Oneness in Variation: Ruminations on a Linguistic Miracle
Last year was perhaps the first time that many of us spent the blessed month of Ramadan without attending the Masjid at all. We read all of our daily prayers and the additional night prayer
Preserving our Mother Tongues
Language is what sets humanity apart: it is our unique and miraculous ability with which we express ourselves and convey our opinions, cultural roots, and identities. It is a means of communication to learn more
The Capacity of Language
Although I mostly write about linguistics, I’ve recently wanted to and had the pleasure to write about my relationship with language and language’s relationship with the identity of its speakers. This has left me conscious
Urdu Expressions Missing in English
Doosron ko naseehat, khud miyan faseehat (He) gives others advice and he himself is only talk and no action (lit. Mr. Eloquent) This creative Urdu expression (ironically!) describes one of my earliest memories. The head
A Linguistic Analysis of ‘Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko’
The song chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko has echoed around the world and back, from India, Pakistan and their respective diaspora communities to South Africa, Malaysia, and the Middle East. And recently I
Chai Shai? Reduplication: A Verbal Art
Chai shai is a classic Pakistani and Indian phrase and one that I hear my parents, aunties, and uncles call out a lot - sometimes with a hand turned out in the air. It has