Tangier Island, located 12 miles off the coast of Virginia, has maintained its isolation to such an extent that its inhabitants still speak a dialect similar to the one used by the island’s original colonists in the 1700s. This distinct dialect features a significant example of the Big Vowel Shift, with the word “house” pronounced… Read More »
Few days ago we did an article on the History of English and promised to write another article detailing the difference between “American Versus British English: Dialects vs. Languages”. It’s an interesting question exactly what the difference between a language and a dialect is. And you may be wondering why I picked this picture of…… Read More »
Imagine enjoying a picnic as a friend suddenly informed you that there was a spider on your north shoulder. Would you know which shoulder to check? This might sound bizarre to an uninitiated English speaker, but to a speaker of Gugu Yimithirr, it would be perfectly natural. Speakers of this Australian language (and several others… Read More »
If you speak one language, you’re a normal, functioning human being. If you speak two, you’re bilingual. If you speak three, you’re an overachiever and everyone hates you. But what about if you speak 10? Or 20? Or 30? Well, then you’re considered a polyglot or a hyperpolyglot depending on how awesome a word you… Read More »
