Film
Why Do We Expect Ancient Romans to Have British Accents in Movies?
Most of the objectors to Denzel Washington’s accent are men who think too much about the Roman Empire. Here’s how the accent has changed throughout cinema.
language
Film
Enlightening Documentaries About Language
These films explore Yiddish, sign language, and Noam Chomsky's linguistic theories.
Books
How Words Cast Their Spell on a Poet
Geoffrey O'Brien explores language's magic — part sound, part sense, part bodily sensation.
Art
A Designer Fuses Arabic and Hebrew to Create a New Script
Aravrit, made by Liron Lavi Turkenich, is meant to be readable for both Arabic and Hebrew speakers.
Art
An Interactive Story That Prompts You to Speak an Endangered Aboriginal Language
Only three fluent speakers of Marra remain. 'My Grandmother's Lingo' is an interactive animation that asks users to speak words from this endangered Aboriginal language.
In Brief
Unearthed Inscription May Unlock Mysteries of the Etruscan Language
The few examples of Etruscan language that survive tell more about the dead than the everyday lives of the living, being mostly eulogies in tombs of the elite.
Art
Mapping 13 Centuries of English Metaphors
A three-year project from the University of Glasgow's School of Critical Studies mapped 13 centuries of metaphors in the English language.
Art
On the Brink of Extinction, an Indigenous Language Gets Its First Dictionary
Despite their important role in strengthening cultures and communities, languages are fragile things.
News
Shakespeare Not Quite the Fount of Language He Was Previously Held to Be
As old texts are gradually digitized, the number of words whose lineage was previously traceable only to Shakespeare's pen has sharply decreased.