Author: Daniel Midgley (page 21 of 41)

204: Shibboleths

A shibboleth can mark you as a insider… or an outsider.

Shibboleths can be words, phrases, or even sounds, but getting them wrong can lead to social or political exclusion, and in some cases, they can be fatal.

Linguist Daniel

203: Modern Australian Usage (featuring Nicholas Hudson)

When writers need advice, they turn to editors, and Nicholas Hudson is a formidable presence in the editing world.

But how does his advice stack up linguistically? And what do Australian writers need to know?

Author and editor Nicholas Hudson

202: Lying

Everyone lies.

But what is lying? And can you tell when someone’s doing it? Researchers are using computers to catch us in the act.

Linguist Daniel Midgley tells the whole truth on this episode of Talk the Talk.


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201: The First Language

What was the first language, and what was it like?

Does it still exist? And out of all the languages on earth today, which one is the oldest?

These are tricky questions, and linguists have tricky answers. Linguist Daniel Midgley

200: Offensive Things

Most of us try to avoid offensive language.

But as language changes, the kind of language that’s considered offensive changes as well. Are there any words you use which may have some unsavoury connotations?

Linguist Daniel Midgley watches his words …

199: Computer Humour

Why did the computer cross the road?

Linguists are trying to get computers to do very human things: detect humour, recognise irony, and even write jokes. But can computers do funny? What makes something funny, anyway?

Linguist Daniel Midgley hacks …

198: The Geography of Sound (featuring Caleb Everett)

Does climate affect language?

A linguist has found that tone languages appear in regions of high humidity. But the idea that human speech adapts to the environment is not a popular one. So what’s going on?

Daniel Midgley speaks with …

197: The Birthplace of Indo-European (featuring Luisa Miceli)

Where did Indo-European come from?

It’s a controversial question that has set linguist against linguist for generations. But now DNA evidence is providing clues.

Linguist Luisa Miceli is in the studio with Daniel and Ben on this episode of Talk

196: Irish

The Irish language is attracting a lot of attention.

It’s now a major player among minority languages, but even so, it’s a surprisingly contentious topic for many.

Linguist Daniel Midgley finds out what it’s all about on this episode of …

195: Palindromes

Poor Dan is in a droop. No lemons, no melon. Won’t lovers revolt now?

Is this some weird experimental novel? No, every one of those sentences is palindromic — they read the same forward and backward. Palindromes aren’t just fun; …

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