Over 60% of the worldโs population now speaks two or more languages. One exciting area of linguistic science is the idea that polyglots (individuals who speak multiple languages) often feel that they have โmultiple personalitiesโ โ one per language. For example, a person who speaks both Spanish and English may feel or even come off as a different person to [...]
Runes may be part of a linguistic system whose daily use is lost to time, but their effects can still be felt today. From technological symbols to ornamentation in fiction TV, the runic alphabet has encountered many changes but continues to hold fast against extinction. Hereโs a history of runes: where they came from, what they are made of, [...]
In last weekโs post, we explored the linguistic figures of speech that political candidates may use to change public perception. However, these are not the only strategies at their disposal. Politicians use strategic language to frame issues to their advantage. From how economic policies are often branded in ways that make them more appealing to the need to distill [...]
The language an individual chooses mattersโand for politicians, the power of words goes beyond simple literal meaning. In every part of the world, politicians use specific language techniques, such as slogans, metaphors, and emotional appeals, to influence voters' perceptions and create strong impressions. With the American presidential election on the horizon, voters should be equipped to understand how each [...]
Over two centuries ago, Paul Revere rode on horseback across the Massachusetts countryside declaring, โThe British are coming.โ That, of course, was a warning about an impending war. Today, the British are making an altogether different kind of incursion into the US: with their language. Thatโs the claim that Ben Yagoda makes in his latest book, Gobsmacked! The British [...]
Why Study Music and Speech Together? Researchers have long wondered how human language developed into the state in which it currently exists, and few considered how a cultureโs music might provide insight into its language as well. Music and speech are intrinsically linkedโboth as a means of communication and a manner of self-expression. Thus, researchers posited that discovering what [...]
Why Was the Deseret Alphabet Created? The Deseret alphabet was the brainchild of Brigham Young and his colleagues. Young, one of the foundational members of the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, sought to create an alternative to English so that adherents of Mormonism could separate themselves from their surrounding culture. In fact, it was Youngโs [...]
Suppose that a young woman from Argentina immigrated with her family to the United States. She has always dreamed of being a psychologist, but upon enrolling in university education to start her training, she discovers that many of the classes (taught in English) are moving at a pace too fast for her to enthusiastically engage with because English is [...]
When Was the Middle Ages? The Middle Ages, often called the โmedievalโ period, is a nebulous time in history spanning anywhere from the 6th century all the way to around the 14th or 15th century (depending on which region a person is considering). Many scholars would place the true beginning of the Middle Ages at 1150AD, when Old English [...]
The internet has revolutionized many of the ways that humans engage with each other. From new avenues of sharing creative endeavors to broader access to knowledge than at any other point in humanityโs history, the interconnected nature of modern living has changed the social landscape faster than anyone ever expected. However, humans are adaptable creatures, and it has not [...]
