A new study of the English definite article "the" demonstrates that even seemingly drab function words can send powerful social and political signals. The study "Pragmatics and the social life of the English definite article," ...
Social Sciences
Mar 4, 2019
0
2
A new study of how tone languages are sung has implications for the way humans manipulate and adapt the sounds of their language to artistic expression. The study, "Tone-tune association in Tommo So (Dogon) folk songs", by ...
Social Sciences
Mar 1, 2018
0
9
A new study of how accents change over differing periods of time demonstrates the limited impact of intense social interactions in isolated environments, and surprisingly large differences among people in how susceptible ...
Social Sciences
Sep 1, 2017
0
17
A new study of language and social change in post-apartheid South Africa demonstrates that gender is a more powerful determinant than class among black university students. The study "Class, gender, and substrate erasure ...
Social Sciences
Jun 15, 2017
0
7
A new study of English spelling practices demonstrates that the way we spell words is much more orderly and self-organizing than previously thought. The study "Self-organization in the spelling of English suffixes: The emergence ...
Other
Mar 10, 2017
0
18
A new scientific study reveals the critical role that dialect unfamiliarity and prejudice against speakers of African American Vernacular English [AAVE] and other non-standard dialects can play in the criminal justice system. ...
Social Sciences
Dec 20, 2016
0
38
A new scientific study reveals the fascinating ways in which we use pronouns to negotiate social identity. While much of the recent popular discussion on the topic of pronouns and social identity has focused on how third ...
Social Sciences
Oct 20, 2016
0
10
Humans have a natural drive to reduce physical effort in nearly every activity, including using language. Instead of saying "goodbye", we often say "bye", getting the same message across with half the syllables. The ways ...
Social Sciences
Jun 27, 2016
0
14
A new scientific study documenting the linguistic practices of the Northwestern Amazonian peoples uncovers an unusual method of communicating the human concept of time. The study, "Modally hybrid grammar? Celestial pointing ...
Social Sciences
Mar 17, 2016
1
202
A new study reveals just how strong the influence of mass-market books promoting a certain style of writing have had on authors since they were first published in the late 1950s. The study "Which-hunting and the Standard ...
Social Sciences
Dec 18, 2015
1
3
