brand names

What’s in a Brand Name: the Sounds of Persuasion

The mere letters and sounds used in a brand name can have a curious impact on its reception by the public.
A student in the front row raises her hand

Are Bilingual People Smarter Than People Who Speak One Language?

Is the bilingual advantage real? Are bilingual people smarter than people who speak one language?
Lingua Obscura

Lingua Obscura: Young Women’s Language Patterns at the Forefront of Linguistic Change

Linguists observe that young women's language patterns invite negative reactions, comments, and suggestions to change.
picture of a woman's mouth

Lingua Obscura: A New Linguistics Column

A linguistics column that will uncover curious stories of language use from all around the world--written by a linguist.
Paperback copies J.R.R. Tolkien's classics: The Hobbit; The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; and The Return of the King

J. R. R. Tolkien the Philologist

Before The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien was a philologist, a specialist in historical texts.
Close-up of a voting machine lever

The Early American Origins of Political Terms

What does stump speech and pork barrel mean? A short lexicon of American political terms.