NPR: words https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127015964 words en Copyright 2024 NPR - For Personal Use Only Story API Shim 1.2.24 Fri, 13 Jun 2025 15:40:23 -0400 https://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200 NPR: words https://www.npr.org/tags/127015964/words Can dogs understand the meaning of words? Scientists are trying to figure it out Last year, a dog named Bunny went viral on TikTok for pressing buttons with words on them to "communicate" with her owner. But can dogs even understand those words on a soundboard in the first place? A new study in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comments?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0307189"><em>PLOS One</em></a> seeks answers. Host Regina G. Barber and producer Rachel Carlson break down that story and more of the week's news with the help of All Things Considered's Ari Shapiro. <br><br><em>Have other viral headlines that you want us to put to the test for its scientific truth? Email us at </em><a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"><em>shortwave@npr.org</em></a><em> — we might cover it on a future episode! </em> Fri, 06 Sep 2024 03:00:59 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2024/09/06/1198910716/dogs-words-sounds-tiktok-bunny https://www.npr.org/2024/09/06/1198910716/dogs-words-sounds-tiktok-bunny

Last year, a dog named Bunny went viral on TikTok for pressing buttons with words on them to "communicate" with her owner. But can dogs even understand those words on a soundboard in the first place? A new study in the journal PLOS One seeks answers. Host Regina G. Barber and producer Rachel Carlson break down that story and more of the week's news with the help of All Things Considered's Ari Shapiro.

Have other viral headlines that you want us to put to the test for its scientific truth? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we might cover it on a future episode!

]]> Regina G. Barber Oxford English Dictionary rides the K-wave with a big Korean update The influence of Korean culture has reached the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary: 26 new words related to Korean culture were added and 11 words were revised. Thu, 14 Oct 2021 17:13:17 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2021/10/14/1046105037/oxford-english-dictionary-korean-oed https://www.npr.org/2021/10/14/1046105037/oxford-english-dictionary-korean-oed Today show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City last year.'/>

The influence of Korean culture has reached the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary: 26 new words related to Korean culture were added and 11 words were revised.

(Image credit: Dia Dipasupil)

]]> Tien Le Ready For A Linguistic Controversy? Say 'Mmhmm' Mmhmm is a small word that's often used unconsciously. But it can actually tell us a lot about language, bias and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 06:00:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/08/17/606002607/ready-for-a-linguistic-controversy-say-mhmm https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/08/17/606002607/ready-for-a-linguistic-controversy-say-mhmm

Mmhmm is a small word that's often used unconsciously. But it can actually tell us a lot about language, bias and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

(Image credit: Hulton Archive)

]]> Kumari Devarajan From Seussian To Snollygoster, Merriam-Webster Adds Over 1,000 New Words Among the words and phrases added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary are "side-eye," "face-palm" and "Seussian" — as well as the decidedly Seussian "snollygoster," which has been enjoying a revival. Wed, 08 Feb 2017 13:12:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/08/514074593/from-seussian-to-snollygoster-merriam-webster-adds-over-1-000-new-words https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/08/514074593/from-seussian-to-snollygoster-merriam-webster-adds-over-1-000-new-words

Among the words and phrases added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary are "side-eye," "face-palm" and "Seussian" — as well as the decidedly Seussian "snollygoster," which has been enjoying a revival.

]]> Colin Dwyer One Man's Quest To Reinvent The Wheel — The Flavor Wheel, That Is Sensory scientist Edgar Chambers says flavor is multidimensional, and the current lexicon diagrams aren't doing it justice. So he wants to turn the wheel into a tree — with plenty of room to grow. Fri, 30 Dec 2016 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/30/506144786/one-mans-quest-to-reinvent-the-wheel-the-flavor-wheel-that-is https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/30/506144786/one-mans-quest-to-reinvent-the-wheel-the-flavor-wheel-that-is

Sensory scientist Edgar Chambers says flavor is multidimensional, and the current lexicon diagrams aren't doing it justice. So he wants to turn the wheel into a tree — with plenty of room to grow.

(Image credit: Scott Suchman)

]]> Sujata Gupta All Mixed Up: What Do We Call People Of Multiple Backgrounds? The share of multiracial children in America has multiplied tenfold in the past 50 years. It's a good time to take stock of our shared vocabulary when it comes to describing Americans like me. Thu, 25 Aug 2016 07:00:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/08/25/455470334/all-mixed-up-what-do-we-call-people-of-multiple-backgrounds https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/08/25/455470334/all-mixed-up-what-do-we-call-people-of-multiple-backgrounds

The share of multiracial children in America has multiplied tenfold in the past 50 years. It's a good time to take stock of our shared vocabulary when it comes to describing Americans like me.

]]> Leah Donnella Gone Mot: The French Uproar Over Removing Some Circumflex Accents Publishers in France are altering the spellings of around 2,400 words in textbooks and will drop the hat-shaped circumflex accent in some cases. That's causing outrage. Fri, 05 Feb 2016 14:04:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/05/465699842/gone-mot-the-french-uproar-over-removing-some-circumflex-accents https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/05/465699842/gone-mot-the-french-uproar-over-removing-some-circumflex-accents

Publishers in France are altering the spellings of around 2,400 words in textbooks and will drop the hat-shaped circumflex accent in some cases. That's causing outrage.

(Image credit: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU)

]]> Merrit Kennedy The Magic Of Words Whether or not they involve genuine abstraction, words offer a way to reason and communicate — a respite from the tyranny of the specific, says commentator Tania Lombrozo. Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:30:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/07/14/422527144/the-magic-of-words-transcending-the-tyranny-of-the-specific https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/07/14/422527144/the-magic-of-words-transcending-the-tyranny-of-the-specific

Whether or not they involve genuine abstraction, words offer a way to reason and communicate — a respite from the tyranny of the specific, says commentator Tania Lombrozo.

]]> Tania Lombrozo Go Forth And Pwn For Shizzle, Word List Guardians Tell Scrabble Players Also on the list of 6,500 new Scrabble words: aji (the pepper), coqui (the frog) and the more old-fashioned ixnay and zowee. Or you could just say yeesh — if you've got the right tiles. Thu, 21 May 2015 13:53:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/21/408508565/go-forth-and-pwn-for-shizzle-say-scrabble-word-list-s-guardians https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/21/408508565/go-forth-and-pwn-for-shizzle-say-scrabble-word-list-s-guardians Also on the list of 6,500 new Scrabble words: aji (the pepper), coqui (the frog) and the more old-fashioned ixnay and zowee. Or you could just say yeesh — if you've got the right tiles.

]]> Bill Chappell The Ant's Pants? Oxford Dictionaries Adds 1,000 New Terms The new additions range from pop culture ("xlnt" and "permadeath") to business-speak ("algorithmic trading"). We present a list selected by the editors. Wed, 03 Dec 2014 19:02:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/12/03/368327468/the-ants-pants-oxford-dictionaries-adds-1-000-new-terms https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/12/03/368327468/the-ants-pants-oxford-dictionaries-adds-1-000-new-terms The new additions range from pop culture ("xlnt" and "permadeath") to business-speak ("algorithmic trading"). We present a list selected by the editors.

]]> Bill Chappell