The Layman's Linguist
@laymanslinguist.bsky.social
Fun facts, exhaustive etymologies, & informative infographics for both linguists & laypeople
Pinned
From a recent Reuters article. The words we choose matter.
Pro 🇵🇸: Pro 🇮🇱:
attackers supporters
shouting chanting
slurs slogans
Pro 🇵🇸: Pro 🇮🇱:
attackers supporters
shouting chanting
slurs slogans
I don't know if a loud and proud Anglo-German should be gleefully mocking ANYONE for having to live under an ultra-right-wing leader rewriting the law to suit his own plans while our most vulnerable populations simply suffer and die without proper medical attention.
Or is that too on-the-nose?
Or is that too on-the-nose?
I thought about writing something snarky like now you have tea towels and crepe pans how about also trying the rule of law and universal health care but that would be insensitive
October 27, 2025 at 5:17 AM
I don't know if a loud and proud Anglo-German should be gleefully mocking ANYONE for having to live under an ultra-right-wing leader rewriting the law to suit his own plans while our most vulnerable populations simply suffer and die without proper medical attention.
Or is that too on-the-nose?
Or is that too on-the-nose?
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
I would also argue that, because it's generic, you'll easily find "bark" in situations unrelated to dogs. Like I've heard people bark at others, but not really woof.
So woof is more dog specific I think
So woof is more dog specific I think
October 25, 2025 at 10:39 AM
I would also argue that, because it's generic, you'll easily find "bark" in situations unrelated to dogs. Like I've heard people bark at others, but not really woof.
So woof is more dog specific I think
So woof is more dog specific I think
Just one linguist's opinion:
<WOOF> is specifically a deep booming type of bark
<BARK> is the general term and thus includes woofs but also all other kinds of barks—not whines or yelps. It's also more likely to be the verb: eg, "the dog barks" > "the dog woofs"
See: their respective etymologies
<WOOF> is specifically a deep booming type of bark
<BARK> is the general term and thus includes woofs but also all other kinds of barks—not whines or yelps. It's also more likely to be the verb: eg, "the dog barks" > "the dog woofs"
See: their respective etymologies
October 25, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Just one linguist's opinion:
<WOOF> is specifically a deep booming type of bark
<BARK> is the general term and thus includes woofs but also all other kinds of barks—not whines or yelps. It's also more likely to be the verb: eg, "the dog barks" > "the dog woofs"
See: their respective etymologies
<WOOF> is specifically a deep booming type of bark
<BARK> is the general term and thus includes woofs but also all other kinds of barks—not whines or yelps. It's also more likely to be the verb: eg, "the dog barks" > "the dog woofs"
See: their respective etymologies
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
Going to try again because I think this maybe wasn't enough.
Let's go back to the start again.
Alt text was introduced to HTML in 1993 for situations where images didn't load or loaded slowly. In those situations the alt text is visible in the space where the image would have loaded.
Example:
Let's go back to the start again.
Alt text was introduced to HTML in 1993 for situations where images didn't load or loaded slowly. In those situations the alt text is visible in the space where the image would have loaded.
Example:
July 12, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Going to try again because I think this maybe wasn't enough.
Let's go back to the start again.
Alt text was introduced to HTML in 1993 for situations where images didn't load or loaded slowly. In those situations the alt text is visible in the space where the image would have loaded.
Example:
Let's go back to the start again.
Alt text was introduced to HTML in 1993 for situations where images didn't load or loaded slowly. In those situations the alt text is visible in the space where the image would have loaded.
Example:
Quick accessibility question:
This is the first video I've posted to BlueSky and I definitely made sure to add a description and captions under alt text but I don't see an "alt" button to view them like on photos. Am I missing something obvious or is there an accessibility feature I'm missing?
This is the first video I've posted to BlueSky and I definitely made sure to add a description and captions under alt text but I don't see an "alt" button to view them like on photos. Am I missing something obvious or is there an accessibility feature I'm missing?
TikTok creator and indigenous activist Che Jim has been sharing a lot of informative videos recently of isolated petroglyphs (some practically inaccessible) around the US Southwest and I really recommend checking them out!
Here's a fun one just for chuckles:
Here's a fun one just for chuckles:
October 24, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Quick accessibility question:
This is the first video I've posted to BlueSky and I definitely made sure to add a description and captions under alt text but I don't see an "alt" button to view them like on photos. Am I missing something obvious or is there an accessibility feature I'm missing?
This is the first video I've posted to BlueSky and I definitely made sure to add a description and captions under alt text but I don't see an "alt" button to view them like on photos. Am I missing something obvious or is there an accessibility feature I'm missing?
TikTok creator and indigenous activist Che Jim has been sharing a lot of informative videos recently of isolated petroglyphs (some practically inaccessible) around the US Southwest and I really recommend checking them out!
Here's a fun one just for chuckles:
Here's a fun one just for chuckles:
October 24, 2025 at 7:55 PM
TikTok creator and indigenous activist Che Jim has been sharing a lot of informative videos recently of isolated petroglyphs (some practically inaccessible) around the US Southwest and I really recommend checking them out!
Here's a fun one just for chuckles:
Here's a fun one just for chuckles:
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
How do students in England, France & Norway think about multilingualism?
Our NEW article explores their beliefs and multilingual identities!
Read it here, it's open access.
#Multilingualism #Education
doi.org/10.1080/0143...
Our NEW article explores their beliefs and multilingual identities!
Read it here, it's open access.
#Multilingualism #Education
doi.org/10.1080/0143...
doi.org
October 22, 2025 at 7:28 AM
How do students in England, France & Norway think about multilingualism?
Our NEW article explores their beliefs and multilingual identities!
Read it here, it's open access.
#Multilingualism #Education
doi.org/10.1080/0143...
Our NEW article explores their beliefs and multilingual identities!
Read it here, it's open access.
#Multilingualism #Education
doi.org/10.1080/0143...
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
Linguists! Tomorrow’s write time Friday is hosted by LSA grad student EC member John Starr! Come get some work done! 🐦🐦
@lingsocam.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...
@lingsocam.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...
Write Time Friday with John R. Starr
About Write Time Friday
This is a chance to log into a Zoom room, (optionally) set an explicit writing goal for the session, and then spend a focused two hours writing in the supportive virtual prese...
www.lsadc.org
October 23, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Linguists! Tomorrow’s write time Friday is hosted by LSA grad student EC member John Starr! Come get some work done! 🐦🐦
@lingsocam.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...
@lingsocam.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
Maybe it’s my polysyllabic ethnic last name that the Anglos don’t even try to get right talking but “Zohran Mamdani” is just not that high up there when it comes to difficult names
October 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Maybe it’s my polysyllabic ethnic last name that the Anglos don’t even try to get right talking but “Zohran Mamdani” is just not that high up there when it comes to difficult names
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
I don't suppose anyone who claims it's hard to say /md/ in the name 'Mamdani' would say that the same sequence in, for example, 'someday' or 'Camden' is difficult, but I take the point.
(You don't use your tongue to make an /m/ sound, for what it's worth, but again I take the point).
(You don't use your tongue to make an /m/ sound, for what it's worth, but again I take the point).
October 22, 2025 at 9:15 PM
I don't suppose anyone who claims it's hard to say /md/ in the name 'Mamdani' would say that the same sequence in, for example, 'someday' or 'Camden' is difficult, but I take the point.
(You don't use your tongue to make an /m/ sound, for what it's worth, but again I take the point).
(You don't use your tongue to make an /m/ sound, for what it's worth, but again I take the point).
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
okay chat how do we make a scots translation of pghrt.diy happen because the comedic potential here is significant on top of the important linguistic potential
October 24, 2025 at 12:25 AM
okay chat how do we make a scots translation of pghrt.diy happen because the comedic potential here is significant on top of the important linguistic potential
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
In a sec. I'm busy guwht dade-ing
October 24, 2025 at 3:15 PM
In a sec. I'm busy guwht dade-ing
A critical takeaway from this:
"Existing large language models have instead shown a 'sycophantic' tendency to produce outputs that favorably reflect a human request. […] They are 'not going to produce the level of conflict and diverse perspectives that are required for really pathbreaking work.'"
"Existing large language models have instead shown a 'sycophantic' tendency to produce outputs that favorably reflect a human request. […] They are 'not going to produce the level of conflict and diverse perspectives that are required for really pathbreaking work.'"
A human reviewer's take on an AI-written paper: 'Technically correct but neither interesting nor important.' Yesterday's first-of-its-kind #Agents4Science conference, where all papers were written and reviewed by #AI, considered their promise, limitations @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...
At futuristic meeting, AIs took the lead in producing and reviewing all the studies
Organizers aim to tune AI to help accelerate science
www.science.org
October 24, 2025 at 5:56 PM
A critical takeaway from this:
"Existing large language models have instead shown a 'sycophantic' tendency to produce outputs that favorably reflect a human request. […] They are 'not going to produce the level of conflict and diverse perspectives that are required for really pathbreaking work.'"
"Existing large language models have instead shown a 'sycophantic' tendency to produce outputs that favorably reflect a human request. […] They are 'not going to produce the level of conflict and diverse perspectives that are required for really pathbreaking work.'"
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
I can think of a reason.
October 22, 2025 at 4:23 PM
I can think of a reason.
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
i genuinely recommend playing games in languages you want to learn - it's a really good way to get your mind around the linguistic logic of another language with lots of reading and some decisions!
October 21, 2025 at 7:33 PM
i genuinely recommend playing games in languages you want to learn - it's a really good way to get your mind around the linguistic logic of another language with lots of reading and some decisions!
*incorrect buzzer sound*
![[prompt and answer from hinge profile]
My most controversial opinion is: it's weird to get annoyed by new slang or how people use "literally" because all words are made-up anyway
[response message]
I don't think that's controversial at all. The new slang is crazy. What's one slang word you hate? Mine is skidiby toilet seat or whatever it is lol](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:gmdwys3hqs243vr2chuttyoy/bafkreido2jsbmcupilsgeu3s2eymvfihfb6zp7kmqblq4va7vfwm3k4cfq@jpeg)
September 9, 2025 at 2:39 AM
*incorrect buzzer sound*
I don't know if time has simply slowed to a crawl for me personally but there's no way <skibidi> is still being used by anyone besides Gen Xers trying to make fun of their own kids
August 19, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I don't know if time has simply slowed to a crawl for me personally but there's no way <skibidi> is still being used by anyone besides Gen Xers trying to make fun of their own kids
I'm reading a book on animal thought & emotion and it delves a lot into both inter- and intra-species communication. The current chapter is on the dreaded theory of mind and I would like to hear y'all's opinions on which, if any, of these would constitute evidence of ToM:
August 9, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I'm reading a book on animal thought & emotion and it delves a lot into both inter- and intra-species communication. The current chapter is on the dreaded theory of mind and I would like to hear y'all's opinions on which, if any, of these would constitute evidence of ToM:
Love Island has once again proved a treasure trove of dialectal variants I'd never before encountered
August 2, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Love Island has once again proved a treasure trove of dialectal variants I'd never before encountered
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
No AI could ever say something this stupid
Amazing things are happening on X: The Everything App
July 23, 2025 at 8:25 PM
No AI could ever say something this stupid
The band Radiohead is technically named after this character actor
July 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The band Radiohead is technically named after this character actor
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
Good assignment for Senior Linguistics majors: write a 5 page term paper explaining why this argument wrong!
Amazing things are happening on X: The Everything App
July 23, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Good assignment for Senior Linguistics majors: write a 5 page term paper explaining why this argument wrong!
Amazing things are happening on X: The Everything App
July 23, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Amazing things are happening on X: The Everything App
Met another self-described "cunning linguist" on bumble but this one might be salvageable
July 9, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Met another self-described "cunning linguist" on bumble but this one might be salvageable
Reposted by The Layman's Linguist
As always, my favorite oft-abridged quote on patriotism:
"My country, right or wrong. If right, to be kept right—if wrong, to be set right."
-an immigrant to the US who volunteered to fight for the Union in our Civil War
"My country, right or wrong. If right, to be kept right—if wrong, to be set right."
-an immigrant to the US who volunteered to fight for the Union in our Civil War
July 4, 2025 at 11:36 PM
As always, my favorite oft-abridged quote on patriotism:
"My country, right or wrong. If right, to be kept right—if wrong, to be set right."
-an immigrant to the US who volunteered to fight for the Union in our Civil War
"My country, right or wrong. If right, to be kept right—if wrong, to be set right."
-an immigrant to the US who volunteered to fight for the Union in our Civil War