Lise Dobrin and Language Documentation in Papua New Guinea
Q&A: Lise Dobrin, Associate Professor & Director of the Interdepartmental Program in Linguistics at the University of Virginia's Department of Anthropology.
The Cozy Linguistics of Hygge and Other “Untranslatable” Words
Why English speakers love "hygge" and other "untranslatable" words about emotional states.
Synesthetic Adjectives Will Make You Eat Your Words
Fragrant. Sweet. Tangy. Certain synesthetic adjectives actually trigger cognitive simulations of eating.
The Monstrous Words Lurking in Your Language
“You have hissed all my mystery lectures. I saw you fight a liar in the back quad; in ...
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.
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 ...
The Quirks of Pronunciation: Why Some People Say “Banana” and Others Say “Bananal”
I say "Harvard" and you say "Hahvahd"
Linguistic Anarchy! It’s all Pun and Games Until Somebody Loses a Sign
The pun is in an interesting bind: it is both ubiquitous and reviled. We try to understand why.