In our lives, there is a certain tendency to describe and classify things, like sorting out the recycling. This need for classification also extends to academia as well, most notably in the fields of biology (more precisely, taxonomy), and linguistics. But within the fields that attempt to fit elements containing many nuances into discrete categories, … Continue reading The lumpers and the splitters
comparative linguistics
Are languages really louder in the tropics?
In December 2023, I came across several articles covering a journal publication with rather sensational titles. While some use more typical titles like "Climate Plays Role in Shaping Evolution of Human Languages, New Study Reveals", others went the sensational route, using titles like "Languages are louder in the tropics" or "Linguistics study claims that languages … Continue reading Are languages really louder in the tropics?
Zuni vs Japanese — More than just a coincidence?
Searching up language mysteries or weird coincidences, chances are, two languages would pop up. Spoken in Arizona and New Mexico, Zuni is considered by many linguists and anthropologists as a language isolate, a language with no established genealogical relationships with any other language. However, one anthropologist, Nancy Yaw Davis, has picked up some possible similarities … Continue reading Zuni vs Japanese — More than just a coincidence?
The Language Closet 