Linguistic Discovery
@linguisticdiscovery.com
🗣️ Teaching you about the science and diversity of language
📰 Sign up for the newsletter at LinguisticDiscovery.Substack.com or LinguisticDiscovery.com!
📰 Sign up for the newsletter at LinguisticDiscovery.Substack.com or LinguisticDiscovery.com!
Guarani is a member of the Tupian language family, and is one of the most widely spoken Native American languages. About half the rural population of Paraguay are monolingual speakers of the language.
January 6, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Guarani is a member of the Tupian language family, and is one of the most widely spoken Native American languages. About half the rural population of Paraguay are monolingual speakers of the language.
Why does Q always need a U? A quirky guide to the alphabet
The letter A was once an ox’s head and O was an eye — you’ll never look at a keyboard the same way after reading Danny Bate’s fascinating linguistic history
www.thetimes.com/culture/book...
The letter A was once an ox’s head and O was an eye — you’ll never look at a keyboard the same way after reading Danny Bate’s fascinating linguistic history
www.thetimes.com/culture/book...
January 5, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Why does Q always need a U? A quirky guide to the alphabet
The letter A was once an ox’s head and O was an eye — you’ll never look at a keyboard the same way after reading Danny Bate’s fascinating linguistic history
www.thetimes.com/culture/book...
The letter A was once an ox’s head and O was an eye — you’ll never look at a keyboard the same way after reading Danny Bate’s fascinating linguistic history
www.thetimes.com/culture/book...
What other stats would you be interested to know?
January 4, 2026 at 10:20 PM
What other stats would you be interested to know?
Sign up for the newsletter and get weekly articles about grammatical diversity in the world’s languages, how language works, and the forces that shape language.
Website: linguisticdiscovery.com/newsletter/
Substack: linguisticdiscovery.substack.com
Website: linguisticdiscovery.com/newsletter/
Substack: linguisticdiscovery.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Sign up for the newsletter and get weekly articles about grammatical diversity in the world’s languages, how language works, and the forces that shape language.
Website: linguisticdiscovery.com/newsletter/
Substack: linguisticdiscovery.substack.com
Website: linguisticdiscovery.com/newsletter/
Substack: linguisticdiscovery.substack.com
Linguistic Discovery’s 2025 year in review, and what’s coming up in 2026!
#linguistics #language #science
#linguistics #language #science
January 4, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Linguistic Discovery’s 2025 year in review, and what’s coming up in 2026!
#linguistics #language #science
#linguistics #language #science
Whenever someone asks me how many languages I speak I’m going to show them this graph:
January 3, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Whenever someone asks me how many languages I speak I’m going to show them this graph:
A new linguistics podcast launched in September called Linguistics HQ!
The podcast explores the science of language, from how languages are structured to how we can use our knowledge of linguistics to discover exciting things and even make our world a better place.
The podcast explores the science of language, from how languages are structured to how we can use our knowledge of linguistics to discover exciting things and even make our world a better place.
January 2, 2026 at 8:35 PM
A new linguistics podcast launched in September called Linguistics HQ!
The podcast explores the science of language, from how languages are structured to how we can use our knowledge of linguistics to discover exciting things and even make our world a better place.
The podcast explores the science of language, from how languages are structured to how we can use our knowledge of linguistics to discover exciting things and even make our world a better place.
The International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) is an annual international competition that brings together secondary school students and experts from various fields of linguistics.
January 1, 2026 at 8:35 PM
The International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) is an annual international competition that brings together secondary school students and experts from various fields of linguistics.
Me when someone asks me if studying linguistics means I know lots of languages:
December 30, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Me when someone asks me if studying linguistics means I know lots of languages:
For 50 years, a linguist recorded his great-great aunt speaking the Pomo language. Now he’s a Ph.D. student in linguistics working with those materials to help teach their language to new generations.
news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/06/b...
news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/06/b...
December 28, 2025 at 7:46 PM
For 50 years, a linguist recorded his great-great aunt speaking the Pomo language. Now he’s a Ph.D. student in linguistics working with those materials to help teach their language to new generations.
news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/06/b...
news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/06/b...
23 boxes and a suitcase full of tapes: How a linguist’s lifelong work is shaping Indigenous language today
Collections at UC Berkeley's California Language Archive help keep Indigenous languages alive. This is the story of one of them.
Collections at UC Berkeley's California Language Archive help keep Indigenous languages alive. This is the story of one of them.
December 26, 2025 at 3:15 PM
23 boxes and a suitcase full of tapes: How a linguist’s lifelong work is shaping Indigenous language today
Collections at UC Berkeley's California Language Archive help keep Indigenous languages alive. This is the story of one of them.
Collections at UC Berkeley's California Language Archive help keep Indigenous languages alive. This is the story of one of them.
English is a language of other languages—and therein lies its magic. A new book explores the etymology of over 450 words.
December 24, 2025 at 3:37 PM
English is a language of other languages—and therein lies its magic. A new book explores the etymology of over 450 words.
The five countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) have overcome years of disagreements about letters and diacritical marks to agree on a common Latin alphabet for their languages that consists of 34 letters.
December 23, 2025 at 2:51 PM
The five countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) have overcome years of disagreements about letters and diacritical marks to agree on a common Latin alphabet for their languages that consists of 34 letters.
In a first, AI models analyze language as well as a human expert
If language is what makes us human, what does it mean now that large language models have gained “metalinguistic” abilities?
www.quantamagazine.org/in-a-first-a...
If language is what makes us human, what does it mean now that large language models have gained “metalinguistic” abilities?
www.quantamagazine.org/in-a-first-a...
December 22, 2025 at 8:35 PM
In a first, AI models analyze language as well as a human expert
If language is what makes us human, what does it mean now that large language models have gained “metalinguistic” abilities?
www.quantamagazine.org/in-a-first-a...
If language is what makes us human, what does it mean now that large language models have gained “metalinguistic” abilities?
www.quantamagazine.org/in-a-first-a...
The latest bonus episode of the @Lingthusiasm podcast interviews linguist Claire Bowern @chirila.bsky.social about the mysterious Voynich manuscript from the early 1400s, which contains an undeciphered (and perhaps undecipherable) script.
www.patreon.com/posts/144558...
www.patreon.com/posts/144558...
December 21, 2025 at 8:35 PM
The latest bonus episode of the @Lingthusiasm podcast interviews linguist Claire Bowern @chirila.bsky.social about the mysterious Voynich manuscript from the early 1400s, which contains an undeciphered (and perhaps undecipherable) script.
www.patreon.com/posts/144558...
www.patreon.com/posts/144558...
This week I joined Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social on the Grammar Girl podcast @grammargirl.bsky.social to talk about the 2025 words of the year!
We explain each of the words chosen by different organizations this year and give our reactions. Have a listen at the links! ⬇️
We explain each of the words chosen by different organizations this year and give our reactions. Have a listen at the links! ⬇️
December 18, 2025 at 4:33 PM
This week I joined Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social on the Grammar Girl podcast @grammargirl.bsky.social to talk about the 2025 words of the year!
We explain each of the words chosen by different organizations this year and give our reactions. Have a listen at the links! ⬇️
We explain each of the words chosen by different organizations this year and give our reactions. Have a listen at the links! ⬇️
And here’s my follower growth over time:
December 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
And here’s my follower growth over time:
If you’re curious, here’s the breakdown by platform:
December 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
If you’re curious, here’s the breakdown by platform:
Linguistic Discovery’s social media channels reached a combined total of 1 million followers this week! 🎉
December 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Linguistic Discovery’s social media channels reached a combined total of 1 million followers this week! 🎉
This family tree shows about where they posit the language of the Teotihuacan inscriptions to sit in the family tree:
December 17, 2025 at 3:15 PM
This family tree shows about where they posit the language of the Teotihuacan inscriptions to sit in the family tree: