Language is Everywhere: The Linguistics of Biology, Culture, and Society Across Time and Space

Through print, speech, and sign, we use language to interact with the world around us. Language provides the labels for the social categories we use to describe the world. It’s beautiful, and it’s also systematic. Yet it's so ubiquitous we often take it for granted. This Model Research Collection makes language more visible by showing the different ways it contributes to the study of our lives: how language opens a window into the mind and brain, how children acquire language, how languages are lost and created around the world, how we can do archaeology with words and use language to study the past.

Learn more about this year's Model Research Collection through the online exhibit.

• Pierson, Abraham. Some helps for the Indians, shewing them how to improve their natural reason, to know the true God, and the true Christian religion.[Quinnipiac catechism]. Cambridg[e], Printed by Samuel Green, 1658. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library call number Fzd Q448 P61 and as an online resource.
• Whitney, William Dwight. Language and the study of language. Twelve lectures on the principles of linguistic science. New York : C. Scribner & company, 1868. Manuscripts & Archives call number Yzy W61k and as an online resource.
• William Dwight Whitney Family Papers. Manuscripts & Archives call number MS 555. View the finding aid. Whitney taught the first linguistics class in America at Yale. 
• Original dissertation by Irene Nye, the first woman to receive a doctorate in Linguistics, is held by Manuscripts & Archives. Later published as Sentence connection: Chiefly from Livy (1912) available in print or as an online resource. 
•  Harold C. Conklin Papers. Manuscripts & Archives call number  MS 1956. View the finding aid. The papers comprise personal and professional correspondence, maps, and topical files documenting the research of Conklin and his colleagues, particularly in the area of language in the Philippines.

Claire Bowern

Professor, Dept. of Linguistics

Prof. Bowern on RadioLab

Prof. Bowern's Campus Press page

Kayleigh Bohemier, Science Research Support Librarian for Astronomy, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Linguistics, and Physics, Marx Science and Social Science Library

Monica Reed, User Experience Designer, Digital Humanities Lab

Jae Rossman, Director, Department of Area Studies and Humanities Research Support

The project team would like to convey their sincere thanks to our Yale Library colleagues who provided support for this year's project:

• Lauren Brown
• Tubyez Cropper
• Chris Fiorillo
• Lucille Houde
• Vanessa Hudson-Greene
• Sarah Lawson
• Melissa Quinones
• Lynette Robinson-Johnson
• Megan Sinisgalli