The words “man”, “woman”, “male” and “female”
The article explores the etymology of the words “man,” “woman,” “male,” and “female,” debunking common misconceptions associated with them. It highlights that “man” originally meant “person,” while “woman” derived from “wifman.” The author emphasizes the role of folk etymology in shaping misconceptions about these terms and encourages educating others.
In defence of descriptivism
If we view language as a living organism, then change is just part of that. The development of limbs in our ancestors could hardly be considered a mistake. It was merely a development. Using “literally” as an intensifier is merely a development. The word “awesome” used to mean “filled with awe”. It clearly doesn’t meant […]
What if William the Conqueror never existed?
What if William the Conqueror never existed? William the Conqueror, as he was later known, is famous for invading England in 1066 and setting up a dynasty that has lasted until today. He came from Normandy which was French speaking and so the Normans brought a lot of French to England. 1066 is commonly regarded […]
Translation and analysis of “Iđitguovssu” by Máddji
Iđitguovssu – Dawn Light Iđitguovssus girdilit Hávski lei go iđistit Vilges dolggiid geigestit Várrogasat salastit Njukča, njuvččažan Buokčal, ligge varan Njukča, njuvččažan Ovdal iđitroađi Iđitguovssus girdilit Hávski lei go iđistit Jaskatvuođain savkalit Nuorravuođain njávkalit Riegádahte áibbašeami Oktovuođa váillaheami English translation Iđitguovssus girdilit You flew in from the dawn Hávski lei go iđistit What a wonderful […]
Your language is part of who you are
I hope that one day people will treat the language someone speaks like they do characteristics like eye colour or height. The more I learn about languages the more I realise that language is fundamentally human. The language someone speaks natively says something about who they are. Language is brought to a place by those […]
The world’s first language
What did the world’s first language sound like? The simple answer is that we just don’t know for sure. There could also have been multiple first languages. But we can make some guesses based on what we know about how languages work. Creoles are often described as languages starting over. They lack complex conjugation, irregular […]
