Communication

Phoneme: the basic distinctive sound unit in spoken language Phoneme A phoneme is an abstract, contrastive unit of sound in a language that distinguishes meaning. This article explains what phonemes are, their properties, history, teaching uses, and…

Phonetic Transcription: representing speech sounds in writing Phonetic transcription Phonetic transcription records how spoken sounds are produced. This article explains systems (especially the IPA), narrow vs broad transcription, common uses, advantages and limits…

Phonetics: the scientific study of speech sounds Phonetics Phonetics is the empirical study of human speech sounds: how they are produced, transmitted and perceived, with tools like the International Phonetic Alphabet and spectrographic an…

Phonograph cylinder Hollow cylindrical early sound recordings whose grooves encoded audio for mechanical playback. Widely used before disc records, they survive in archives, museums and restoration pr…

Phonology: the study of sound systems in language Phonology Phonology examines the sound systems of languages: how sounds are organized, contrast to create meaning, and the patterns of syllables, stress, and intonation across languages.

Pidgin (contact language): overview, features, and examples Pidgin A pidgin is a simplified contact language that arises when speakers of different tongues need to communicate. This article explains origins, structure, social roles, and difference…

Piedmontese language Piedmontese is a Gallo‑Romance language of northwestern Italy, spoken in Piedmont; recognized as a minority language and considered endangered, with several hundred thousand to a f…

Pig Latin: an English word game and playful speech form Pig Latin Pig Latin is a playful English-language word game that alters words by moving initial consonants and adding endings. Widely used by children, it has simple rules, regional variants…

PingOO — a Debian-based communication server developed by CRI (Haute-Savoie) PingOO PingOO is a communication server built on Debian, created by the Centre des Ressources Informatiques (CRI) in Haute-Savoie, France. This article explains its purpose, architecture,…

Pinyin: the romanization and phonetic system for Mandarin Chinese Pinyin Pinyin (Hanyu Pinyin) is the standard romanization and phonetic system for Mandarin Chinese, used for teaching, typing, and transliteration; it encodes initials, finals and tones u…

Placard: meaning, forms, uses, and distinguishing features Placard A placard is a posted sign or hand-held notice used to inform or warn people. This article explains common types, features, history, regulatory uses, examples, and how placards dif…

Plain text (unformatted textual data) Plain text Plain text is human-readable characters without embedded formatting commands; it relies on character encodings and simple conventions and is widely used for files, code, and data e…

Plaintext (information before encryption) Plaintext Plaintext is the original readable or usable information that is fed into an encryption process; it can be text or any other digital data and is transformed into ciphertext to prot…

Polish language (język polski) Polish language Polish is a West Slavic language spoken primarily in Poland and by diaspora communities worldwide. It features a case system, rich consonant clusters and a Latin-based alphabet wit…

Portuguese language A Romance language from Northwestern Iberia that became global through exploration and colonization; spoken in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia with diverse dialects and cultu…

Post: meanings, functions, and common uses Post “Post” is a versatile English term for mail systems, job positions, physical poles or stations, trading and military outposts, and computing concepts like Power‑On Self‑Test and th…

Post office: purpose, functions, history and modern role Post office An overview of post offices: what they are, how they operate, typical services and layout, historical development, modern uses, and notable distinctions like P.O. boxes and postage…

Post town (United Kingdom postal addressing) Post town A post town is the town name required on postal addresses in the UK. Defined by the postal operator, it helps route mail, often covering areas that do not match administrative boun…

Postage stamp Small adhesive labels issued by postal authorities to show postage paid; used to prepay mail, commemorate subjects, and collected by philatelists since the 19th century.

Postal code (postcode, ZIP code) Postal code A postal code is a short alphanumeric code assigned to geographic areas to speed and standardize mail sorting and delivery worldwide.

Postal codes in Taiwan Overview of Taiwan's five-digit postal code system maintained by Chunghwa Post: structure, scope, special cases (offshore islands and disputed territories), uses, and how to look u…

Postal Index Number (PIN) — India's six-digit postal code system Postal Index Number The Postal Index Number (PIN), commonly called the pincode, is India’s six-digit postal code used by India Post and courier companies to sort and route mail and parcels across regi…

Postcard: history, design, and uses Postcard A postcard is a rectangular card for short messages mailed without an envelope. This article summarizes its form, development since the 19th century, common uses, design types, pro…

Postcodes in Australia Four-digit postal codes used across Australia to help sort and deliver mail. Managed by Australia Post, the system’s format, history, special cases and lookup methods are explained…

Power-line communication (PLC) — transmitting data over electrical wiring Power line communication Power-line communication (PLC) transmits digital data over existing AC or DC electrical wiring for applications from smart meters to home networking and industrial control.

Prank phone call A prank phone call is a telephone call made to play a joke on the recipient; it spans harmless gags, broadcast comedy, and acts that can raise privacy, safety and legal concerns.

Prediction: concepts, methods, history, and practical limits Prediction An overview of prediction: what predictions are, common types and methods, historical uses from prophecy to science, practical applications like weather forecasts, and limits such…

Preposition (grammar) Preposition A preposition is a word that links nouns, pronouns or phrases to other words to indicate relationships of place, time, direction, cause, manner and more.

Presentation: Purpose, structure, tools and effective practice Presentation An overview of presentations: what they are, common formats and software, historical development, uses, and practical guidance for preparing and delivering content to an audience.

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP): cryptography, history and uses Pretty Good Privacy Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is a software system for encrypting and signing data—widely used for email and file protection. It blends public‑key and symmetric cryptography and led to…

Product cipher: structure, types, and cryptographic role Product cipher Overview of product ciphers: how repeated substitutions, permutations and arithmetic operations produce secure block ciphers, main families (SP-networks, Feistel), examples and sec…

Promotion (marketing and communication): methods, history, and uses Promotion Promotion encompasses activities that communicate information about a product, service, cause, or brand to influence awareness, demand, preference and loyalty across many channels.

Pronunciation: how words are spoken and what shapes their sound Pronunciation Pronunciation is the way words are produced in speech. This article explains phonetic elements, social and regional influences, history, mispronunciation vs dialect, and why pronun…

Propaganda: definition, history, techniques, and modern challenges Propaganda Overview of propaganda—what it is, common methods and media, historical roots, comparisons with advertising, effects on public opinion, and modern challenges such as social media a…

Proposal A proposal is a suggested plan, offer, or request presented for consideration, ranging from marriage proposals to formal business or legislative plans.

Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) Proto-Indo-European language Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages. This article summarizes its reconstruction, sounds and grammar, chronology, homeland…

Proto-World language (Proto‑Human) Proto-World language A hypothetical single ancestral language from which all modern languages descend; a controversial idea that explores deep prehistory, reconstruction methods, and scholarly debates.

Public (communication, public relations, and related fields) Public How the term 'public' is used across communication studies, public relations, political science, marketing and psychology; definitions, types of publics, history, examples, and pra…

Public speaking: purpose, structure, history and practical techniques Public speaking An overview of public speaking: aims, core components, historical roots, types of speeches, preparation and delivery techniques, ethical considerations, and common pitfalls with pr…

Punctuation: marks, functions, history and common rules Punctuation Overview of punctuation: common marks and their functions, brief history, regional differences, examples of use and practical tips for clear written communication.

Purchase order: definition, components, process, and practical uses Purchase order A purchase order (PO) is a buyer's commercial offer to acquire goods or services. This article explains what a PO contains, how it is used, its legal role, common types, and practi…

Q.E.D.: meaning, history, and use in mathematics and logic Q.E.D. Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum) is a Latin phrase used to mark the completion of a proof or demonstration. This article explains its meaning, forms, history, and modern usage.

Quassel — distributed, Qt-based IRC client Quassel Quassel is a cross-platform, Qt-based IRC client with a distributed core/client design, released under the GNU General Public License and available for Linux, macOS and Windows.

Quechua (Runa Simi): Overview, history, and linguistic features Quechua Quechua, or Runa Simi, is a family of indigenous South American languages once used by the Inca and today spoken by roughly eight million people across the Andes.

Question mark (punctuation) Question mark The question mark (?) is a punctuation mark that indicates a direct question; this article covers its history, forms, usage in languages, typographic rules and roles in computing.

Queue (line, data structure, and queueing theory) Queue Comprehensive overview of queues: everyday lines, the FIFO data structure, mathematical queueing theory, common implementations, computing uses, and social meanings.

Quipu (khipu): Andean knotted-string recording systems Quipu Quipu (khipu) are knotted-string recording devices from the Andes used for administrative, census and mnemonic purposes; they combine knot types, cord attributes and color to encod…

Quotation mark Punctuation marks used in pairs to indicate speech, quotations, titles, emphasis, or irony; appear as single or double and as straight or typographic forms with language-dependent…