Articles tagged with Linguistics
Comprehensive exploration of living organisms, biological systems, and life processes across all scales from molecules to ecosystems. Encompasses cutting-edge research in biology, genetics, molecular biology, ecology, biochemistry, microbiology, botany, zoology, evolutionary biology, genomics, and biotechnology. Investigates cellular mechanisms, organism development, genetic inheritance, biodiversity conservation, metabolic processes, protein synthesis, DNA sequencing, CRISPR gene editing, stem cell research, and the fundamental principles governing all forms of life on Earth.
Comprehensive medical research, clinical studies, and healthcare sciences focused on disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Encompasses clinical medicine, public health, pharmacology, epidemiology, medical specialties, disease mechanisms, therapeutic interventions, healthcare innovation, precision medicine, telemedicine, medical devices, drug development, clinical trials, patient care, mental health, nutrition science, health policy, and the application of medical science to improve human health, wellbeing, and quality of life across diverse populations.
Comprehensive investigation of human society, behavior, relationships, and social structures through systematic research and analysis. Encompasses psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, linguistics, education, demography, communications, and social research methodologies. Examines human cognition, social interactions, cultural phenomena, economic systems, political institutions, language and communication, educational processes, population dynamics, and the complex social, cultural, economic, and political forces shaping human societies, communities, and civilizations throughout history and across the contemporary world.
Fundamental study of the non-living natural world, matter, energy, and physical phenomena governing the universe. Encompasses physics, chemistry, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, materials science, and the investigation of physical laws, chemical reactions, geological processes, climate systems, and planetary dynamics. Explores everything from subatomic particles and quantum mechanics to planetary systems and cosmic phenomena, including energy transformations, molecular interactions, elemental properties, weather patterns, tectonic activity, and the fundamental forces and principles underlying the physical nature of reality.
Practical application of scientific knowledge and engineering principles to solve real-world problems and develop innovative technologies. Encompasses all engineering disciplines, technology development, computer science, artificial intelligence, environmental sciences, agriculture, materials applications, energy systems, and industrial innovation. Bridges theoretical research with tangible solutions for infrastructure, manufacturing, computing, communications, transportation, construction, sustainable development, and emerging technologies that advance human capabilities, improve quality of life, and address societal challenges through scientific innovation and technological progress.
Study of the practice, culture, infrastructure, and social dimensions of science itself. Addresses how science is conducted, organized, communicated, and integrated into society. Encompasses research funding mechanisms, scientific publishing systems, peer review processes, academic ethics, science policy, research institutions, scientific collaboration networks, science education, career development, research programs, scientific methods, science communication, and the sociology of scientific discovery. Examines the human, institutional, and cultural aspects of scientific enterprise, knowledge production, and the translation of research into societal benefit.
Comprehensive study of the universe beyond Earth, encompassing celestial objects, cosmic phenomena, and space exploration. Includes astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, cosmology, space physics, astrobiology, and space technology. Investigates stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, black holes, nebulae, exoplanets, dark matter, dark energy, cosmic microwave background, stellar evolution, planetary formation, space weather, solar system dynamics, the search for extraterrestrial life, and humanity's efforts to explore, understand, and unlock the mysteries of the cosmos through observation, theory, and space missions.
Comprehensive examination of tools, techniques, methodologies, and approaches used across scientific disciplines to conduct research, collect data, and analyze results. Encompasses experimental procedures, analytical methods, measurement techniques, instrumentation, imaging technologies, spectroscopic methods, laboratory protocols, observational studies, statistical analysis, computational methods, data visualization, quality control, and methodological innovations. Addresses the practical techniques and theoretical frameworks enabling scientists to investigate phenomena, test hypotheses, gather evidence, ensure reproducibility, and generate reliable knowledge through systematic, rigorous investigation across all areas of scientific inquiry.
Study of abstract structures, patterns, quantities, relationships, and logical reasoning through pure and applied mathematical disciplines. Encompasses algebra, calculus, geometry, topology, number theory, analysis, discrete mathematics, mathematical logic, set theory, probability, statistics, and computational mathematics. Investigates mathematical structures, theorems, proofs, algorithms, functions, equations, and the rigorous logical frameworks underlying quantitative reasoning. Provides the foundational language and tools for all scientific fields, enabling precise description of natural phenomena, modeling of complex systems, and the development of technologies across physics, engineering, computer science, economics, and all quantitative sciences.
Researchers found previously unknown interactions among people in southern Africa between the 5th and 20th centuries, revealing a complex network of cultural exchange. The study used geochemical analyses on copper objects to reconstruct connectivity across the region, providing new insights into the history of the area.
A new study explores how language shapes attention and engagement, finding that easier-to-process language and emotional triggers like anxiety, excitement, and hope encourage readers to persist. Language, meanwhile, can discourage readers from continuing to read.
A Dartmouth study found that COVID-19 can cause 'prosopagnosia,' or face blindness, and impairments in navigational abilities. Researchers worked with a patient who experienced difficulty recognizing faces and navigating, leading to dissociation between face recognition and cognitive map representation.
Researchers at the Complexity Science Hub have developed an algorithm that can be applied to different languages and expand word lists significantly better than others. The new method, called LEXpander, outperforms previous algorithms in German and English, especially in sentiment analysis tasks.
British and American English speakers use the word “right” in distinct ways. In everyday conversations, Brits use “right” to signal that what they hear is informative and relevant. This linguistic difference might contribute to the stereotype that British people are smarter due to their sophisticated accent.
Researchers found broad similarities in how deaf homesigners and hearing adults describe tool-related events, suggesting universal aspects of human thinking. The study suggests that these similarities reflect the extent to which a tool shapes the object it is being used on.
Researchers seek to reduce medical errors among patients with limited English proficiency by implementing three different translation approaches. The goal is to compare the effectiveness of telephone interpreter-based and in-person interpreter-assisted communication in reducing errors.
A 17th-century satire on marriage employs fragments from Elio Antonio de Nebrija's Latin grammar to justify arguments. The study highlights Nebrija's significant role as a Latinist over his Spanish grammar.
Assistant Professor Stephen Hopkins received a year-long, $60,000 NEH fellowship to finish his book, The Infernal Laboratory: Vernacular Theology and Hell in the Medieval North Sea. The study explores how medieval writers developed their conception of hell as an experimental space for cultural and theological belonging.
Research suggests a universal pattern in profanity across different languages, with the lack of approximants being a common feature when perceiving swear words. Participants rated pseudo-words with and without approximants differently, indicating that approximant-free words were more likely to be considered swear words.
Researchers at Stockholm University developed a fully automatic method to categorize English smell words into offensive, malodorous, fragrant, and edible smells. The study's findings have great potential for standardizing vocabularies in the food and perfume industries.
Researchers from McGill University and MIT developed an AI system that can learn the rules and patterns of human languages on its own. The model automatically generates higher-level language patterns that can be applied to different languages, achieving better results.
A study by University of Missouri researchers found that storytelling can help college students make sense of the pandemic and reduce stress. The study involved first-year college students who used stories to express personal growth during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting less stress and more confidence in their schoo...
The ECNU Review of Education special issue examines the benefits and challenges of collaborative education, shedding light on issues like racism, neoliberalism's impact on education, and effective teaching strategies.
Researchers found that infants differentiate sounds based on neighboring sounds and vowel durations. Their study suggests that babies can learn the speech contrasts of their language through naturalistic speech data.
A study published in Early Education and Development journal found that preschoolers with stronger vocabulary skills at the start of the year display more positive engagement with teachers and peers. The researchers also discovered that inhibitory control is crucial for classroom engagement and learning.
Research by University of Cambridge academics found that children as old as five or six struggle to reconcile inference and perspective, leading to difficulties in conversations. Combining these skills is crucial for understanding 'implicatures' - inferences made in conversation when people mean more than they say.
The study found that the use of comics for humour, visual-verbal interplay, informality, simple narrative plots, and exaggerated personalities contributed to the campaign's enduring success. The researchers argue that humour is a powerful discursive strategy to educate the public, making content relatable while addressing taboo topics.
An interdisciplinary team has created a large public database of standardized wordlists for over 2000 language varieties, providing insights into the structure of human languages. The data reveals patterns of independent parallel evolution in linguistic diversity, with many languages using similar words for related concepts.
A new framework for classifying content and trigger warnings has been developed based on analysis of 32 countries and 10 different sectors. The framework categorizes warnings by theme (e.g. violence, language) and media type.
A study by Tokyo University of Science researchers used WCNs with increasing n values to find features of language that cannot be analyzed using existing WCNs. They found important features in networks with more than three co-occurrences, independent of text data.
Researchers observed that English accounted for 61% of time, while Spanish had 39%, indicating a greater proportion of corrections were made when speaking in English. This study highlights the need for balanced tasks that consider these differences to benefit both students learning English and Spanish.
A new study by researchers at New York University found that people tend to prioritize men when referring to individuals in general. The study analyzed over 630 billion words from internet web pages using artificial intelligence tools to measure word meanings.
The Volkswagen Foundation has awarded €1 million to support the development of Sorbian Studies, a small discipline. The project aims to strengthen this field through digitalization and interdisciplinary collaboration, resulting in enhanced language courses, study materials, and digital resources.
Research suggests that using language to label innovations as 'new and different' is a key strategy for software companies. Category innovation was found to be associated with firms' likelihood of initial public offerings (IPO), suggesting it's part of successful firm strategies.
New research at MU shows that women's use of humor is perceived differently than men's, with factors like status and target influencing judgments. Women who use humor directed towards a man are seen as positive, but those targeting a lower-status woman are viewed negatively.
A new study by Thomas Pepinsky challenges the idea that language shapes thought and behavior, finding no evidence that linguistic differences affect social and economic outcomes. The study reveals that statistical methodologies used in previous research are prone to producing false positives.
A new study found that people's pronunciation of certain words changes after hearing a southern-accented talker, even if they didn't hear the actual sound. Participants who had never lived in the U.S. south still converged on a southern-like pronunciation, suggesting that expectations about accents shape our speech.
A new MIT study found that lawyers' frequent use of long definitions in sentences makes legal texts difficult for non-lawyers to understand. Center-embedding, a common feature of legal writing, was the biggest contributor to comprehension difficulty. The researchers suggest reducing center-embedding and simplifying jargon to improve ac...
A study from MIT and UC Berkeley found a relationship between Tsimane' individuals' counting ability and their success in matching tasks up to 25. The researchers suggest that representing exact quantities larger than four requires words for those numbers.
Researchers compared preprints to their final publications and found that over 83% of COVID-19 and 93% of non-COVID related life sciences articles do not change from their preprint to final published versions. A machine learning tool also recommends potential journals for linguistically similar articles.
The HTRC will create a framework for researchers to build and implement their own tools to access the HathiTrust data more directly. The project aims to enable users to interact with the rich data extracted from the HathiTrust Digital Library's collection of over 17.5 million digitized volumes.
A new study found that nearly four times as many words describing rough surfaces contain the trilled /r/ sound compared to smooth ones. This pattern is prevalent across sensory words in 38 Indo-European languages and has likely existed for over six millennia.
Researchers studied evacuees from Finland during WWII and found that cultural similarities, such as language and social networks, were crucial for successful migrations. Being younger, male, educated, and linguistically similar to the host population also increased the likelihood of staying in a new home.
A recent study found that gender bias in linguistics textbooks has not changed since 1997, with male protagonists appearing twice as often as female ones and being associated with more prominent roles. The study suggests that implicit biases against women are perpetuated in language education.
A study of the Vai script found that it became visually simpler with each passing year, as letters were designed for efficient reading and writing. This pattern of simplification can be observed in other ancient writing systems, suggesting a predictable evolutionary process.
Researchers at University of Rochester Medical Center found that the brain processes attended and unattended speech differently, converting attended speech into linguistic units for understanding. This study contributes to developing better wearable devices, such as hearing aids.
Two studies published in Language reveal persistent gender bias in both peer-reviewed journal articles and course materials used in linguistics. Linguistics textbooks exhibit male-gendered protagonists more often, while research articles show stereotypes about men and women, with non-binary identities absent.
A new study from Pusan National University suggests that phonological awareness (PA) and phonics instruction can significantly improve the reading skills of English language learners. The meta-analysis of 46 studies found a moderate effect of PA and phonics on word reading, but a larger impact on pseudo-word reading.
A new UniSA study is helping protect children from online predators by investigating language and behaviors used to gain unacquainted children's trust. The research aims to deliver new linguistic indicators to monitor, identify, and apprehend suspects.
Researchers have identified a common genetic component among speakers of Transeurasian languages, tracing their origin to the beginning of millet cultivation. The 'Farming Hypothesis' suggests that early farmers spread these languages across Northeast Asia, with speakers later admixing with other populations.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis and the University of Texas at Dallas found that listeners can reliably identify the gender of individual children as young as 5. They also discovered that identification of gender must take place jointly with the identification of age and likely physical size.
Researchers discovered that the majority of people worldwide exhibit the 'bouba/kiki effect', matching sounds with shapes, regardless of language or writing system. This finding suggests that iconic vocalisations may form a global basis for creating new words.
Researchers from HSE School of Linguistics and Centre for Language and Brain conducted an experiment to understand how language speakers perceive polysemous words. The proximity of figurative senses to the literal sense affects perception as semantically different.
New study traces common ancestry of Japanese, Korean, and Tungusic languages to millet cultivation and early Amur gene pool in West Liao River region. The Farming Hypothesis is supported by linguistic, archaeological, and genetic evidence showing early farmers' spread across Northeast Asia.
Researchers found that people's pupils dilate more in response to metaphors than to literal or concrete statements. The study suggests that everyday metaphors, often considered clichés, play a significant role in engaging our brains and conveying richer meaning.
Researchers found that conservative tweets are more effective at reaching moderates than liberal tweets, thanks to their network connections and linguistic similarities. The study suggests that liberals need to consciously connect with moderates to compete on Twitter.
Researchers found that bilinguals are better at spotting grammatical illusions, a type of manipulative discourse. Bilingual participants detected 56% of the constructions, while monolinguals only succeeded 39%. However, bilinguals needed more time to respond.
Researchers found that newer formulas considering lexical sophistication, syntactic complexity, and cohesion predict ESL reading effort more accurately than traditional formulas. Eye-tracking data revealed that longer fixations, shorter movements, skipped words, and regressions indicate higher reading difficulty.
A study by Boston University researcher Jennifer Zuk found that the brain's organizational pathways, known as white matter, set a foundation for language learning abilities within the first year of life. This is reflected in children born with higher indications of white matter organization having better language skills five years later.
A team of researchers developed an algorithm that infers the communicative needs of different linguistic communities regarding colors. The study found that warm hues like reds and yellows have a higher demand for language, while less prominent colors are underrepresented.
A multidisciplinary team of scientists is using human whistled languages as a model to understand how dolphins encode complex information in their whistle communication. By studying the structure and attributes of human whistled speech, researchers aim to develop new techniques for analyzing dolphin whistles.
Researchers analyzed music diversity in South America, revealing exceptional aerophone diversity in the archaeological record and cultural connections between groups. The study also highlights the impact of European colonization on Indigenous musical traditions.
An international team reconstructed language families spanning over 10,000 years by combining genetics, linguistics, and musicology data. Grammar was found to reflect population history more closely than other cultural features, highlighting the importance of the grammatical factor in understanding human cultural evolution.
Researchers found that auditory and speech processing occur in parallel, with areas of the STG responding as fast as the primary auditory cortex when sentences were played. This challenges the traditional hierarchy model of speech processing and may offer new insights into conditions like dyslexia.
Researchers compared Fox News and MSNBC using natural language analysis, finding distinct linguistic styles in the two networks. The study analyzed over 283 million words in 52,000 transcripts, highlighting differences in pronoun use, analytic content, and noun use.
A recent study reveals that colleges struggle to provide adequate mental health support to Asian and Latino students due to interdependent cultural values and shame. The study suggests that culturally tailored treatment services addressing these issues can improve help-seeking behaviors.
A Tokyo University of Science researcher analyzed 8,000 infant names and found that common boys' name "大翔" has at least 18 readings, while girls' name "結愛" has at least 14. The study shows that parents use various readings, including non-existent ones, and abbreviate common readings.
A new study by UC Berkeley Haas School of Business researchers found that white participants who claim to be non-prejudiced often convey the opposite message through their language. The study suggests that explicit egalitarianism can blind people to underlying prejudice and perpetuate prejudicial attitudes.
A systematic review of 501 chatbot apps found that none performed well on all testing criteria, with linguistic biases and usability challenges. The apps' limited program content made it hard to have extended or varied conversations between users and chatbots.