Linguistics


Origins of Language Book Talk

Daniel L. Everett, author of the new book "How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention," speaks about linguistics on Wednesday evening in the Science Center.


A Vibrant Attendance

Members of the greater community participate in the 6th Annual African Languages in the Disciplines Conference. The conference, which took place all day in the Barker Center, included talks on such topics as “Miscommunication during the Ebola Epidemic in Guinea and the Role of Local Languages in the Fight against the Disease.”


War of the Words

This past April, language preservation activist Daniel Pedro Mateo was found dead near his home village in Guatemala. While the reasons are unknown, his story still speaks to the political potency minority languages can have as strongholds against assimilation.


Same Story, New Book: Repackaging Humanities at Harvard

Recently, national news outlets have declared a crisis of the humanities. But at Harvard, the plot gets more complicated. The challenges facing Harvard's humanities necessitate changes to course offerings far more than the core of the humanistic enterprise.


Concentration Satisfaction: Class of 2012

As freshmen enter the second week of Advising Fortnight, Flyby presents a complete set of data from the Class of 2012's concentration satisfaction ratings. For all freshmen looking to narrow down the list of potential concentrations, sophomores or juniors curious about their chosen concentrations, and seniors reflecting on their undergraduate careers, here are the stats from last year's graduating seniors on how satisfied they were with their respective concentrations. Check out our four interactive graphs showing overall satisfaction rates among Humanities, Natural Sciences, SEAS, and Social Sciences concentrators in the Class of 2012.


In & Around Language: Girl vs. Woman

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “woman” is defined as “an adult female human being. The counterpart of man.” (“Man,” on the other hand, is not defined as “the counterpart of woman.” Figures.) “Girl,” however, is usually meant to signify “young woman.” Technically, those are correct. But to some, their usage in the wrong context can range from being inappropriate to just plain offensive.


Michael J. Silverstein Talk

Linguist Michael J. Silverstein laughs during the question and answer portion of his discussion. Yesterday Silverstein delivered his talk “Discourse and the No-thing-ness of Culture” as part of a lecture series put forth by the Department of Anthropology.


UMass Amherst Learns With Harvard

For the four Harvard undergraduates and eleven graduate students in Linguistics 117r, reaching the basement room where they delve into the thorny morphology and phonology of the little-known languages of the Caucasus may involve a shuttle or a trek by foot.


Mayan Writing Lecture

Brown University Professor Stephen Houston discusses the animism and dynamism of Mayan writing in his lecture: "The Living Sign: Maya Hieroglyphs and Vitalized Writing." The lecture brought students and professionals to the Geological Museum Lecture Hall to examine ancient pictoral writing and its relevance in today's world.


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