That language changes is certain. How quickly or slowly is another matter.

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The story of how one little verb developed a seemingly endless capacity to absorb new meanings.

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A controversial theory holds that English, along with other Germanic languages, was profoundly influenced early on by Phoenician. The evidence is intriguing.

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Mark Twain famously depicted what he called the "Missouri Negro dialect" of Jim. Would that be acceptable today?

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Animals bark, sing, purr and even gesture, all fascinating but a far cry from human communication.

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Peculiar linguistic tales of America's soldiers.

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There's more than one way to ask why. How come? What for?

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From baby talk to formal varieties, languages around the world offer—or even require—different ways of speaking for different situations.

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Enslaved people developed a hybrid language that sailed from Africa to the Caribbean and—unbelievably—back again.

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A longstanding mystery of Black English may finally be solved.

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