The Computer Museum of America Visits UGA Linguistics!

The Computer Museum of America (CMoA) visited the Linguistics Department to explore the role of Navajo language in historical encryption and technology. 

Lecturer Lukas Denk met with CMoA’s Education and Programs Manager, Becah Jubon, and Membership and Development Coordinator, Regan Moorehead, to discuss the complexities of the Navajo code used during WWII. Denk explained that the Navajo code was crafted by encoding the English alphabet with Navajo words and substituting military terminology with descriptive Navajo expressions. However, the code’s design did not fully utilize the language’s complex verbal morphology, as the telegraphic style discouraged the use of various inflectional distinctions. 

Through this discussion, Jubon and Moorehead gained new insights into Navajo grammar, which will be incorporated into an educational program that highlights Native American contributions to encryption and cybersecurity.