Nardi

Linguistics Expert

Nardi is a linguistics expert and content creator based in Chicago, IL. With over 4 years of experience, he is passionate about making beginner-level linguistics information more accessible. He shares content on YouTube and Instagram @LingoNardi with over 300k followers, garnering more than 115M views on YouTube.

Education

BA, Linguistics

Favorite Piece of Advice

Languages carry so much more than ideas. They carry with them the history of generations of people who've spoken and changed the language.

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Q&A Comments (2)

Are there different versions of Old English?

Old English changed and went through major phonetic changes over time, most notably the Great Vowel Shift. This shift changed how vowels sounded. For example, the "a" went from "ah" to "ay" over several centuries. That's why English vowels sound so different from other European languages like Spanish, which kept the older vowel sounds. Old English also had a vowel sound (represented by "y") that eventually merged with "e" and disappeared. So while Old English had similar consonants to modern English, the vowel system evolved significantly, which is why the language sounds quite different today even though the basic structure remained similar.

How do you perform language analysis in linguistics?

First, I'll talk about a technique in linguistics is called glossing. This involves breaking down a foreign language into its morphemes, which is just word parts. For example, the word "working" breaks down into "work" and "-ing." You then add notes underneath each part to explain what that specific morpheme means. This helps you understand the grammar structure when you're analyzing a language, rather than just translating the entire sentence at once. Language analysis in linguistics is examining how words are built from smaller pieces.

Co-authored Articles (10)

How to

Create a Language

Linguistics expert Nardi explains what you need to create your own language from scratch!From the Klingon language in the ''Star Trek'' universe to the Na'vi language from James Cameron's ''Avatar'', fictional languages ...

Discover the Secret Meaning of Your First Name

Discover your name's hidden story and cultural significanceEver wondered what secrets your first name holds? What does it mean in different languages? And what names are similar to yours? Your name is more than just a la...

How to

Learn Any Language

Linguistics expert Nardi lists tips for learning any language in the worldLearning a foreign language can be difficult, but if you follow certain techniques, soon you'll be able to learn any language. Although there's no...

How to Write Olde English Letters

Everything you need to know to practice this fun fontWhether you want to create a document or address some wedding invitations, Old English lettering will add a flourish to your writing. With the right tools and a littl...

How to

Learn Latin on Your Own

Despite what you may have heard, Latin is hardly a "dead language." Many Latin words have made their way into our everyday speech, with even more being used on a regular basis by doctors, lawyers, and scientists. Many wo...

How to

Write Phonetically

Phonetics is the study of the sounds used in speech. With a system of phonetic writing, like the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), you can represent speech sounds visually with symbols. You can easily find IPA spell...

How to

Read Phonetics

If you’ve ever looked at the pronunciation guide next to a dictionary entry, you’ve probably seen words written in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This writing system spells words out phonetically, so they...

How to

Speak Old English

Old English does not mean "English that they used to speak in old timey days." Spoken over a thousand years ago by the Anglo-Saxons, Old English looks almost as foreign to a Modern English speaker as German.. 28 January ...

How to

Become a Polyglot

Being a polyglot means learning at least 4 languages and being able to use them in conversation. The easiest way to pick up multiple languages is to master similar languages 1 at a time. Practice often to improve your sk...

How to

Write a Language Analysis

Understanding how to structure and write a language analysis is a useful skill that is necessary to succeed in many academic settings and college courses. Strong language analysis essays identify how the author of a part...

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Q&A Comments (2)

Co-authored Articles (10)