Some parts of the world are packed with languages. Others not so much.
Is there a reason that some places are linguistically dense? Researchers are turning up connections between biological ecology and language ecology.
Xia Hua studies language diversity, and …
When homosexuality was illegal, a secret language brought people together.
In 1960s England, Polari was a creative blend of Romani, Italian, rhyming slang, and backslang, used among the LGBT community. It could be used to communicate, or to identify someone …
If you’re at a park in New York City, you may see someone at a table offering free grammar advice.
That person is writer Ellen Jovin, and she dispenses wisdom from her Grammar Table. What motivates her to do …
North and south? Left and right? Or something else?
Different languages have different ways of talking about space. Sometimes this has to do with the environment of the people who speak them. But what happens when the environment changes?
Daniel…
Grammar Day is coming soon. Which rules can you safely ignore?
Is it okay for nouns to become verbs and vice versa? What’s wrong with passive voice? And how can you have a healthy grammar outlook?
Daniel, Ben, …
Does grammar matter?
On one side: the language sticklers, who hold that good grammar is a necessity for communication, and even a matter of upholding standards and courtesy. But there’s another side: that grammar rules are often just made up, …
It’s not just about the covfefe.
This week, we are buried under an avalanche of words, and we’re trying to dig ourselves out. Yes, covfefe happened, but Wonder Woman has also given rise to an ascendant gynocracy. And what …
For this episode, we put out the call to listeners, and they responded. Daniel’s taking questions and giving answers.
Should we be fustrated or listen to vinyls? Is a movie based on or based off a true story? How …
Puns. Some people love them, some people hate them.
But why do some people find puns so exasperating? And why do we make them anyway? What’s it like to be on the receiving end of a rapid-fire pun off?
Daniel…
Why does everyone ❤️ and 😡 emoji?
Emoji have been received enthusiastically in our electronic communication, and yet complaints about them continue. Is there anything wrong with using them? Are they really the equivalent of modern-day hieroglyphics? Do they represent …
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