Linguistics After Dark

Episode 7: The Fax Machine of Gondor

Listen Later

Wherein we spin a shitpost question into linguistics gold.

Jump right to:

  • 0:58 Mailbag; revisiting our treatment of linguistic typology
  • 12:14 Language Thing of the Day: The Comparative Method
  • 32:32 Question 1: Is English a creole?
  • 40:34 Question 2: Are Old English and Modern English the same language?
  • 51:07 Question 3: Is there any part of language that isn’t just slang and jargon that’s made it into the mainstream?
  • 1:07:47 Last week’s puzzler answer
  • 1:08:33 The puzzler: Take the name of an old communication technology, add a letter, and mix the letters around. You should get the name of a new communication technology — what is it?

    • Covered in this episode:

    • How a language's words and syntax can fall into different places on the typology spectrum
    • We're not Fractions After Dark, but we do like PIE
    • Why Grimm's Law should be called Rask's Rule
    • Star Wars spoilers via linguistic sound changes
    • A linguistics hot take with merit
    • The deterioration of the institution of marriage via etymology
    • Time is the cement mixer of language
    • A defense of business jargon

      • Links and other post-show thoughts:

      • Morphological Typology
      • Sir William Jones's speech, with a quote presaging the comparative method
      • Example of a Swadesh list
      • Examples of Grimm’s Law
      • Examples of English and German post-Grimm shifts
      • English Is Not Normal: A Case for English as a Semi-Creole Germanic, by John McWhorter (The article doesn’t appear to be accessible online, unfortunately.)
      • We tried to answer the question “how many Romance languages are there?” and the answer is both “a lot, more than you might think” and “the number varies depending on what counts as a language” which, honestly, we should have seen coming.
      • The History of English Podcast and the Saga Thing podcast
      • Lenition chart
      • Bill Labov's study about women being the agents of language change comes from Principles of Linguistic Change, Volume 2: Social Factors, in particular chapters 8-11. We couldn’t find a PDF available anywhere.
      • The beacons are lit! Marketing calls for aid!

        • Ask us questions:

        Send your questions (text or voice memo) to [email protected], or find us as @lxadpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

        Credits:

        Linguistics After Dark is produced by Emfozzing Enterprises. Edits: Luca; transcript: Luca/Jenny; notes: Jenny/Eli. Our music is "Covert Affair" by Kevin MacLeod.

        And until next time… if you weren’t consciously aware of your tongue in your mouth, now you are :)

        ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store
        Linguistics After DarkBy Linguistics After Dark
        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7

        4.7

        28 ratings

        More shows like Linguistics After Dark

        View all
        Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

        Stuff You Should Know

        77,648 Listeners

        Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the science of language. by Daniel Midgley, Ben Ainslie, and Hedvig Skirgård

        Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the science of language.

        118 Listeners

        Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine by Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy

        Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

        14,768 Listeners

        Lore by Aaron Mahnke

        Lore

        44,911 Listeners

        Dear Hank & John by Complexly

        Dear Hank & John

        7,588 Listeners

        Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne

        Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics

        635 Listeners

        Ologies with Alie Ward by Alie Ward

        Ologies with Alie Ward

        23,668 Listeners

        Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities by iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

        Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities

        8,359 Listeners

        Throughline by NPR

        Throughline

        15,977 Listeners

        You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

        You're Dead to Me

        2,964 Listeners

        The Ancients by History Hit

        The Ancients

        2,993 Listeners

        Lexicon Valley from Booksmart Studios by Lexicon Valley

        Lexicon Valley from Booksmart Studios

        530 Listeners

        Let's Learn Everything! by Maximum Fun

        Let's Learn Everything!

        399 Listeners

        Lateral with Tom Scott by Tom Scott and David Bodycombe

        Lateral with Tom Scott

        408 Listeners

        Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman by iHeartPodcasts

        Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman

        580 Listeners