Scattered in small speaking communities across Northeast Asia, there are around a dozen extant languages that make up an obscure language family. Yet, in its obscurity, is one language that was once used in official status in the Qing dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China. So what is this language family? With speaking communities … Continue reading What is the Tungusic language family?
language family
The lumpers and the splitters
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
An introduction to the “Khoisan” languages
Click consonants are perhaps among the most unique sounds to have ever been used in languages, especially in word formation and beyond. After all, they use a particular type of airstream mechanism, which we have mentioned before when covering how we talk. The mention of click consonants has appeared a couple of times before on … Continue reading An introduction to the “Khoisan” languages
Languages of Australia — An Introduction to Australian Aboriginal Languages
The Commonwealth of Australia is vast. Not only does it encompass the mainland of the Australian continent, it also includes the islands of Tasmania and the Torres Strait. A country of more than 25 million, it is quite surprising that many people know little of the languages spoken in Australia beyond the English language. It … Continue reading Languages of Australia — An Introduction to Australian Aboriginal Languages
