Tag Archives: language

An Island Unto Itself?

Posted on July 7, 2021 by nathanalbright

One of the most enduring jokes that has been made–a version of it goes all the way back to Shakespeare’s Merchant Of Venice–about the English is the way that they are so relentlessly monolingual. Similar things have been said about … Continue reading →

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When A Continent Rides The Struggle Bus

Posted on January 25, 2021 by nathanalbright

While I was looking for books on another subject, I noticed that four different accounts of the proceedings of the House Committee on International Relations over the past two decades featured the word struggle in them. All four were connected … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Fluent In 3 Months

Posted on November 2, 2020 by nathanalbright

Fluent In 3 Months: How Anyone At Any Age Can Learn To Speak Any Language From Anywhere In The World, by Beny Lewis This book has at least a little bit of the gimmicky nature of it, and it participates … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Word Drops

Posted on October 16, 2020 by nathanalbright

Word Drops: A Sprinkling Of Linguistic Curiosities, by Paul Anthony Jones This is a good example of the sort of book that can come easily from the twitter age, and that is a collection of very short texts with some … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Through The Language Glass

Posted on October 16, 2020 by nathanalbright

Through The Language Glass: Why The World Looks Different In Other Languages, by Guy Deutscher This book rather thoughtfully engages a question that is in debate in linguistics and one that I have a deep personal interest in. The question … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Long Live Latin

Posted on October 16, 2020 by nathanalbright

Long Live Latin: The Pleasures Of A Useless Language, by Nicola Gardini This is a book written by someone who, like many classicists, is greatly interested in the Latin language and desirous to interest other people in so being as … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Empires Of The Word

Posted on October 4, 2020 by nathanalbright

Empires Of The Word: A Language History Of The World, by Nicholas Ostler This is a fascinating book as someone who is fond of language. How is it that language grow and become spoken far outside their native realm, and … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Are Some Languages Better Than Others?

Posted on September 17, 2020 by nathanalbright

Are Some Languages Better Than Others?, by R.M.W. Dixion If I do not agree with everything this author has to say, I think the author at least deserves to be commended for a certain degree of bravery in his approach … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Stuff Of Thought

Posted on September 17, 2020 by nathanalbright

The Stuff Of Thought: Language As A Window Into Human Nature, by Steven Pinkler This book is a good deal less polemical than I thought it would be, and that is definitely for the best. Even if this book is … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The First Word

Posted on September 17, 2020 by nathanalbright

The First Word: The Search For The Origins Of Language, by Christine Kenneally In many ways this book is a bit of a tease. The author demonstrates her lack of understanding about science by assuming that well-designed computer models offer … Continue reading →

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