What’s Lost When a Language Disappears
A third of the Indigenous languages used in America two decades ago have gone extinct, and Congress isn't doing enough to preserve what remains.
Language
Corporate America Has Sapped “Green” of Meaning
The word is used to describe disposable plastic diapers as well as the most ambitious climate legislation ever proposed. So what good is it?
Picturing the Future
How a shadowy consortium controls the evolution of emoji
The Death of Taboo
How Donald Trump and his allies have drained the stigma from society's worst transgressions.
Are Hurricanes Changing How We Talk?
Linguists are studying how climate-related migration is affecting regional American dialects.
What’s So Bad About the C-Word?
On Samantha Bee, Ivanka Trump, and the rhetorical power of English’s strongest epithet.
American Authors Are Swearing More. So What?
A new study represents a new low for pop psychology.
Democrats Should Swear More at Donald Trump
Some journalists are wringing their hands over a rise in profanity. Screw 'em.
Should We Call Climate-Change Deniers “Dismissives” Instead?
A renowned scientist proposes an alternative to a contested word.
Is Trump Authoritarian or Incompetent? Yes.
John McCain and Corey Robin say the president's actions speak louder than his words. But this is a false distinction.
Being Bilingual Keeps Your Brain Fit
A journey into the evolving research on the benefits of speaking multiple languages.
How Other Languages Can Reveal the Secrets to Happiness
A limited vocabulary could be limiting your happiness.
Jhumpa Lahiri’s Roman Holiday
In her new memoir, the novelist abandons English for Italian.
That’s What Zhe Said: Mx-ing up the Language of Gender
How "they" is going from plural to singular.
Why I Heart the Twitter Heart
The social network's new icon will enlarge our emotional vocabulary
Stop Capitalizing the Word Internet
Dictionaries and style guides treat it as a proper noun, but no one else does
Under a Spell
The spine-tingling glee of the Scrabble enthusiast
