Language Log

Taipei City Council forms Taiwanese Language Revitalization Caucus

Civic groups call for wider everyday use of Taiwanese

Keoni Everington, Taiwan News (5/6/26)

(in Mandarin)

statistics show that in 2020, 66.4% of people primarily used Mandarin, while 31.7% used Taiwanese as their main language, CNA reported. However, 54.3% reported using Taiwanese as a secondary language, indicating that many people have some ability in the language but lack an environment in which to use it.

• "Does the Brain Really Know What Word Is Coming Next?" Antonello, Richard J. eLife 15 (April 27, 2026): e111163. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.111163.

• "The Sound of Populism: Distinct Linguistic Features Across Populist Variants." Wang, Yu et al. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (April 27, 2026). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-026-06799-8.

• "The Phonology of Sperm Whale Coda Vowels." Beguš, Gašper et al. Royal Society Proceedings B: Biological Sciences 293, no. 2069 (April 15, 2026): 20252994. https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.2994.

I was aware of this article nearly a week ago, but was too preoccupied with other matters to post on it till today.

French researcher cracks 4,000-year-old Elamite script from Iran
The 4,000-year-old Linear Elamite script from what is now Iran has long eluded archaeologists hoping to unlock the secrets of a near-forgotten age. French archaeologist François Desset's work on deciphering the writing system now has some comparing him to Jean-François Champollion, the famed philologist who deciphered ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. 

By France 24 (28/04/2026) 

There was a proverb not so legibly tattooed on the back of a woman, but a couple of ChiLings worked it out, got a better picture, and gave the translation.

Carl Masthay, with the assistance of John Carlson and Harold Campbell.