The printing press led to standardized spelling — before it, words were spelled however the writer chose.

Profanity activates a different part of the brain than regular language — it's processed more emotionally.

There are no true synonyms — words with similar meanings always differ in connotation, register, or use.

The Rosetta Stone was the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics because it contained the same decree in three scripts.

Sign languages are complete natural languages — they are not universal and vary by country.

Code-switching — alternating between two languages mid-sentence — is a sophisticated linguistic skill, not a deficiency.

The most spoken language is Mandarin Chinese — with over 1.1 billion native speakers.

The word 'OK' may be the most recognized word in the world — understood in virtually every language.

The word 'silly' once meant 'blessed' or 'happy' in Old English.