Read more language stories on Newserhttp://www.newser.com/taggrid/7684/language.html2009 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 24 Nov 2009 13:06:37 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/72274/mandarin-becomes-talk-of-chinatown.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagGoodbye "Leih Hou Ma," hello "Ni Hao Ma." The language most often heard in New York's Chinatown and in Chinese communities across America is quickly changing from Cantonese to Mandarin as new immigrants from mainland China outnumber those from Hong Kong. Even Cantonese-speaking parents are pushing their children to speak...http://www.newser.com/story/72274/mandarin-becomes-talk-of-chinatown.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 22 Oct 2009 1:20:00 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/71962/miss-mrs-or-ms-its-ok-not-to-care.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagNot so long ago, feminism and convention waged a battle over titles—Miss, Mrs., and the young upstart, Ms. Though seemingly trivial, the question of whether a woman should have to specify her marital status in stating her name cut to the core of women’s place in society—and was...http://www.newser.com/story/71962/miss-mrs-or-ms-its-ok-not-to-care.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 19 Oct 2009 15:49:13 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/72031/words-men-must-not-say.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagGrown men should not say “mommy.” Or, for that matter, “tummy” or “belly button.” These things should be self-evident, but in case they aren’t, here’s Esquire ’s list of words and phrases men just shouldn’t utter. Some are offensive, some overused, and some just plain unbecoming: Reach out (unless you...http://www.newser.com/story/72031/words-men-must-not-say.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 19 Oct 2009 14:57:13 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/71627/apres-le-deluge-french-battle-anglo-terms-in-web-age.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagDefenders of the French language are fighting a rear-guard action against a flood of Anglo-Saxon computing terms. In a process that lags far behind advances in technology, experts are tasked with finding French equivalents for new computing technology. The terms must then be passed by a panel of linguists and...http://www.newser.com/story/71627/apres-le-deluge-french-battle-anglo-terms-in-web-age.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 14 Oct 2009 4:27:00 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/69075/youre-me-not-myself-and-other-grammar-peeves.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagSome common grammar mistakes are also inexcusable, Johnny Truant writes for Copyblogger. Too many of the following, and your readers may decide "that you’re actually a chimpanzee—and not one of the smart ones, either." It's "me," not "myself:" People often "think that complicating the language needlessly will make them...http://www.newser.com/story/69075/youre-me-not-myself-and-other-grammar-peeves.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 10 Sep 2009 16:16:02 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/66698/2-words-could-clean-up-death-panel-mess-parker.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagSarah Palin went way too far in suggesting “death panels” would kill her loved ones—but the wording of the House health bill authorizing payment for end-of-life consultations is worrisome, writes Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post . “A simple amendment would do much to cool tempers.” The current wording lets...http://www.newser.com/story/66698/2-words-could-clean-up-death-panel-mess-parker.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 12 Aug 2009 8:38:02 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/66456/dogs-as-smart-as-2-year-olds.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagIt won't surprise most dog owners, but now scientists know it: The average dog is as smart as a 2-year-old child, reports the Telegraph . Dogs understand up to 250 words and gestures, can count to 5, and do basic calculations, researchers have found. "Obviously, you can't have a conversation with...http://www.newser.com/story/66456/dogs-as-smart-as-2-year-olds.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagSun, 09 Aug 2009 6:32:40 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/64183/swearing-cuts-pain-dammit.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagStubbed your toe? Let loose a torrent of profanity and you may actually feel better, a study suggests. Scientists had subjects stick their hands in ice water for as long as they could, once while cursing and again using only G-rated language. The researchers discovered that cursing subjects could keep...http://www.newser.com/story/64183/swearing-cuts-pain-dammit.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagSun, 12 Jul 2009 12:05:02 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/63876/if-monkeys-could-talk.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMonkeys can recognize “incorrect” syllable pattern in words, revealing that species other than human possess the underlying skills necessary for anguage, the BBC reports. Researchers played recordings of made-up words that shared either a common prefix or suffix for two groups of cotton-top tamarin monkey. Tamarins familiarized with either syllable...http://www.newser.com/story/63876/if-monkeys-could-talk.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 09 Jul 2009 3:54:49 CDT