What does laughter sound like? If your answer is that it goes, “Hahaha,” then you’re very likely an English speaker (oh the horror). But why would that be the case? Doesn’t laughter sound the same across the world? Sure, in a certain way it does. Human beings always know when another person is laughing, regardless of their cultural or [...]
Writing systems, or scripts, are tools that humans developed to document and transmit ideas that came to us using language. As it turns out, the scripts that we’ve developed are quite versatile and can be used to transcribe a variety of languages. Consider, conveniently, the example of this article that you’re reading. It’s written in the Latin script, which [...]
When people think of cults, it is often common to wonder how the participants ended up buying into the message. From the outside, the flaws of the cult may seem obvious or downright unbelievable. However, there is an often overlooked reason these groups are so compelling: language. Cult leaders who know how to leverage the spoken and written word [...]
Languages come in all shapes and sizes around the world—but if there’s one thing that languages share, it’s swearing. While the curse words (and phrases) of choice will vary based on geographic location, dialect, and more, world languages have a lot more in common than you might think when it comes to swearing. Swears originate with the universal experience [...]
For centuries, human beings have looked around at the creatures with whom we share this marvelous Earth and wondered if they can communicate like we do. Communication, after all, is one of the linchpins of the human project. None of what we’ve achieved as a species would be possible without it. We’ve thus deployed significant resources to study how [...]
The influence of the Bible and Christianity in modern culture is difficult to overstate, even for non-religious people. From the beloved Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris to Cristo Redentor towering over Rio de Janeiro, the Western world is steeped in Christian imagery. It can be argued that none of these cultural monuments would have survived into the 21st century if [...]
In the first part of this series, we looked at how wills originated as a social practice and legal provision. We’ll move on to something a little more lighthearted in this, the second installment in this series. Although wills are usually a somber matter, there are some that stand out for the way they’re structured and the unique items [...]
In our previous article, The Origin and Uses of Runes: The History That Drives Modern Runic, we covered where Futhark runes came from, how they were used, and what constitutes a rune. While the use of Futhark is no longer a daily occurrence, these symbols are still pervasive in cultures around the globe—for both favorable and reprehensible reasons. The [...]
Over 60% of the world’s population now speaks two or more languages. One exciting area of linguistic science is the idea that polyglots (individuals who speak multiple languages) often feel that they have “multiple personalities” – one per language. For example, a person who speaks both Spanish and English may feel or even come off as a different person [...]
Birth certificates, passports, driving licenses, social security cards, and on and on. There is a seemingly endless stream of legal documents that one is obligated to create through their lifetime to prove their personhood, citizenship, and privileges. One document that holds special legal import not just while you’re alive, but even after, is your will and testament. As you’re [...]
