Because Language (becauselangpod)
@becauselanguage.com
A show about linguistics, the science of language. Your hosts (in order of coolness): Hedvig Skirgård, Daniel Midgley, and Ben Ainslie (tie for 2nd).
And the BL Word of the Week of the Year, as voted by listeners:
temu (derog.): a cheap or knock-off version
We think it reflects a complicated relationship with companies we do business with. Even as we use them, we feel the shadiness.
See or hear this episode
becauselanguage.com/131-wotwoty-...
temu (derog.): a cheap or knock-off version
We think it reflects a complicated relationship with companies we do business with. Even as we use them, we feel the shadiness.
See or hear this episode
becauselanguage.com/131-wotwoty-...
December 20, 2025 at 2:10 PM
And the BL Word of the Week of the Year, as voted by listeners:
temu (derog.): a cheap or knock-off version
We think it reflects a complicated relationship with companies we do business with. Even as we use them, we feel the shadiness.
See or hear this episode
becauselanguage.com/131-wotwoty-...
temu (derog.): a cheap or knock-off version
We think it reflects a complicated relationship with companies we do business with. Even as we use them, we feel the shadiness.
See or hear this episode
becauselanguage.com/131-wotwoty-...
Patrons! Our live show is happening in but a few hours. We'll be counting down our #WordsOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025 .
This post has the link, and all patrons can attend, even free ones. We'd love to see you.
www.patreon.com/posts/link-b...
This post has the link, and all patrons can attend, even free ones. We'd love to see you.
www.patreon.com/posts/link-b...
Link: BL WotWotY 2025 live show | Because Language
Get more from Because Language on Patreon
www.patreon.com
December 13, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Patrons! Our live show is happening in but a few hours. We'll be counting down our #WordsOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025 .
This post has the link, and all patrons can attend, even free ones. We'd love to see you.
www.patreon.com/posts/link-b...
This post has the link, and all patrons can attend, even free ones. We'd love to see you.
www.patreon.com/posts/link-b...
Attention northern word nerds: The very first Canadian Word of the Year is MAPLEWASHING!
And the results are in! After carefully reviewing the results of a national poll the Board of Directors of the Society for Canadian English (SCE) has determined that this year’s Canadian Word of the Year (CWOTY), the first of its kind, will be “maplewashing.”
December 13, 2025 at 5:52 AM
I thought Chomsky's signature on the Harper's Letter was some weird anomaly for him, but apparently
December 13, 2025 at 5:20 AM
I thought Chomsky's signature on the Harper's Letter was some weird anomaly for him, but apparently
I have just learned that "bicep" is also a false singular!
The -S was part of the Latin adjectival suffix, not English plural -S.
Other false singulars here:
www.etymonline.com/search?q=%22...
The -S was part of the Latin adjectival suffix, not English plural -S.
Other false singulars here:
www.etymonline.com/search?q=%22...
Some people vocally oppose using ‘data’ and ‘panini’ as singular nouns, saying they come from plural nouns.
That’s true, but that also goes for ‘marvel’ and ‘joy’: they used to be plural too.
And ‘cherries’ and ‘peas’ used to be singular.
Zoom in to learn all about this phenomenon: reanalysis.
That’s true, but that also goes for ‘marvel’ and ‘joy’: they used to be plural too.
And ‘cherries’ and ‘peas’ used to be singular.
Zoom in to learn all about this phenomenon: reanalysis.
December 13, 2025 at 3:53 AM
I have just learned that "bicep" is also a false singular!
The -S was part of the Latin adjectival suffix, not English plural -S.
Other false singulars here:
www.etymonline.com/search?q=%22...
The -S was part of the Latin adjectival suffix, not English plural -S.
Other false singulars here:
www.etymonline.com/search?q=%22...
Last day to vote for the Because Language WotWotY!
And watch this space for a link to the patron-only live show where we reveal the winners.
And watch this space for a link to the patron-only live show where we reveal the winners.
🚨 OFFICIAL MEGATHREAD 🚨
It's our annual Word of the Week of the Year competition.
Likes are votes, and you can upvote as many as you like.
Or leave your own words in the replies. They can win, too.
Listen for the winners in our live episode! Coming soon.
#WordOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025
It's our annual Word of the Week of the Year competition.
Likes are votes, and you can upvote as many as you like.
Or leave your own words in the replies. They can win, too.
Listen for the winners in our live episode! Coming soon.
#WordOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025
December 12, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Last day to vote for the Because Language WotWotY!
And watch this space for a link to the patron-only live show where we reveal the winners.
And watch this space for a link to the patron-only live show where we reveal the winners.
Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)
New research shows how automated speech-recognition technologies routinely fail to understand Aboriginal English, leaving many Indigenous Australians excluded from the everyday convenience others take for granted.
🔗 tinyurl.com/bdf2xfzd
🧵👇
#langsky #languagediscrimination #AboriginalEnglish
🔗 tinyurl.com/bdf2xfzd
🧵👇
#langsky #languagediscrimination #AboriginalEnglish
‘We gotta act white’: how voice recognition tech fails for Aboriginal English speakers
Voice-operated technology can’t cope with non-mainstream varieties of English.
tinyurl.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
New research shows how automated speech-recognition technologies routinely fail to understand Aboriginal English, leaving many Indigenous Australians excluded from the everyday convenience others take for granted.
🔗 tinyurl.com/bdf2xfzd
🧵👇
#langsky #languagediscrimination #AboriginalEnglish
🔗 tinyurl.com/bdf2xfzd
🧵👇
#langsky #languagediscrimination #AboriginalEnglish
The voting for our #WordOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025 is going apace. You can vote, but you can also come to the live show if you're a patron — even a free one.
Just follow this link to find out when it is, and sign up. Thanks to all our patrons for your support.
www.patreon.com/posts/145354...
Just follow this link to find out when it is, and sign up. Thanks to all our patrons for your support.
www.patreon.com/posts/145354...
Words of the Week of the Year 2025 live show | Because Language
Get more from Because Language on Patreon
www.patreon.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The voting for our #WordOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025 is going apace. You can vote, but you can also come to the live show if you're a patron — even a free one.
Just follow this link to find out when it is, and sign up. Thanks to all our patrons for your support.
www.patreon.com/posts/145354...
Just follow this link to find out when it is, and sign up. Thanks to all our patrons for your support.
www.patreon.com/posts/145354...
file under: metaphors of time
December 7, 2025 at 1:05 PM
file under: metaphors of time
🚨 OFFICIAL MEGATHREAD 🚨
It's our annual Word of the Week of the Year competition.
Likes are votes, and you can upvote as many as you like.
Or leave your own words in the replies. They can win, too.
Listen for the winners in our live episode! Coming soon.
#WordOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025
It's our annual Word of the Week of the Year competition.
Likes are votes, and you can upvote as many as you like.
Or leave your own words in the replies. They can win, too.
Listen for the winners in our live episode! Coming soon.
#WordOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025
December 6, 2025 at 11:03 PM
🚨 OFFICIAL MEGATHREAD 🚨
It's our annual Word of the Week of the Year competition.
Likes are votes, and you can upvote as many as you like.
Or leave your own words in the replies. They can win, too.
Listen for the winners in our live episode! Coming soon.
#WordOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025
It's our annual Word of the Week of the Year competition.
Likes are votes, and you can upvote as many as you like.
Or leave your own words in the replies. They can win, too.
Listen for the winners in our live episode! Coming soon.
#WordOfTheWeekOfTheYear2025
Related or not? CAST and CASTER
You know, those wheels on a bed. Surely you didn't want that bed to stay where it is.
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
You know, those wheels on a bed. Surely you didn't want that bed to stay where it is.
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Related or not? CAST and CASTER
You know, those wheels on a bed. Surely you didn't want that bed to stay where it is.
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
You know, those wheels on a bed. Surely you didn't want that bed to stay where it is.
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
We have a shop and you can go shop there for all your shopping shops.
Shop.
becauselanguage.com/shop/
Shop.
becauselanguage.com/shop/
December 3, 2025 at 10:11 AM
We have a shop and you can go shop there for all your shopping shops.
Shop.
becauselanguage.com/shop/
Shop.
becauselanguage.com/shop/
Linguistic galaxy brain!
Asking Annemarie Verkerk and Hedvig Skirgård of @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social: what makes you go "Whoa"?
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
Asking Annemarie Verkerk and Hedvig Skirgård of @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social: what makes you go "Whoa"?
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Linguistic galaxy brain!
Asking Annemarie Verkerk and Hedvig Skirgård of @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social: what makes you go "Whoa"?
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
Asking Annemarie Verkerk and Hedvig Skirgård of @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social: what makes you go "Whoa"?
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
Yes, but what's the question?
h/t James
h/t James
December 2, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Yes, but what's the question?
h/t James
h/t James
It’s a really good word.
We’re probably going for just -bait
in all its forms
We’re probably going for just -bait
in all its forms
Oxford University Press has chosen “rage bait” as its 2025 Word of the Year. The open-compound word, which beat out “biohack” and “aura farming,” goes back at least to 2002. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/a...
December 1, 2025 at 9:01 AM
It’s a really good word.
We’re probably going for just -bait
in all its forms
We’re probably going for just -bait
in all its forms
Another thing Australian English got right was getting rid of full stops after abbreviated terms of address, like Mr, Mrs, and Dr.
Okay, British English as well.
www.stylemanual.gov.au/grammar-punc...
Okay, British English as well.
www.stylemanual.gov.au/grammar-punc...
www.stylemanual.gov.au
December 1, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Another thing Australian English got right was getting rid of full stops after abbreviated terms of address, like Mr, Mrs, and Dr.
Okay, British English as well.
www.stylemanual.gov.au/grammar-punc...
Okay, British English as well.
www.stylemanual.gov.au/grammar-punc...
bossware
#WordOfTheWeek
#WordOfTheWeek
‘Bossware’
Bossware booms as bots determine whether you're doing a good job
www.theregister.com/2025/11/23/b...
www.theregister.com/2025/11/23/b...
November 30, 2025 at 10:21 PM
bossware
#WordOfTheWeek
#WordOfTheWeek
Are you trying to make this meme passé?
Because that's how you make this meme passé.
Because that's how you make this meme passé.
Keir Starmer got a telling off yesterday for getting involved in a 6-7 rampage. news.sky.com/video/sir-ke...
Sir Keir Starmer apologises to head teacher for joining in on '6-7' dance
The Prime Minister led pupils in a version of the viral '6-7' dance meme whilst visiting Welland Academy in Peterborough. He was visiting the school to promote the expansion of the free school meals p...
news.sky.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Are you trying to make this meme passé?
Because that's how you make this meme passé.
Because that's how you make this meme passé.
Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)
Fun #linguistic fact for World Linguistics Day:
If North America had the same linguistic diversity as New Guinea we’d expect Indigenous Americans to speak ~28,000 languages.
If North America had the same linguistic diversity as New Guinea we’d expect Indigenous Americans to speak ~28,000 languages.
November 26, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Fun #linguistic fact for World Linguistics Day:
If North America had the same linguistic diversity as New Guinea we’d expect Indigenous Americans to speak ~28,000 languages.
If North America had the same linguistic diversity as New Guinea we’d expect Indigenous Americans to speak ~28,000 languages.
Happy World Linguistics Day!
We'll be posting stuff all day, and you can too
We'll be posting stuff all day, and you can too
Happy World Linguistics Day! Here's a short thread on the sociolinguistics of deglobalization.
November 26, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Happy World Linguistics Day!
We'll be posting stuff all day, and you can too
We'll be posting stuff all day, and you can too
sex cardigan
#WordOfTheWeek
#WordOfTheWeek
im putting sex cardigan on MY woty list, whatever @americandialect.org does
November 26, 2025 at 12:32 AM
sex cardigan
#WordOfTheWeek
#WordOfTheWeek
Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)
I know a lot of people like this sort of thing, so for those who like this sort of thing, here it is. corp.oup.com/word-of-the-...
Oxford Word of the Year 2025 - Oxford University Press
Voting is now open for Oxford Word of the Year 2025! Discover our shortlist and have your say by Thursday 27 November.
corp.oup.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:48 AM
I know a lot of people like this sort of thing, so for those who like this sort of thing, here it is. corp.oup.com/word-of-the-...
“thought partner” 🤮
#WordOfTheWeek
#WordOfTheWeek
Marketing guy described ChatGPT as his "thought partner" and I was doing my best not to tell him that framing the bullshit extruder as an intellectual peer isn't exactly a great look
November 22, 2025 at 12:52 AM
“thought partner” 🤮
#WordOfTheWeek
#WordOfTheWeek
Word of the Week: polycrisis.
Wait, is that what I think it is?
Check out this episode:
becauselanguage.com/129-they-sta...
Wait, is that what I think it is?
Check out this episode:
becauselanguage.com/129-they-sta...
November 21, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Word of the Week: polycrisis.
Wait, is that what I think it is?
Check out this episode:
becauselanguage.com/129-they-sta...
Wait, is that what I think it is?
Check out this episode:
becauselanguage.com/129-they-sta...
@geraldroche.bsky.social
I still watch this video every so often.
"History is full of depressing things that were defeated by people who did something."
Full episode: becauselanguage.com/109-language...
I still watch this video every so often.
"History is full of depressing things that were defeated by people who did something."
Full episode: becauselanguage.com/109-language...
November 21, 2025 at 3:52 AM
@geraldroche.bsky.social
I still watch this video every so often.
"History is full of depressing things that were defeated by people who did something."
Full episode: becauselanguage.com/109-language...
I still watch this video every so often.
"History is full of depressing things that were defeated by people who did something."
Full episode: becauselanguage.com/109-language...