linguistics
Why We Use “lol” So Much
The word rarely means “laugh out loud” anymore, but you probably knew that lol.
Why Are Letters Shaped the Way They Are?
Linguistic games and research are revealing a hidden connection between what words look and sound like, and what they mean.
Why the “Sunday Scaries” Survived the Pandemic
A linguist explained why the cute term for existential dread won’t go away any time soon.
DeepMind AI Beats Human Historians at Deciphering Ancient Texts
University of Oxford researchers are using machine learning to help make ancient text restoration less tedious.
Irish Teachers Are Memeing on Instagram to Preserve Their Threatened Language
After Ireland's data regulator said that Irish people don't have an "absolute" right to traditional name spellings in official databases, some teachers are fighting back on social media.
A Linguist Explains Why Texting and Tweeting Aren’t Ruining the English Language
'Because Internet' explores how the internet is transforming the way we communicate.
How Black Queers Made 'Sis' a Gender Neutral Term of Endearment
"Sis" is an evolved expression, rooted in the Christian church and revolutionized by queer Black people—and it's not a term everyone can or should use.
Forensic Linguist Says 'Lodestar' Can't Tell Us Who Burned Trump in New York Times Op-Ed
Guessing the anonymous author of the Trump op-ed in The New York Times based on the use of the word ‘lodestar’ is “entirely useless,” according to a forensic linguist.
How to Do Tinder, According to Linguistic Experts
My DMs rarely get replies and I don't understand why. So I asked the experts.
You Don’t Speak English Until You Overuse the Word ‘Like’
A study has found it generally takes migrants three years to say "like" as much as the locals.
Why Linguists Watched the Same Season of 'Big Brother' for 6 Years
Sometimes you gotta suffer for science.
How Urban Dictionary Became a Cesspool for Racists and Misogynists
The popular, crowd-sourced lexicon was supposed to be the people's resource. The people are awful.