linguistics

The English language being cobbled together from so many other sources, has a tendency to hold within itself a great number of exceptions to its own rules. This coupled with what some might call peculiarities in American usage can account for some funny linguistic ponderables. This article takes us through a list of just a few with a decidedly tongue in cheek and hopefully humorous playful slant.

Quoted: Christine Kenneally’s lucid survey of the expanding field of language evolution is dedicated to solving what she calls “the hardest problem in science today.”

Quoted: Scottish scientists uncover a striking link between genes for brain size and tonality in spoken language

Quoted: IN “Oryx and Crake,” Margaret Atwood’s novel about humanity’s final days on earth, a boy named Jimmy becomes obsessed with Alex, an African gray parrot with extraordinary cognitive and linguistic skills.

Atwood based her parrot on one that died recently. But the real Alex was no slouch...

Quoted: “Want a nut!” Alex demanded. The interview was over. “Want a nut!” he repeated. “Nnn ... uh ... tuh.” Dr. Pepperberg was flabbergasted. “Not only could you imagine him thinking, ‘Hey, stupid, do I have to spell it for you?’ ” she said. “This was in a sense his way of saying to us, ‘I know where you’re headed! Let’s get on with it.’ ”

A fascinating article on the Piraha tribe in the Amazon who seem have a language which seems to break all the rules (no recursion, no counting, and no fixed colors). A really interesting story as well as what might be a genuine revolution in linguistics

A group of eagles is an aerie

dictionary of slang. Fun!

Quoted: Urban Dictionary is a slang dictionary with your definitions. Define your world