Linguistics | Lingoblog

The 10-year anniversary of LingoSlam

26/05/2026 by Jeanne Ehlers Thorsen and Laura Ellie Vedel

This year’s LingoSlam was certainly a special event filled with laughter, thought-provoking facts about language, and yummy cake. The 10-year anniversary was celebrated by having one participant from each semester, so all semesters were represented in the competition.

If you were not there with your own set of eyes to experience this awe-inspiring event – fear not!

Here is a recap of the legendary LingoSlam of 2026

The event took place on the 17th of April at 14:15. After students, professors, and other language-lovers had gathered around and gotten a cup of coffee and a slice of cake it was finally time for the first participant to enter the stage: Jeanne from 10th semester (4th semester of the Master’s … ↪

Book review: Before the Linguistics Wars, was there peace? An edition of the correspondence between Hugo Schuchardt (linguist) and Gaston Paris (philologist)

17/02/2026 by Sarah Melker

Perhaps, dear reader, you are at a linguistics department, while your friend – studying very similar courses at a different university – is in a philology department. Some departments used to call themselves one way but later renamed themselves, such as Harvard’s Department of Linguistics, originally Comparative Philology. What differences are there and why does the name seem to matter? A highly readable and enjoyable article containing both qualitative and quantitative data tackled this issue over three decades ago – Margaret Winters & Geoffrey Nathan’s 1992 “First he called her a philologist and then she insulted him” (a worthwhile longer account can be found in Momma 2012).

And a likewise highly readable and enjoyable book has existed since … ↪

Creativity as an approach: the frame(works) of egos in academia & beyond – Some Islands 3 video review

12/12/2025 by Míša Hejná

Míša Hejná has reviewed Some Islands 3, and as she stated in her review of Some Islands 1: “This is not your typical linguistics / language studies journal, and so this is not going to be a typical review.” The same can be said for issue 3, which has resulted in this impressive video review.

You can read Lingoblog’s reviews of the previous issues here: Some Islands 1 Some Islands 2.

Cover illustration: Collage by Míša Hejná, with excerpts from or inspired by Some Islands 3.

Míša Hejná is an Associate Professor in the English Language at the Department of English at Aarhus University, Denmark. She is the founder and the current coordinator of the Centre … ↪

To buy a pig in a poke – a Danish-German language collaboration on fixed expressions

18/09/2025 by Erla Hallsteinsdottir og Irene Simonsen

Have you ever “bought a pig in a poke”?
If you speak Danish (at købe katten i sækken) or German (die Katze im Sack kaufen), you might already know this phrase. If not, you are about to discover why idioms and fixed expressions are so fascinating – and why they matter for communication across languages.

Share your favorite expressions with the project here.

The project

Knowing and being able to use each other’s language is one of the most important prerequisites for a well-functioning community. For the Danish-German border region, this applies in particular, since knowledge and command of the neighbor’s language cannot be taken for granted. German faces difficult conditions in Denmark, while Danish as … ↪

Prepare for: LingoSlam 2025!!!!!

22/04/2025 by ViGør

LingoSlam is the biggest event of the year. ViGør bands together to plan a fun afternoon of features by students and teachers alike at Aarhus University. Anyone can participate and show off their expertise in any arbitrary area. Participants will compete to win in five different categories: humoristic, creative/artistic, poetic, academic, and humdinger/best of all. Participants get 8 minutes to do whatever their heart pleases to compete for unique diplomas as proof of excellence.

So what can you expect from this exceptional afternoon? What magnificent sights will be presented? What words will be uttered? This is a secret for now, but one thing we can confirm is that our three judges of Lingoslam 2025 will be Rebekah Baglini, Maria Jørgensen, … ↪

Questions or answers in a book with a questionable title?

14/04/2025 by Peter Bakker

Who is Paul Anthony Jones, the author of the book under review? Is he related to John Paul Jones, the keyboard player in Led Zeppelin? Or was it bass? Why does this book have a question on the cover and not a statement, as all ‘normal’ books? Is it the only question discussed in the book, or are there also other ones that are discussed? If so, does the author provide answers to those questions?

Why didn’t the author finish his university studies in linguistics, to the dismay of his teachers? Why did he then become a freelance writer, who writes about languages? Is it true what he writes about this, that he does not regret the choice, and that … ↪

NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL LINGUISTIC CHRISTMAS

21/12/2023 by Maria Jørgensen

It’s Christmas-time again – and what would this time of year be without Christmas music? A lot of us start counting the days ’till Christmas from the moment “Last Christmas” surprises us in a shopping center sometime around November 20^th– and let’s just admit it: We can’t get enough of Christmas songs!

Or maybe Christmas music just isn’t your thing. Is it really possible to listen to ”All I Want for Christmas is You” throughout December without losing your mind, you might be thinking. I mean, I’d say it is, but… I get it. You need something new – something different! I’ve dug around on the internet and asked Twitter for help, and now I’m happy to present … ↪