‘Linguistics is in everything’ from astronomy to everyday life, says this linguist from Trinidad & Tobago

This is the second instalment of an interview with linguist Jo-Anne Ferreira, who won the Trinidad and Tobago segment of a worldwide competition aimed at finding a pair of names for an exoworld, hosted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in honour of its 100th anniversary.  Read More 

The names Ferreira put forward for the new star and its co-relating exoplanet, are Dingolay and Ramajay, the linguistic significance of which was explored in Part 1 of this series, in which Ferreira notes that the name selection was also a triumph for Patois. (If you want to stargaze and find the exoworld, Universe Guide offers detailed directions.). Read More

As our conversation continues, Ferreira talks about the importance of language itself, and how linguistics is — in her words — “in everything … it's like maths and physics.”  Read More