Linguistic Discovery
@linguisticdiscovery.com
🗣️ Teaching you about the science and diversity of language
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Hi! 👋 Linguistic Discovery teaches you all about the science and diversity of language—a field known as linguistics.
I (Danny Hieber, Ph.D.) post daily about how language works, the latest news and research in linguistics, and the incredible diversity of language.
I (Danny Hieber, Ph.D.) post daily about how language works, the latest news and research in linguistics, and the incredible diversity of language.
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
Two hundred years ago, the son of a saddler from a rural French village devised a groundbreaking tactile writing method of raised dots for blind people at the mere age of 15.
Here’s the story of how Louis Braille created a writing system for the blind.
www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
Here’s the story of how Louis Braille created a writing system for the blind.
www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
How Louis Braille revolutionized a writing system—despite efforts to stop him
Two hundred years ago, the son of a saddler from a rural French village devised a groundbreaking tactile writing method of raised dots for blind people at the mere age of 15.
www.nationalgeographic.com
January 4, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Two hundred years ago, the son of a saddler from a rural French village devised a groundbreaking tactile writing method of raised dots for blind people at the mere age of 15.
Here’s the story of how Louis Braille created a writing system for the blind.
www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
Here’s the story of how Louis Braille created a writing system for the blind.
www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
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:
Babies’ brains recognize foreign languages they heard before birth
www.scientificamerican.com/article/babi...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/babi...
Babies Start Processing Foreign Languages before They Are Born
Babies process foreign languages they heard in utero much like their mother tongue, researchers find
www.scientificamerican.com
January 3, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Babies’ brains recognize foreign languages they heard before birth
www.scientificamerican.com/article/babi...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/babi...
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.
What languages are you learning in the new year?
December 31, 2025 at 5:34 PM
What languages are you learning in the new year?
Researchers have now managed to ‘decode’ Mandarin Chinese from brain activity, a huge step forward for brain-computer interfaces because it is the first study to successfully do so with a tonal language.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Researchers ‘decode’ Mandarin Chinese from neural signals
Advances in brain-computer interfaces could help millions who use tonal languages speak again after stroke or disease
www.science.org
December 31, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Researchers have now managed to ‘decode’ Mandarin Chinese from brain activity, a huge step forward for brain-computer interfaces because it is the first study to successfully do so with a tonal language.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
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:
A new theory puts parenting at the center of human evolution. Could the origin of language be traced to childcare?
www.theatlantic.com/books/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/books/archiv...
A New Theory Puts Parenting at the Center of Human Evolution
Can the origin of language can be traced to child care?
www.theatlantic.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:46 PM
A new theory puts parenting at the center of human evolution. Could the origin of language be traced to childcare?
www.theatlantic.com/books/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/books/archiv...
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...
From “skibidi” to “brain rot,” the words dominating your child’s group chat might sound like nonsense—but linguists say there's more to these words than you might think.
Here’s the psychology behind ‘6-7’ and ‘skibidi':
www.madeformums.com/apple-news/t...
Here’s the psychology behind ‘6-7’ and ‘skibidi':
www.madeformums.com/apple-news/t...
The psychology behind '6-7' and 'skibidi': why gibberish took over the playground in 2025
From “skibidi” to “brain rot,” the words dominating your child’s group chat might sound like nonsense – but linguists say there's more to these words than you might think.
www.madeformums.com
December 20, 2025 at 8:35 PM
From “skibidi” to “brain rot,” the words dominating your child’s group chat might sound like nonsense—but linguists say there's more to these words than you might think.
Here’s the psychology behind ‘6-7’ and ‘skibidi':
www.madeformums.com/apple-news/t...
Here’s the psychology behind ‘6-7’ and ‘skibidi':
www.madeformums.com/apple-news/t...
🗣️ Men speak with vocal fry just as much as women
🤖 Merriam-Webster chooses “slop” as the 2025 Word of the Year
🌟 Gaelic and Scots recognized as official languages in the UK
🇨🇦 Canada’s prime minister called out for using British spelling
🌐 Why people feel entitled to correct your grammar online
🤖 Merriam-Webster chooses “slop” as the 2025 Word of the Year
🌟 Gaelic and Scots recognized as official languages in the UK
🇨🇦 Canada’s prime minister called out for using British spelling
🌐 Why people feel entitled to correct your grammar online
December 20, 2025 at 5:25 PM
🗣️ Men speak with vocal fry just as much as women
🤖 Merriam-Webster chooses “slop” as the 2025 Word of the Year
🌟 Gaelic and Scots recognized as official languages in the UK
🇨🇦 Canada’s prime minister called out for using British spelling
🌐 Why people feel entitled to correct your grammar online
🤖 Merriam-Webster chooses “slop” as the 2025 Word of the Year
🌟 Gaelic and Scots recognized as official languages in the UK
🇨🇦 Canada’s prime minister called out for using British spelling
🌐 Why people feel entitled to correct your grammar online
Slang terms like ‘six-seven’ have no definition. But they’re loaded with meaning
Older generations are demanding explanations of the viral phrase—but slang doesn’t have to make logical sense.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Older generations are demanding explanations of the viral phrase—but slang doesn’t have to make logical sense.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Slang terms like ‘six-seven’ have no definition. But they’re loaded with meaning | Matthew Cantor
Older generations are demanding explanations of the viral phrase – but slang doesn’t have to make logical sense
www.theguardian.com
December 19, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Slang terms like ‘six-seven’ have no definition. But they’re loaded with meaning
Older generations are demanding explanations of the viral phrase—but slang doesn’t have to make logical sense.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Older generations are demanding explanations of the viral phrase—but slang doesn’t have to make logical sense.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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! ⬇️
Canada’s Prime Minister called out for ‘utilizing’ British spelling
This one’s a little funny to me, because Canada’s spelling conventions are an interesting mix of American and British conventions in the first place.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
This one’s a little funny to me, because Canada’s spelling conventions are an interesting mix of American and British conventions in the first place.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Linguists call out Canada's Carney for 'utilizing' British spelling
A group of linguists are asking Prime Minister Carney to ditch British English in official documents, saying it is a matter of "pride".
www.bbc.com
December 17, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Canada’s Prime Minister called out for ‘utilizing’ British spelling
This one’s a little funny to me, because Canada’s spelling conventions are an interesting mix of American and British conventions in the first place.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
This one’s a little funny to me, because Canada’s spelling conventions are an interesting mix of American and British conventions in the first place.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
And if you want to learn more about all the words (over 30!) connected to “one” (for one million!) in English, here’s the place to go:
Website: linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/one/
Substack: open.substack.com/pub/linguist...
Website: linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/one/
Substack: open.substack.com/pub/linguist...
December 17, 2025 at 9:46 PM
And if you want to learn more about all the words (over 30!) connected to “one” (for one million!) in English, here’s the place to go:
Website: linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/one/
Substack: open.substack.com/pub/linguist...
Website: linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/one/
Substack: open.substack.com/pub/linguist...
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! 🎉
Scholars claim to have determined the language of mysterious glyphs of Teotihuacan, the site of the most well-known Mesoamerican pyramids 🧵
December 17, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Scholars claim to have determined the language of mysterious glyphs of Teotihuacan, the site of the most well-known Mesoamerican pyramids 🧵