Wordplay: Lx of Word Games

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Calling all word nerds! Ever wonder what's going on in your brain when you're three turns into a Wordle and utterly confounded? Have you had an aha moment when you realized the crossword clue you thought was a noun is actually a verb? In Wordplay, we'll explore what word games reveal about the structure of language and how linguistic theory informs your approach to solving - whether you know it or not. We’ll also consider the applications of wordplay (educational and therapeutic) as well as the sociolinguistic aspects of puzzles (e.g., who decides that a word or a phrase is legit?). Let the games begin!