A new theory of language suggests that people understand words by unconsciously simulating what they describe. Repeated exposure – and the simulation that comes with it – makes it easier to act.
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Linguistics – Analysis and Comment
A small community of Afrikaners has been living in Argentina since the early 1900s. Linguistic research has found they’re like a time capsule, reflecting pronunciation and syntax from an earlier era.
What do you do when ‘no deal’ looks like a disaster? Stick another word in front of it. Problem solved.
At the Maningrida football Grand Final in 2015, commentary was recorded in nine languages. But elsewhere, the threat of language loss poses a serious risk to our nation’s cultural inheritance.
Lookalike and soundalike medication names are causing dangerous problems.
Changes in the way we pronounce certain sounds tell us a lot about our changing values.
Ever wonder where the words ‘sport’, ‘umpire’ and ‘drubbing’ come from? Here’s a short primer of sporting lingo ahead of the AFL and NRL Grand Finals.
No one is saying the tennis star wasn’t angry. But it’s worth asking whether you thought she was more angry because she is a woman.
Why our understanding of the relationship between ‘place’ and ‘language’ is crucial for social justice.
West African pidgins are unique, showing that they have come to stay no matter what some say or feel about them.
Analysing the words used to place blame or give evidence can change how we see a situation.
Probably the most famous ‘Welsh’ word, ‘cwtch’ is the perfect example of a dialect term.
The difference between freedom and bananas helps explain.
Interpreters’ notes are used as a short-term memory aid, not a full record of a discussion.
Concerns about non-English-speaking migrant populations leading to “parallel communities” are not well founded. Third-generation migrants are typically monolingual in English.
Viewers are taking to Twitter to display their prejudice about Islanders’ accents.
An unspoken class war has long been waged around the pronounciation of the letter “h” - is it haitch or aitch? Despite a snobbish leaning to the latter, haitch makes more sense.
The short answer is that the accent you have depends on the people you grew up with and the history of the place that you live in.
I analysed 15 million words written by major oil companies and found their usage of ‘climate change’ peaked a decade ago.
There have been many theories that try to explain where language came from. None prevailed or even came close to the position of the Darwinism theory in biology or the Big Bang theory in physics.
Not all false beliefs arise from malicious misinformation. Some legal precedents rest on the status of everyday ‘common knowledge’, since shown to be false, but embedded in our law nonetheless.
British colonial rule of Iraq led to some intriguing language swaps.
Marijuana has a rich linguistic tradition. But drive by dispensaries like ‘Advanced Medical Alternatives’ or ‘Alameda Wellness Center,’ and you might think you’re passing the office of a physical therapist.
A corporate apology is always connected to the benefits it brings to the company. It is not a personal apology, it is a form of institutional positioning.
We’re often less careful when talking to people we know well than we are when we talk to strangers. That can be a mistake.