Why “Devin” builds and “Clara” schedules

Eventually, inevitably, someone will decide that your well-meaning gesture was a terrible error.

A massive new analysis of over 1,700 languages shows that some long-debated “universal” grammar rules are actually real. By using cutting-edge evolutionary methods, researchers found that languages tend to evolve in predictable ways rather than randomly. Key patterns—like word order and grammatical structure—keep reappearing across the globe. The results suggest shared human thinking and communication pressures shape how all languages develop.

Tales of love and adventure from 1,000 years ago reveal a dazzling range of now-extinct English pronouns. They capture something unique about how people once thought about "two-ness".

Mark Polizzotti, in conversation with Jarrett Earnest Episode 7 of Private Life

Take a graffiti tour through ancient Pompeii with Roman archaeologist Jacqueline DiBiasie-Sammons and discover what 2,000-year-old scribblings from antiquity can teach us about life in modern times. A fascinating reminder of what we leave behind for future generations.

Have I told you how lovely you look today?

In 2025, Lauren Gawne and I reached our 100th episode of Lingthusiasm, our podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics! It’s a special format featuring 100 fun things about linguistic…

An AI name, two -ANI names, a KitKat, and some poor naming choices.

Planet Word, a language museum housed in the restored Franklin School, opens this Thursday, October 22. Admission to the interactive exhibit space is free. The sound-and-touch activated exhibits aim to be both educational and entertaining, often with a social justice bent. Founder Ann Friedman is a former Montgomery County public school reading and writing teacher,

A rare manuscript version of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116, discovered by Dr. Leah Veronese, reveals how the poem was politically repurposed and set to music during the English Civil War. Dr Leah Veronese of Oxford University’s English Faculty has discovered a rare manuscript copy of Shakespeare’s Son

If Danish speakers experience hygge, then they should have a word to talk about it; if English speakers don’t, then we won’t.

Scots is one of Scotland’s native languages that, despite often being called a dialect, is officially recognised as a language by the Council of Europe and the Scottish and UK governments.

Located between Bielsko-Biała and Oświęcim, Wilamowice may seem like a regular southern Polish town lost somewhere in the hilly landscape of the Lesser Poland region. Yet to some, Wilamowice may be the most fascinating place on the map of Europe – the linguistic map of Europe, that is.

The gauntlet is thrown down, a new bar is set.