Linguistics

How the climate crisis is impacting language

Michael Hendle explains how the climate crisis is impacting on current language trends
Dialectal Discrimination 

What is language 'correctness' and how does it affect our daily lives? 

The Three Japanese Writing Styles

Laura Hunt investigates the three Japanese writing styles and their effect on Japanese culture

'Feminisé.e : to what extent does gendered language affect our attitudes to gender?'

Eleanor Shearwood examines whether the French language is a fair reflection of the modern society it is spoken in and questions ‘to what extent does grammatical gender actually affect the thought processes of language user?’

“Untranslatable” Words

From schadenfreude to mudita, what does it really mean for intriguing words to be lost in translation?

Italy: Division in Unity

Ever wondered why Italy is home to such a rich range of dialects? Read on to follow the evolution of the Italian language from its roots right to the present day.

Linguistics Editor: Michael Hendle

I'm Michael, the Linguistics Editor for the Definite Article. I'm currently studying Biosciences at Durham, but linguistics is a real side passion. In many ways, language is like a living organism, constantly evolving, and shaped in ways both subtle and dramatic by its environment. Linguistics merges both the social and scientific aspects of language, and as language is so central to our lives, allows us to better understand what it means to be human.