Most people are familiar with the tenets of forensic science: the pieces of evidence found at a crime scene that, thanks to technology, can be interpreted to provide solutions. But not many are aware that another discipline, forensic linguistics, can play a valuable role in interpreting evidence.
It's a relatively young discipline. Swedish Linguistics professor Jan Svartvik recorded its first mention in 1968. At the time, he was linguistically analysing a set of legal statements - made by people who had been accused of crimes and given to the police. Svartvik's analysis helped to secure several convictions. It also helped police understand how language holds clues about someone's guilt, knowledge of an event, or innocence.
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