If 😂 was a word, would that make emoji a language?
Linguistics
Posted inEditor's Pick
Huh? The Valuable Role of Interjections
“Utterances like ‘um,’ ‘wow,’ and ‘mm-hmm’ aren’t garbage, they keep conversations flowing.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Languages Lost To Climate Change
“Climate catastrophes and biodiversity loss are endangering languages across the globe.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Do Our Dogs Have Something to Tell the World?
“Many owners think so, thanks to the ‘talking buttons’ craze on TikTok and Instagram. Scientists are less convinced.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Can a Comma Solve a Crime?
“How forensic linguists use grammar, syntax and vocabulary to help crack cold cases.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Typos, Tricks and Misprints
“Why is English spelling so weird and unpredictable? Don’t blame the mix of languages; look to quirks of timing and technology.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Strange Persistence of First Languages
“Spurred by my father’s death, I returned to the Czech Republic hoping to reconnect to him. In doing so, I also reconnected with my native tongue, and with parts of my identity that I had long ignored.”
Posted inHighlight, Nonfiction, Quote Posts, Quotes, Science & Nature
The Adaptation of Language Evolution
Language has always changed, but the introduction of technology means it is adapting in ways we have never experienced before.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Will Podcasts and Video Journalism Make Our Syntax Less Rich?
The days of the long, sinuous, multi-clause sentence might be numbered.