Language
Online Trolling Isn’t Just Petty — It’s A Sin Against The Torah
The Internet has lessened real communication, rather than increased it: A rabbi offers a Yom Kippur resolution.
The Secret Sex Life of Hebrew Letters
In the Zohar on Song of Songs, the letters of the Hebrew alef-bet are depicted as having a love life.
The Surprising Connection Between Nazis And Nachos
Hitler never referred to his movement as the “Nazi Party” because of the word’s implications —which are now negative for a totally different reason.
We’re All Faking Hebrew — And That’s Just Fine.
Judaism has worked just fine for 20,000 years with most Jews faking their Hebrew; it will continue to do just fine with American Jews doing the same.
Rescue Ladino, The Language Of Sephardic Jews
As Yiddish has had a renaissance, so, too, is Ladino having its moment. But we need to seize the opportunity before it is too late.
Vocal Fry is Not Women's Problem, It's Your Problem
Naomi Wolf finds vocal fry irritating. That’s fine. But Lior Zaltzman writes that she should listen to what young women are saying, instead of policing how they speak.
Farewell Philologos
For 24 years, Philologos has graced our pages with an erudite, engaging and often surprising column about language. He has decided to leave the Forward.
Could Spoken Language Be the Key to Unification?
What if Israel wasn’t a Jewish state but a Hebrew state? Having one common language might help forge one Israeli identity — but not without some problems.
The Epic Battle Between Chicken and Chickenshit
Being called ‘chicken’ is one thing but ‘chickenshit’ is quite another. Philologos explains why Benjamin Netanyahu got so upset when the diplomatic stuff hit the fan.
How Steven Pinker Became the Anti-Maven of Language
Harvard professor Steven Pinker didn’t coin ‘language maven,’ but he did more than anyone else to popularize the term. His new book brings Strunk and White into the 21st century.
