Interesting Info -> Linguistics
Linguistics Resource Page:
Interesting Studies, Articles, Resources, Books, Links, Videos, Lectures etc.
Dedicated to language geeks, word nerds and cunning linguists. Last update: February 2024
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For an overview and introduction, see Wikipedia’s Linguistics & Study of Language entries.
Some Popular branches and sub-fields of Linguistics:
Phonology – studying the sound systems of languages. (also see: International Phonetic Alphabet, this intro to phonetics, and the IPA website.
Etymology – word origins and how their form and meaning have changed over time.
Semantics – study of meaning.
Linguistics Online
Websites, articles and other links of interest. New finds added to the top of this list for returning visitors:
Interesting Linguistics-related Articles:
The Case for Forensic Linguistics – BBC News article: “Text message analysis is becoming a powerful tool in solving crime cases.” Also see our articles about Statement Analysis for more info on Forensic Linguistics and applications for detecting lies.
Indus Script – Why hasn’t it been able to be deciphered? – Very interesting and informative article from the StraightDope about how ancient languages are deciphered. More about the Indus Script on Wikipedia and a great write-up here on ancientscripts.com.
Indus Script — is it even a script? <– excellent read on the controversy, along with comments by the researchers.
Can Language Shape How We Think? – Directional arrangement, temporal perception, spatial relationships, familial proximity and so much else related to language and thinking. For those of you who like videos, here is a TEDx talk on the subject.
Losing the Language of Happiness – The consequences of ecological destruction, from Psychology Today.
Does Your Language Shape How You Think? – Great Scientific American article on language cognition..
Koro – New Unique Language Discovered – How does this Indian language persist despite only being spoken by a few hundred people? From livingtongues.org.
More Word / Language / Linguistic Links & Resources
The Linguist List – Website dedicated to linguistics. “The aim of the list is to provide a forum where academic linguists can discuss linguistic issues and exchange linguistic information.” They also have a job section.
Harvard University Department of Linguistics – Check out their resources & links section.
Word2Word.com – Free Language Learning Courses. Huge directory of free online language lessons.
Linguistic Relativity / Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis – Wikipedia entry.
Wiktionary.org – The ultimate online dictionary. It is also the lexical companion to Wikipedia. Word etymologies, pronunciations, synonyms, antonyms and more.
Writing Systems – Great intro to the written aspect of language on Wikipedia.
Recommended Reading
A few books I’ve read recently that you might be interested in:
Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle
Highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys interesting non-fiction.
Daniel L. Everett first visited the Pirahã tribe as a linguist and missionary. His job was to translate the Bible into this unique language.
The Pirahã have no numbers or counting system, no creation myths, no words for color, no subordinate clauses …along with many other unique qualities.
His experiences over the next 30 years changed his life and the field of linguistics. Worth reading…even just for the amusing jungle stories.
Um… Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean
I finally got hold of a copy of this one. No regrets.
From the title, I expected a fair bit of psycho-babble — but was pleasantly surprised that this was a book about language and not psychology.
Um… is well-written, and a quick read. I recommend this book to anyone interested in linguistics and knowledge hoarders. Check it out.
More Linguistics Books:
Other great book recommendations. Click on a book to read more about it at Amazon.com
More Linguistics Books on Amazon.com
Videos of Interest about Linguistics
Video links will open and play in a new window/tab.
The Idea of Universality in Linguistics and Human Rights featuring Noam Chomsky at MIT
“If humans have a common, in-born capacity for language, and for such complex behaviours as morality, might the faculties be somehow linked?”
Grey Matters: Understanding Language
“Why are humans the only species to have language? Is there something special about our brains? Are there genes that have evolved for language?”
The Biology of the Language Faculty: Its Perfection, Past and Future.
“Chomsky briefly outlines the key components of a biologically based linguistics that began to emerge 50 years ago…”
Learn more: Paralinguistics – Non-verbal forms of communication…. like Body Language.
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