Philologists, pedants and obsessives: how crowd-sourcing created the Oxford English Dictionary
An irresistible history of the OED reveals that English is a global language in its sources, its reach and its ownership.
The Conversation > Linguistics
How linguists are unlocking the meanings of Shakespeare’s words using numbers
Corpus linguistics – using computers to analyse texts – can spot patterns and nuances that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The Conversation > Linguistics
Why somepeopletalkveryfast and others ... take ... their ... time − despite stereotypes, it has nothing to do with intelligence
Language, geography, age and other factors can all affect how fast a person talks. But sometimes, these perceived differences are only in the listener’s head.
The Conversation > Linguistics
Presidential pauses? What those 'ums' and 'uhs' really tell us about candidates for the White House
Long treated as a sign of anxiety or a delaying tactic, ‘filled pauses’ are a linguistic trick to signal that what you are about to say might be complicated.
The Conversation > Linguistics
Do languages become less complex with more new adult speakers? Research shows it’s not that simple
The idea a language should grow simpler if people need to learn it as adults has an intuitive appeal. But an analysis of more than 1,200 languages shows this doesn’t quite stack up.
The Conversation > Linguistics
How 'witch-hunts' and 'Stockholm syndrome' became part of political language (and what it has to do with wrestling)
How politicians have cynically used metaphor to imply meaning through language.
The Conversation > Linguistics
Umlungu: the colourful history of a word used to describe white people in South Africa
The word shows that language isn’t static, it evolves to reflect developments in a society.
The Conversation > Linguistics
‘Oh that happened to me, too!’ Sharing your experiences in conversation is common but sometimes it's best to just listen
Jumping in too quickly with ‘Oh yes, that happened to me’ can end up saturating conversation and make your friend feel they were never heard in the first place.
The Conversation > Linguistics
English dialects make themselves heard in genes
People with a common history – often due to significant geographic or social barriers – often share genetics and language. New research finds that even a dialect can act as a barrier within a group.
The Conversation > Linguistics
How the Unabomber's unique linguistic fingerprints led to his capture
Similar techniques used to identify criminals have been employed to unmask anonymous authors. But they aren’t foolproof.
The Conversation > Linguistics
Are you part robot? A linguistic anthropologist explains how humans are like ChatGPT – both recycle language
We humans like to think that our language is original, but we absorb large amounts of it from others and liberally repeat and remix what we hear – just as language AIs do.
The Conversation > Linguistics
Linguists have identified a new English dialect that's emerging in South Florida
It came about through sustained contact with native Spanish speakers who directly translated phrases from Spanish into English, a form of linguistic borrowing called ‘calques.’
The Conversation > Linguistics
To have better disagreements, change your words – here are 4 ways to make your counterpart feel heard and keep the conversation going
Researchers have identified ways to have more productive conversations – even when you’re talking to someone who holds an opposite view.
The Conversation > Linguistics
What is that voice in your head when you read?
Called your ‘inner voice,’ it develops along with your reading skills.
The Conversation > Linguistics
Research on 2,400 languages shows nearly half the world's language diversity is at risk
A new, extensive database of language grammars from around the world indicates an alarming trend of global language loss.
The Conversation > Linguistics
A dictionary of the manosphere: five terms to understand the language of online male supremacists
Learning how online misogynists use language can help teachers and parents intervene in radicalisation.
The Conversation > Linguistics
How Black children in England's schools are made to feel like the way they speak is wrong
Beliefs about language are never just about language. They reflect institutional power dynamics.
The Conversation > Linguistics
'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and other Oscars 2023 films show a trend towards linguistic realism in Hollywood
Despite increasing use of non-English languages demonstrating broader acceptance of linguistic diversity in a globalized world, films sometimes suggest associations between ‘foreignness’ and villainy.
The Conversation > Linguistics
Not all insurrections are equal -- for enslaved Americans, it was the only option
The events of Jan. 6, 2021, have been called an insurrection. The same word has often been used to describe the mostly forgotten rebellions against plantation owners by enslaved people.
The Conversation > Linguistics