Borrower’s Remorse? Borrower’s Remorse?
Is bilingualism a sign of vitality, or the gradual takeover of one language by another?
Jan 19, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Ange Mlinko
Linguistic Currency Linguistic Currency
In an information economy, tiny asymmetries in language comprehension translate into vast profits--and large-scale collapses.
Nov 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Ange Mlinko
To Sleep, Perchance to ‘Sleep and Think’ To Sleep, Perchance to ‘Sleep and Think’
Conlangs often succeed only in stripping language of its surprise.
Sep 1, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Ange Mlinko
Lingo: Fopcorn Lingo: Fopcorn
Is the history of English really the history of adult learners of a second language?
Jun 16, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Ange Mlinko
Dirt Dogs and Jinegar: Baseball’s Slang Dirt Dogs and Jinegar: Baseball’s Slang
The richness of baseball's old, weird vernacular is pure, pointless creativity.
May 13, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Nick Stillman
Lingo: And Then Some Lingo: And Then Some
Would a master thesaurus contain the history of human perception?
Apr 14, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Ange Mlinko
Lingo: What Child Is This? Lingo: What Child Is This?
This is Lingo, a new occasional column about language. Is language acquisition uncanny or orphic?
Mar 17, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Ange Mlinko
Philadelphia Rising Philadelphia Rising
The mayor's budget plan would close libraries. The people say, Think again.
Mar 11, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Robert S. Eshelman
Pixies, Sheilas, Dirtbags and Cougar Bait: Modern Slang Pixies, Sheilas, Dirtbags and Cougar Bait: Modern Slang
There's more slang than dictionaries can capture, but two new lexicons speak volumes on the riches of language.
Dec 10, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Caleb Crain
Seeing Past the Ivy: Do Literary Mandarins Put Reading At Risk? Seeing Past the Ivy: Do Literary Mandarins Put Reading At Risk?
Why the commentariat's response to hand-wringing about "the decline of reading" condescends to the large mass of nonspecialist readers.
Oct 21, 2008 / Books & the Arts / William Deresiewicz