The Delightful Language of Commencement
Commencement speeches have inspired, motivated and captivated many. Just what makes the words found in them so wonderful and life-affirming?
Charles Dickens and the Linguistic Art of the Minor Character
Charles Dickens' characters are famous for their elaborate, often hilarious names. Even for bit parts, Dickens' naming conventions were linguistically rich.
Putting Words in Your Mouth: The Whimsical Language of Food
Many whimsically named regional foods focus instead on telling a story that often sounds neither delicious nor sophisticated. How do such odd names stick?
Language Loss in a Time of War
War happens when words no longer work. Yet war is declared at the very point when words are at their most powerful. Chi Luu examines language loss in war.
Personification Is Your Friend: The Language of Inanimate Objects
So it entirely slipped my mind that Lingua Obscura recently turned one (yay!) and is now a veritable ...
Do You Even Language, Bro? Understanding Why Nouns Become Verbs
Understanding the phenomenon known as "verbing"--where nouns are turned into verbs.
The Linguistics of Mass Persuasion Part 2: Choose Your Own Adventure
How politicians use language to manipulate the public and sway them toward particular world-views.
The Linguistics of Mass Persuasion: How Politicians Make “Fetch” Happen (Part I)
Inspired by the Gretchen famous line in the film Mean Girls, Chi Luu explores how politicians mobilize language to sway public opinion.
Why We Love to Learn Klingon: The Art of Constructed Languages
Constructed languages like Klingon excite us because they enable us to actively participate in foreign or "alien" cultures.
Can an Emoji Ever Be a Word?
You might be forgiven for thinking that the merry band of lexicographers at Oxford Dictionaries were trolling us ...