The exclamation mark was originally called the 'note of admiration.'

Sign languages are full natural languages with their own grammar and syntax, not just manual versions of spoken language.

Shakespeare invented over 1,700 words still used today including 'bedroom,' 'lonely,' and 'obscene.'

There are no true synonyms — words with similar meanings always differ in connotation or register.

Emoji are increasingly studied as a form of paralanguage — they provide emotional context to text.

The language with the most native speakers is Mandarin Chinese, followed by Spanish and English.

Some languages have no word for 'left' or 'right' — speakers of Guugu Yimithirr in Australia use cardinal directions instead.

The Hawaiian alphabet has only 13 letters.

The average educated English speaker knows about 40,000–50,000 words but uses only 5,000–10,000 in everyday speech.