Latest articles by Arika Okrent
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15 weird sample dialogues from old English textbooks
feature These pieces of text are just... off
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How eavesdropping was punished in medieval times
feature The problem of eavesdropping dates back to the 1370s, according to one historian
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5 nations that sit out of alphabetical order at the UN General Assembly
feature When you're a club with 193 members, as the United Nations is, it can be hard to keep things fair for everybody
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Tips for keeping your tenement tidy (in 1911)
feature The Martha Stewart of early 20th century tenement living has some advice for young ladies
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The language Isaac Newton invented
feature Newton is credited with many, many scientific innovations. His linguistic creations, on the other hand, never really took off.
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Why do people say 'um'?
feature It's not because they're nervous
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Learn Klingon in 6 steps
feature It's the only honorable thing to do
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What is the most complex Chinese character?
feature Biáng. And it's made up of 57 strokes
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16 simple concepts made simpler on Simple Wikipedia
feature Wikipedia is great for getting a quick overview of a subject. But did you know you can get it boiled down even further?
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Is it possible to think without language?
feature There is evidence that deaf people cut off from language, spoken or signed, think in sophisticated ways before they have been exposed to language
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Why are there two pronunciations for the letter 'G'?
feature In English, words beginning with 'g' can have a soft (giraffe) or hard (give) pronunciation. And therein lies the problem.
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Fascinating facts about 10 national anthems
feature Andorra is the only nation whose anthem has a first-person narrative. France's anthem is incredibly gory. And more!
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The many failures of the 'I before E except after C' rule
feature The one general language rule that most people remember from school is not a very good rule at all
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The 11 best new words added to Oxford dictionaries
feature From "al desko" to "tomoz"...
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15 tricky words — and how to pronounce them hilariously wrong
feature Beware of YouTube videos bearing pronunciation advice
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11 versions of 'Average Joe' from other countries
feature Morten Menigmand sounds anything but normal. And yet...
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The sign language interpreter for Mayor de Blasio's press conference was deaf. How does that work?
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These fascinating maps show countries as named in their own languages
feature We hear Magyarország is lovely this time of year
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The bizarre syntax of 'sexiest man alive'
feature Who talks like this?
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17 old proverbs we should use more often
feature We dare you to say "Many a little makes a mickle" without smiling
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15 harsh things critics said about The Nutcracker after its 1892 premiere
feature "It's a pity that so much good music is expended on such nonsense"
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Haiti is teaching kids in the wrong language
The Explainer Most Haitians speak Haitian Creole. And yet, the country's traditional language of education is French — which less than 10 percent of Haitians speak fluently
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9 little translation mistakes that caused big problems
feature The importance of good translation is most obvious when things go wrong
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7 ways to be ready next time news breaks in Latin
feature If only you'd studied Latin, maybe you could have broken the story of Pope Benedict's resignation
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