Linguistics

General category for the study of written and spoken language across various cultures. This category indicates articles related to the science of linguistics, rather than just to a specific language (which would be indicated by the relevant culture or country name).

You bride of the Svïnafell troll!

Submitted by Milica on Mon, 2007-01-29 12:54
Feeling cranky? Perhaps a constructive way to blow off steam is to read through the University of Oregon Medieval Studies Department's Medieval Insult Page.

Latin and Greek are not dead

Submitted by Milica on Fri, 2007-01-26 13:08
Cambridge Classics professor Mary Beard discusses the importance of the study of classical languages in an essay for the Guardian.

Cá Bhfuil Na Gaeilg eoirí?

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2007-01-17 05:04
Cá Bhfuil Na Gaeilg eoirí? (English translation: Where are all the Gaelic speakers?) Some are still in Ireland where 25% of the population claims to speak the language. Manchán Magan of the Guardian looks at the history of Gaelic and sets out on a trek to see who speaks it.

Salute, Cheers and Slainte!

Submitted by Milica on Thu, 2006-10-12 19:07
Charged with the honor of giving the toast at the next feast? Why not learn to say "Cheers" in a new language? The Alternative Whisky Academy has published a website with toasts in many different languages.

Latin to Become Lingua Europa?

Submitted by Milica on Mon, 2006-09-18 07:16
L’Osservatore Romano, the official newspaper of the Vatican, is calling for Latin to become the official language of the European Union. The article comes in the wake of a move by Finland's president to promote the use of the language as "potentially contemporary."

Latin for Beginners

Submitted by Milica on Tue, 2006-07-25 13:51
The British Archives has posted a tutorial for those who want to learn Latin. Latin 1086 – 1733: a practical online tutorial for beginners uses early documents to demonstrate how Latin was used and to teach the basics.

New Discoveries Give Insight into Basque Language

Submitted by Milica on Sun, 2006-07-09 17:39
The recent discovery of inscriptions in the Basque language dating to the 3rd century has researchers excited. Considered one of the oldest European languages, Basque has been linked to African, Caucasian or Etruscan tongues or thought to have developed on its own.

Boooooooo!

Submitted by Milica on Fri, 2006-05-26 15:39
Sonia Smith of Slate magazine looks at the origins of heckling from the ancient Greeks to medieval hooters.

Latin Lives -- in Germany

Submitted by Ursula on Mon, 2006-05-15 13:47
Latin is growing ever more popular among German secondary students, outstripping both Italian and Spanish.

Medieval Latin Tutorial

Submitted by Milica on Fri, 2006-02-24 15:20
The National Archives of the United Kingdom has published Latin 1086 – 1733: a practical online tutorial for beginners, a website devoted to helping beginners handle the medieval Latin used in manuscripts.

Happy 114th Birthday J.R.R. Tolkien!

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2006-01-03 11:45
J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of the Middle-Earth books including the Lord of the Rings epic, was born on January 3, 1892.

Silent Letters "Ghosts of Linguistic History"

Submitted by Milica on Thu, 2005-11-24 08:54
Silent letters embedded in English words have long been the hobgoblin of non-native English speakers. In an article for the Hartford Courant, writer Rob Kyff explores the history and meaning of the lurking consonants.

Need practice in Welsh language? Try playing Scrabble™

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2005-10-07 15:35
So, how many points is "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch" worth, anyway? The Welsh language, native tongue of half a million people, now has its own version of the popular Scrabble™ board game.

Omniglot

Submitted by Justin on Wed, 2005-10-05 20:50
Omniglot provides "details of most alphabets and other writing systems currently in use, as well as quite a few ancient and invented ones. It also includes information about some of the languages written with those writing systems, multilingual texts, tips on learning languages, a book store, some useful phrases in many different languages, and a ever-growing collection of links to language-relate