Lingustics - Tumblr Posts
What do whale experts and alien hunters have in common? More than you might expect.
In the vast depths of the ocean, the language of humpback whales unfolds like an enigmatic tale, potentially as inscrutable to us as the communication methods of an alien race from a distant planet. The intricate songs and patterns that characterize their linguistic repertoire might hold the key to unlocking a profound connection not just with these majestic marine beings but also with intelligent extraterrestrials, should we ever encounter them. In a momentous stride towards unraveling the secrets of interspecies communication, scientists recently embarked on a groundbreaking 20-minute conversation with a humpback whale named Twain.
(via Humans May Have to Talk to Aliens One Day and Are Practicing on Whales)
"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
- James Nicoll
English Is Essentially __________.
“English is essentially Norse as spoken by a gang of French thugs.”—Benct Philip Jonsson
“English is essentially a language that uses vowels no other language would accept.”—Luís Henrique
“English is what you get from Normans trying to pick up Saxon girls.”—Bryan Maloney
“English is essentially a French menu stuttered by a fish-and-chips dealer.”—Kala Tunu
“English is essentially the works of Joyce with the hard bits taken out.”—Jon Hanna
“English is essentially all exceptions and no rules.”—Jonathan Bettencourt
—A selection of “Essentialist Explanations.” Thanks to the Penguin Press for pointing out this gem.
Tumblrspeak isn't a language. A written dialect of English, perhaps...But definitely not a language. This is coming from someone who has spent the semester in a Linguistic Anthropology seminar.
Actually, that’s what I wrote in my tags. I should probably make that more obvious - thanks!
It should! however, I think it would work best if kids were taught early on signs in the languages most prominent in their county/region, starting from kindergarten to 5th or 6th grade and make it optional from there so they could continue if they want to in middle school.
reblog if you think sign language should be taught as a language in schools.
🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣
Writing my first uni exam tmr (brains about to implode)
Sometimes i write (multiple page) essays for fun and honestly with that in mind its no wonder i ended up as an english major.
THIS!
i think, as a language nerd who has studied a lot about the history and evolution of language, the weirdest and worst take you could ever have about any kind of language is "well [x word, phrase, or entire language] was originally THIS so therefore it can never be [insert other thing]!!!".
this, fundamentally, misunderstands the entire concept of language evolving with time, cultural change, geographical movement, necessity, or yes, even vast societal "misuse". (for example: words can be slurs, even if their original usage was completely innocent, when they evolve to become slurs, like the R-slur.)
definitions of words can and do change all the time. it's almost never an instantaneous change, usually over a long period of time with gradual adjustment of use or spelling. just look up any article about words that have changed over time. i have one right here for you if you're interested.
on a larger scale, the evolution of language is inevitable and the reason why language families exist. it's also the reason why language variations like Middle English and Old French exist, as well as languages like Latin and... well, every single proto-language. (wikipedia article jumpscare warning, if you care about that. it's just a list but in case someone is stingy.)
languages can die, languages can come back to life. words can fall out of usage, or change meaning, or pronunciation, or spelling. they can start to cover categories they didn't before, they can cease to cover categories they once did, or they can switch demographics entirely (or cease to cover any demographics at all). dialects, too, can come and go, they can shift and change, they can even slowly break apart into two entirely separate dialects. and, yes, even in the present day, two different people can have wildly different definitions of the exact same word.
this is not to say that the history of words, phrases, languages, or any other kinds of communication is not important. it's incredibly important to take into account when understanding the culture(s) behind it as a whole. it can give you insight into the possible meaning(s) and interpretation(s) of a word or phrase you're seeing right now. you can formulate an opinion on what definition you want to go with based on the history of the word, or you can adopt dialects of a language based on your connection to a cultural history.
but the biggest mistake in interpreting language is narrowing your viewpoint of it to your own experiences, and refusing to accept the idea that evolution, change, and adaptation are not only possible, but necessary for the survival of a language and its children.
IMPORTANT!!!!
TOMORROW, JUNE 3RD, IS THE BIRTHDAY OF PIERRE-ETIÉNNE/PETER-STEPHEN DU PONCEAU!!!!
DU PONCEAU WAS A FRENCH-AMERICAN LINGUIST AND LAWYER, AS WELL AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY!!! HE WAS THE FIRST MAJOR WESTERN LINGUIST TO STUDY ASIAN AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES, AND EVEN COINED TWO MAJOR LINGUISTIC TERMS STILL USED TODAY!!! DU PONCEAU WAS ALSO HEAVILY SPECULATED TO HAVE BEEN BISEXUAL, AND TOMORROW IS BISEXUAL PRIDE DAY!!! EVERYONE TOLD HIM TO WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, BUT HE DIDNT, BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE WASNT WORTH REMEMBERING!!! LETS SHOW HIM THAT HE WAS!!!!
Reblog this to show pretty boy that he was so worth remembering.