When we use language, it seems so easy to understand what other people are saying that it is hard to appreciate the complexity of the act of carrying on a conversation. Obviously, we miscommunicate at ...

For example, the following sentence lends itself to two possible interpretations: (1) Old men and women left the theater. What does “old” modify in this sentence? “Men” or “men and women”? In other ...

Get the latest federal technology news delivered to your inbox. If you’re one of the 2.4 million Twitter followers of the Hamilton impresario Lin-Manuel Miranda, you’ve come to expect a delightful ...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Why did language evolve? While the answer might seem obvious — as a way for individuals to exchange information — linguists and other students of communication have debated this ...