Almost everyone uses language, so inevitably almost everyone thinks they are an expert in it. I don’t consider myself an expert, though most of my work requires at least language competence and sometimes actual skill, but I do follow the blogs featured on this feeds page.
(If you are wondering where the translation-related feeds have all gone, I have put them on their own page.)
Most of the blogs represented here are in English, most of the time, but don’t be surprised to find other languages used. Go with the flow – I occasionally find myself pleasantly surprised at how much I can grasp in languages I have never seen before.
Language On the Net
Language Log » Animal training
Rachel Premack, "Watch: This orangutan is uprooting what we previously knew about language", Washington Post 7/28/2016: At first glance, this video of an orangutan imitating a trainer’s grunts may not seem incredibly significant. But primate researchers say Rocky, the 11-year-old orangutan in the video, could fundamentally alter how we think about spoken language. “We don’t know exactly how human language … [Link]
Language Log » Ask Language Log: Trend in the pronunciation of Clinton?
From David Russinoff: I wonder if you've done, or are aware of, any research relevant to the following observation. In the articulation of a "d" or "t" followed by a schwa, the tongue may or may not leave the alveolar ridge. (I just did some cursory research on parts of the mouth and hope I got that right.) My (highly … [Link]
Language Log » Prescriptivism and terrorism
Today's strip that did not run in papers. Seems harmless to me, but I guess these are sensitive times. pic.twitter.com/mVse54tmEg — Stephan Pastis (@stephanpastis) July 28, 2016 What ran instead was the strip from 7/27/2002: 
For some discussion of the topic, see Josh Zuckerman, "Comic Strip Pulled Over ISIS Reference", NCAC blog 7/28/2016, and Christine Rousselle, "'Pearls Before Swine' Cartoon … [Link]
Language Log » "But I was going to say that but now I won't say it"
One of Donald Trump's characteristic rhetorical devices is praeteritio ("passing over"), where the speaker says something by saying they're not going to say it. An especially nice specimen came up in a rally in Iowa on Thursday: Your browser does not support the audio element. So should I hit these people? No I won't. But so here's what happened. So … [Link]
Language Log » Know your bird
We have been discussing the "TCM approach to women's wellness" (7/28/16). Jichang Lulu writes: "On the topic of women's wellness, I'm reminded of Messrs Know your Bird, purveyors of Antibacterial Lotion of Woman." Here's a picture: 
(via Flickr) I will let readers feast their eyes upon the marvelous English text without critiquing the translation at every turn. In point of … [Link]
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