Aug 6, 2016Can We Just, Like, Get Over the Way Women Talk?Asking women to modify their speech is just another way we are asked to internalize and compensate for sexist bias in the world. — Can We Just, Like, Get Over the Way Women Talk? Like, have you ever noticed that women apologize too much? Sorry, but just humor me for a second here. What if, um, how…nymag.comLinguistics1 min readLinguistics1 min read
May 15, 201612 Of The Most Unusual Secret Languages Of ChildrenDob-id yob-u wob-ant tob-o knob-ow hob-ow tob-o spob-eak Ob? Yes, Ob is one of the languages that kids learn so they can communicate in privacy without having “adults and parents” who are around understand. …Language5 min readLanguage5 min read
May 3, 2016MELODY IN HUMAN–CAT COMMUNICATION (MEOWSIC)The purpose of this project is to study the communication between humans and domestic cats. Specifically, we will investigate how the prosody, including the voice, melody (intonation) and speaking style — in human speech as well as in cat vocalisations — influence the vocal communication. In Study 1 we will…Cats2 min readCats2 min read
May 2, 20167 Ways the Internet Is Improving LanguageIs it really true that Internet is debasing our language? Not really, or even… Not, really! 7 Ways the Internet Is Improving Language How is language evolving on the Internet? In this series on internet linguistics, Gretchen McCulloch breaks down the latest innovations in online communication. A recent study found that people who use internet slang are…Internet3 min readInternet3 min read
May 1, 2016Did you know how many french words do we have in italian?Did you know how many french words do we have in italian?Language1 min readLanguage1 min read
Apr 8, 2016In with the in crowd: secret languages can confuse, exclude or empowerThere are between 6,500 and 7,000 languages spoken worldwide. Include argots — the characteristic language of a particular group — and that number climbs ginormously. Ginormous itself is argot, the portmanteau of gigantic and enormous to form a new blended word. …Language6 min readLanguage6 min read
Mar 3, 2016The surprising benefits of swearingGrowing up with a sister nearly a decade older than me meant that from the time I was 10, I could swear like a sailor. It turns out that I might have been a late starter. Research shows that children start swearing by age the age of six — or…Language7 min readLanguage7 min read
