Some pretty high-profile crimes have been solved by examining how the perpetrator, or accused innocents, use language. How a person speaks or writes develops a personal style and vocabulary that's somewhat like a fingerprint. Linguists know how individual these styles can be, and forensic linguists detect these patterns as clues to uncovering the truth in crimes.
When I listened to this video, I was deeply impressed by what forensic linguists can do, but I could also see how we all can learn these skills with time and effort. I'm no linguist, but having dealt with the written word for so long (and the spoken word before that), I know my own writing habits and try to correct for their overuse, not always successfully. I also recognize the styles and habits of writers who I proofread and edit. Avid readers recognize the style of their favorite author even when the byline is different. And everyone knows when someone close to them is drunk when they are texting. Language is something we all learn as children, but the way we use it is eventually our own personal thing.
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
How Language Nerds Solve Crimes
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2 comments:
This was super interesting! Thanks for posting it.
There was a dramatic re-enactment of how the FBI caught the Unabomber that detailed the creation of forensic linguistics. It was one of those series that I wouldn't usually watch but it was fantastic.
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