Cases of DreamLLM: How Far Can it Go? | HackerNoon

DREAMLLM showcases advanced MLLM capabilities but is constrained by model scale and training data quality issues.

moreartificial-intelligence

German word of the day: Erbsenzahler

The term 'Erbsenzähler' describes personality types fixated on precision and details, often leading to pedantic behavior.

Horsegirl: Phonetics On and On

Horsegirl's second album explores themes of transition and identity through experimental lyrics and non-traditional song structures.

#language-evolution

100 Medieval Words That Meant Something Totally Different - Medievalists.net

Language evolves over time, leading to significant shifts in word meanings.

Touch grass,' For You page': See 200 new words and phrases added to Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster adds 200 new words to reflect the evolving English language, showcasing changes influenced by science, politics, and social media.

Ouch! Linguists Find Universal Language for Pain

Pain interjections globally tend to contain the vowel sound 'ah,' indicating possible evolutionary links to the origins of human language.

How 'misspoke' has shifted to become a political weasel word

Politicians increasingly use 'misspoke' to downplay inaccuracies, shifting from mere errors to misrepresentation.

The term 'misspoke' has evolved into a euphemism for lying in political discourse.

Tracing English Back to Its Oldest Known Ancestor: An Introduction to Proto-Indo-European

Languages, like species, share common ancestors, suggesting a deeper evolutionary connection across both biological and linguistic realms.

Ouch! Linguists Explore a Common Language of Pain

Expressions of pain are surprisingly similar across different languages, suggesting a shared biological background.

100 Medieval Words That Meant Something Totally Different - Medievalists.net

Language evolves over time, leading to significant shifts in word meanings.

Touch grass,' For You page': See 200 new words and phrases added to Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster adds 200 new words to reflect the evolving English language, showcasing changes influenced by science, politics, and social media.

Ouch! Linguists Find Universal Language for Pain

Pain interjections globally tend to contain the vowel sound 'ah,' indicating possible evolutionary links to the origins of human language.

How 'misspoke' has shifted to become a political weasel word

Politicians increasingly use 'misspoke' to downplay inaccuracies, shifting from mere errors to misrepresentation.

The term 'misspoke' has evolved into a euphemism for lying in political discourse.

Tracing English Back to Its Oldest Known Ancestor: An Introduction to Proto-Indo-European

Languages, like species, share common ancestors, suggesting a deeper evolutionary connection across both biological and linguistic realms.

Ouch! Linguists Explore a Common Language of Pain

Expressions of pain are surprisingly similar across different languages, suggesting a shared biological background.

morelanguage-evolution

Ancient DNA Points to Origins of Indo-European Language

A new study suggests the first Indo-European speakers were hunter-gatherers in southern Russia, reshaping historical linguistic theories.

101 Mind-Blowing Facts That Sound Like They're Big Huge Lies But Are Actually Completely, Totally, 100% True

The time difference between T-Rex and Stegosaurus exceeds the difference between T-Rex and today.

Ancient DNA Points to Origins of Indo-European Language

A new study suggests the first Indo-European speakers were hunter-gatherers in southern Russia, reshaping historical linguistic theories.

101 Mind-Blowing Facts That Sound Like They're Big Huge Lies But Are Actually Completely, Totally, 100% True

The time difference between T-Rex and Stegosaurus exceeds the difference between T-Rex and today.

Scientists reveal Jesus' REAL name - and say it wasn't 'Jesus'

Jesus Christ's name may not be his original name, likely being Yeshu Nazareen in Aramaic.

Can YOU tell if these accents are real? Take the test to find out

Some UK accents are harder to fake than others, suggesting an evolutionary advantage in detecting outsiders.

What your ACCENT says about you - including how rich you are

Accents significantly impact social perceptions, reflecting biases regarding trust and behavior in the UK.

Can YOU tell if these accents are real? Take the test to find out

Some UK accents are harder to fake than others, suggesting an evolutionary advantage in detecting outsiders.

What your ACCENT says about you - including how rich you are

Accents significantly impact social perceptions, reflecting biases regarding trust and behavior in the UK.

Word Game: Jan. 1, 2025

The game challenges players to find diverse words from "nullifying," adhering to strict linguistic rules and promoting creativity in word formation.

Word Game: Nov. 19, 2024

The word game engages players to create at least 25 words from 'LINTER', emphasizing skill and creativity.

Word Game: Jan. 1, 2025

The game challenges players to find diverse words from "nullifying," adhering to strict linguistic rules and promoting creativity in word formation.

Word Game: Nov. 19, 2024

The word game engages players to create at least 25 words from 'LINTER', emphasizing skill and creativity.

William Labov, Who Studied How Society Shapes Language, Dies at 97

William Labov significantly advanced the field of sociolinguistics by emphasizing fieldwork and its role in understanding how social factors influence language.

Word Game: Dec. 4, 2024

The Menorah symbolizes Jewish worship, culture, and resilience in history.

Word Game: Nov. 25, 2024

The term "HEBDOMAD" signifies a group of seven or a period of seven days.

Word Game: Nov. 5, 2024

Participants can create multiple words from 'Hector' while adhering to specific game rules.

Quality word selections showcase creativity and linguistic skills in daily challenges.

Word Game: Dec. 4, 2024

The Menorah symbolizes Jewish worship, culture, and resilience in history.

Word Game: Nov. 25, 2024

The term "HEBDOMAD" signifies a group of seven or a period of seven days.

Word Game: Nov. 5, 2024

Participants can create multiple words from 'Hector' while adhering to specific game rules.

Quality word selections showcase creativity and linguistic skills in daily challenges.

#cultural-heritage

WOLF lab is working to document, preserve Native languages - Harvard Gazette

Revitalizing the endangered Alabama language is vital as it connects the community to their culture and identity.

Endangered languages are dying rapidly. Linguists are trying to save some of them

Over 40% of the world's languages are projected to be endangered by the century's end, necessitating urgent revitalization efforts.

WOLF lab is working to document, preserve Native languages - Harvard Gazette

Revitalizing the endangered Alabama language is vital as it connects the community to their culture and identity.

Endangered languages are dying rapidly. Linguists are trying to save some of them

Over 40% of the world's languages are projected to be endangered by the century's end, necessitating urgent revitalization efforts.

morecultural-heritage

#language-learning

'Linguaphile' is Julie Sedivy's meditation on language

Julie Sedivy's memoir explores the joy and chaos of early language learning from diverse environments.

Her experiences illustrate the contrast between informal and formal language acquisition.

Gift the Power of Language Learning with This Limited-Time Price on Babbel | Entrepreneur

Babbel offers a lifetime subscription for language learning at a discounted price, ideal for personal and professional growth.

'Linguaphile' is Julie Sedivy's meditation on language

Julie Sedivy's memoir explores the joy and chaos of early language learning from diverse environments.

Her experiences illustrate the contrast between informal and formal language acquisition.

Gift the Power of Language Learning with This Limited-Time Price on Babbel | Entrepreneur

Babbel offers a lifetime subscription for language learning at a discounted price, ideal for personal and professional growth.

morelanguage-learning

AI needs to work on its conversation game

AI struggles with turn-taking in conversations, while humans navigate this naturally by evaluating both verbal and non-verbal cues.

Runes prove Elfdalian is distinct ancient Nordic language, say researchers

Elfdalian is a unique language with ancient roots, currently seeking acknowledgment as a distinct minority language in Sweden.

Events celebrate Chinese composer who also transformed language | Cornell Chronicle

The event at Cornell celebrates Chao Yuen-Ren's contributions to music and linguistics, highlighting his innovative blending of musical styles and language reform.

Touch grass,' For You page': See 200 new words and phrases added to Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster adds 200 new words and phrases, reflecting changes in language due to social media, politics, and science.

Linguist Analyzes Election Debate Performances

Language in debates reflects candidates' identity and strategy.

Kamala Harris balances formal presidential language with her cultural speech patterns to engage voters.

Aargh, It's Talk Like a Pirate Day

New York University is celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day with a video on the history of pirate language.

Sunday Puzzle: Antonyms Attract

Listeners must change one letter in each of two words to form antonyms, tapping into linguistic creativity.

The strangest insult in US politics: why do Republicans call it the Democrat party'?

The term 'Democrat party' is used as a linguistic tactic to undermine the Democratic Party's identity and demonstrate affiliation among certain political groups.

Where Does The Term 'Snack' Come From? - Tasting Table

The word 'snack' has evolved from denoting light food to also describing attractiveness, showcasing its cultural significance and linguistic flexibility.

Solving a 2,500-Year-Old Puzzle: How a Cambridge Student Cracked an Ancient Sanskrit Code

Taking a break can lead to breakthroughs in solving long-standing intellectual problems.

Rishi Rajpopat's insights into Pāṇini's grammar illustrate the benefits of fresh perspectives after periods of disengagement.

The new plague ridden Duolingo logo is making me sad

Duolingo's redesign of its mascot Duo reflects a creative but alarming marketing tactic to encourage user engagement in language learning.

Opinion | Harris Gonna Code Switch

Language is increasingly recognized for its dynamic nature, especially through social media and public discourse.

Criticism of code-switching reflects societal biases against linguistic adaptability, evident in responses to public figures like Kamala Harris.

Is the English language really just 'badly pronounced French'?

French linguist explains the intertwined history of the English and French languages, emphasizing how English absorbed numerous words from various origins.

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