A Map of British Dialects (2023)
(starkeycomics.com)
This map took me a long time to make, and is very detailed, but will always be incomplete and inaccurate due to the nature of language.
This map took me a long time to make, and is very detailed, but will always be incomplete and inaccurate due to the nature of language.
Nominal Aphasia: Problems in Name Retrieval
(serendipstudio.org)
Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!
Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!
Ask HN: Why is uptalk intonation so prevalent in ChatGPT voices?
(ycombinator.com)
I’ve tried asking it to set voice with an even tone and less of the annoying uptalk but lately it just continues in this way. It hurts to listen to.
I’ve tried asking it to set voice with an even tone and less of the annoying uptalk but lately it just continues in this way. It hurts to listen to.
Tariff: The well-travelled Arabic term that became a byword for isolationism
(middleeasteye.net)
“To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is 'tariff'. And it’s my favourite word.”
“To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is 'tariff'. And it’s my favourite word.”
Bonobos use a kind of syntax once thought to be unique to humans
(newscientist.com)
Bonobos combine their calls in a complex way that forms distinct phrases, a sign that this type of syntax is more evolutionarily ancient than previously thought.
Bonobos combine their calls in a complex way that forms distinct phrases, a sign that this type of syntax is more evolutionarily ancient than previously thought.
Bonobos' calls may be the closest thing to animal language we've seen
(arstechnica.com)
Bonobos, great apes related to us and chimpanzees that live in the Republic of Congo, communicate with vocal calls including peeps, hoots, yelps, grunts, and whistles. Now, a team of Swiss scientists led by Melissa Berthet, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Zurich, discovered bonobos can combine these basic sounds into larger semantic structures.
Bonobos, great apes related to us and chimpanzees that live in the Republic of Congo, communicate with vocal calls including peeps, hoots, yelps, grunts, and whistles. Now, a team of Swiss scientists led by Melissa Berthet, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Zurich, discovered bonobos can combine these basic sounds into larger semantic structures.
Spanish speakers in Philadelphia break traditional rules of speech in signs
(phys.org)
I've discovered something fascinating about how Spanish speakers in Philadelphia address each other and communicate through public signs.
I've discovered something fascinating about how Spanish speakers in Philadelphia address each other and communicate through public signs.
Digital cuneiforms: Updated tool expands access to ancient Hittite texts
(phys.org)
From cuneiform to code: section of a Hittite cuneiform text found in Boğazköy-Hattuša in 2024 (photo and XML text). Credit: Daniel Schwemer, University of Wuerzburg
From cuneiform to code: section of a Hittite cuneiform text found in Boğazköy-Hattuša in 2024 (photo and XML text). Credit: Daniel Schwemer, University of Wuerzburg
Argumentation Theory
(wikipedia.org)
Argumentation theory is the interdisciplinary study of how conclusions can be supported or undermined by premises through logical reasoning.
Argumentation theory is the interdisciplinary study of how conclusions can be supported or undermined by premises through logical reasoning.
To the brain, Esperanto and Klingon appear the same as English or Mandarin
(news.mit.edu)
A new study finds natural and invented languages elicit similar responses in the brain’s language-processing network.
A new study finds natural and invented languages elicit similar responses in the brain’s language-processing network.
English Multinyms
(sc.fsu.edu)
multinyms are examples of triple/quadruple/quintuple/sextuple homonyms.
multinyms are examples of triple/quadruple/quintuple/sextuple homonyms.
A AI etymology deconstructor – can guess fake words
(ayush.digital)
Press enter or space to select a node.You can then use the arrow keys to move the node around. Press delete to remove it and escape to cancel. Press enter or space to select an edge. You can then press delete to remove it or escape to cancel.
Press enter or space to select a node.You can then use the arrow keys to move the node around. Press delete to remove it and escape to cancel. Press enter or space to select an edge. You can then press delete to remove it or escape to cancel.
The US island that speaks Elizabethan English
(bbc.com)
Native Americans, English sailors and pirates all came together on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina to create the only American dialect that is not identified as American.
Native Americans, English sailors and pirates all came together on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina to create the only American dialect that is not identified as American.
Encoding Hangeul, Koreas writing system
(brookjeynes.dev)
Hangeul (한글) is the modern writing system for the Korean language, created in 1443 by King Sejong the great, the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty1.
Hangeul (한글) is the modern writing system for the Korean language, created in 1443 by King Sejong the great, the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty1.
Ancient DNA Points to Origins of Indo-European Language
(nytimes.com)
A new study claims to have identified the first speakers of Indo-European language, which gave rise to English, Sanskrit and hundreds of others.
A new study claims to have identified the first speakers of Indo-European language, which gave rise to English, Sanskrit and hundreds of others.
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
(wikipedia.org)
"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is a grammatically correct sentence in English that is often presented as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated linguistic constructs through lexical ambiguity.
"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is a grammatically correct sentence in English that is often presented as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated linguistic constructs through lexical ambiguity.
Affixes: The Building Blocks of English
(affixes.org)
This dictionary contains more than 1,250 entries, illustrated by some 10,000 examples, all defined and explained.
This dictionary contains more than 1,250 entries, illustrated by some 10,000 examples, all defined and explained.
Can you lose your native tongue? (2024)
(nytimes.com)
It happened the first time over dinner. I was saying something to my husband, who grew up in Paris where we live, and suddenly couldn’t get the word out.
It happened the first time over dinner. I was saying something to my husband, who grew up in Paris where we live, and suddenly couldn’t get the word out.
Do Lake Names Reflect Their Properties?
(ivanludvig.dev)
A few months ago, I did a hike to a lake called “Lac Vert” (Green Lake) in France. It’s a mountain lake located close to the Italian border. I found it remarkable how vividly green the lake was. Although the name describes its appearance well, I was still surprised. This made me wonder: is it common for lakes to have appropriate names, reflecting their properties?
A few months ago, I did a hike to a lake called “Lac Vert” (Green Lake) in France. It’s a mountain lake located close to the Italian border. I found it remarkable how vividly green the lake was. Although the name describes its appearance well, I was still surprised. This made me wonder: is it common for lakes to have appropriate names, reflecting their properties?
Ancient-DNA study identifies originators of Indo-European language family
(hms.harvard.edu)
A pair of landmark studies has genetically identified the originators of the massive Indo-European family of 400-plus languages.
A pair of landmark studies has genetically identified the originators of the massive Indo-European family of 400-plus languages.
Stares and ear-twitches: The linguist learning to speak the language of cows
(bbc.com)
Dutch linguist Leonie Cornips has become fascinated with how cows communicate. But can this really be called 'language'?
Dutch linguist Leonie Cornips has become fascinated with how cows communicate. But can this really be called 'language'?
The Language Construction Kit (1996, 2012)
(zompist.com)
This set of webpages (what’s a set of webpages? a webchapter?) is intended for anyone who wants to create artificial languages— for a fantasy or an alien world, as a hobby, as an interlanguage. It presents linguistically sound methods for creating naturalistic languages— which can be reversed to create non-naturalistic languages. It suggests further reading for those who want to know more, and shortcuts for those who want to know less.
This set of webpages (what’s a set of webpages? a webchapter?) is intended for anyone who wants to create artificial languages— for a fantasy or an alien world, as a hobby, as an interlanguage. It presents linguistically sound methods for creating naturalistic languages— which can be reversed to create non-naturalistic languages. It suggests further reading for those who want to know more, and shortcuts for those who want to know less.
Searching for DeepSeek's glitch tokens
(outsidetext.substack.com)
“Anomalous”, “glitch”, or “unspeakable” tokens in an LLM are those that induce bizarre behavior or otherwise don’t behave like regular text.
“Anomalous”, “glitch”, or “unspeakable” tokens in an LLM are those that induce bizarre behavior or otherwise don’t behave like regular text.
Why is zero plural? (2024)
(stackexchange.com)
For example, if we choose two 2s, zero 3s, and one 5, we get the divisor
For example, if we choose two 2s, zero 3s, and one 5, we get the divisor
Brits still associate working-class accents with criminals – study warns of bias
(cam.ac.uk)
People who speak with accents perceived as ‘working-class’ including those from Liverpool, Newcastle, Bradford and London risk being stereotyped as more likely to have committed a crime, and becoming victims of injustice, a new study suggests.
People who speak with accents perceived as ‘working-class’ including those from Liverpool, Newcastle, Bradford and London risk being stereotyped as more likely to have committed a crime, and becoming victims of injustice, a new study suggests.
The rise and fall of the English sentence (2017)
(nautil.us)
The surprising forces influencing the complexity of the language we speak and write.
The surprising forces influencing the complexity of the language we speak and write.