You save what you speak?

Oct 25, 2011 by

As noted in a number of previous postings (see here and here), recently more and more non-linguists come out with research involving language. And very often, whether it’s biologists, physicists or economists that make claims...

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Is language a vehicle for happiness?

Sep 2, 2011 by

In the last few postings, we’ve discussed several examples of “amateurish linguistics”, chiefly involving the assumption that language is a cause rather than vehicle of conceptualizing the world in a certain way....

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More on endangered languages and saving ideas

Sep 2, 2011 by

In a number of this blog’s postings, we have discussed the so-called “amateurish linguists” and the intellectual traps they fall into, such as the Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax. Sadly, it is not only laymen who fall...

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Sit. Stay. Fetch! — Do dogs have language?

Jan 24, 2011 by

Recently, I’ve been blogging a lot about the so-called “amateurish linguistics”. It does seem that practically every time I read something in the media that has to do with language, another example of...

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Russians vs. Russians

Jan 23, 2011 by

Speaking of the connection between language and thought, what is “lost in translation” and how etymology of certain words helps us understand the history and worldview of the speakers, here’s a thought for you: not...

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