Masha Esipova
@esipova.bsky.social
linguist @ bar-ilan university | 🇷🇺→🇺🇸→🇳🇴→🇩🇪→🇮🇱 | any pronouns | linguistics, semantics, movies, lifting, bouldering, gender, cats | 🩷💜💙 | ☮️✌️
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Masha Esipova
@esipova.bsky.social
· Oct 3
Agree to disagree: additive particles in responses - lingbuzz/009365
Most literature on 'too' has focused on its "regular" uses, where, as a first approximation, 'too' triggers a presupposition that one of the focus alternatives to its prejacent, distinct from the prej...
ling.auf.net
A draft of my SALT35 proceedings paper now on lingbuzz: ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/009...
I discuss confirmatory uses of additive particles (A: It's hot. B: It is too.), complementing the discussion of their refutational uses (A: It isn't hot. B: It is too!) & propose a unified semantics #linguistics
I discuss confirmatory uses of additive particles (A: It's hot. B: It is too.), complementing the discussion of their refutational uses (A: It isn't hot. B: It is too!) & propose a unified semantics #linguistics
did nyu linguists make an arrangement with moma for nels56 or something? btw, my talk on friday is entitled 'the loud silence of echo' and is about echo questions, so 🤔 #linguistics
October 16, 2025 at 3:23 PM
did nyu linguists make an arrangement with moma for nels56 or something? btw, my talk on friday is entitled 'the loud silence of echo' and is about echo questions, so 🤔 #linguistics
A draft of my SALT35 proceedings paper now on lingbuzz: ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/009...
I discuss confirmatory uses of additive particles (A: It's hot. B: It is too.), complementing the discussion of their refutational uses (A: It isn't hot. B: It is too!) & propose a unified semantics #linguistics
I discuss confirmatory uses of additive particles (A: It's hot. B: It is too.), complementing the discussion of their refutational uses (A: It isn't hot. B: It is too!) & propose a unified semantics #linguistics
Agree to disagree: additive particles in responses - lingbuzz/009365
Most literature on 'too' has focused on its "regular" uses, where, as a first approximation, 'too' triggers a presupposition that one of the focus alternatives to its prejacent, distinct from the prej...
ling.auf.net
October 3, 2025 at 11:25 AM
A draft of my SALT35 proceedings paper now on lingbuzz: ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/009...
I discuss confirmatory uses of additive particles (A: It's hot. B: It is too.), complementing the discussion of their refutational uses (A: It isn't hot. B: It is too!) & propose a unified semantics #linguistics
I discuss confirmatory uses of additive particles (A: It's hot. B: It is too.), complementing the discussion of their refutational uses (A: It isn't hot. B: It is too!) & propose a unified semantics #linguistics
excellent stuff, thoroughly enjoyed all the 4 hours of it. a take-down of the book 'the war on science', which is a compilation of, well, let's say essays, written by 39 "cancelled" academics (featuring, among others, our favorite freedom of speech warrior steven pinker)
September 25, 2025 at 4:55 PM
excellent stuff, thoroughly enjoyed all the 4 hours of it. a take-down of the book 'the war on science', which is a compilation of, well, let's say essays, written by 39 "cancelled" academics (featuring, among others, our favorite freedom of speech warrior steven pinker)
New paper: www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
tl;dr: Exclamatives like 'How smart Anya is!' do not in fact behave in the discourse in the same way as declarative assertions like 'I am amazed at how smart Anya is' and therefore should not be analyzed as having the same semantics. #linguistics
tl;dr: Exclamatives like 'How smart Anya is!' do not in fact behave in the discourse in the same way as declarative assertions like 'I am amazed at how smart Anya is' and therefore should not be analyzed as having the same semantics. #linguistics
In defense of exclamatory force
This commentary paper is a response to the target article by Andreas Trotzke and Anastasia Giannakidou, who argue that neither exclamatives like How smart Anya is! , nor declarative exclamations like ...
www.degruyterbrill.com
July 9, 2025 at 10:30 AM
New paper: www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
tl;dr: Exclamatives like 'How smart Anya is!' do not in fact behave in the discourse in the same way as declarative assertions like 'I am amazed at how smart Anya is' and therefore should not be analyzed as having the same semantics. #linguistics
tl;dr: Exclamatives like 'How smart Anya is!' do not in fact behave in the discourse in the same way as declarative assertions like 'I am amazed at how smart Anya is' and therefore should not be analyzed as having the same semantics. #linguistics
Native English speakers! Please help me (and linguistics at large) by doing the (very short) survey at the link below. You'll need to evaluate six exchanges after reading the instructions, which describe the general set-up in which these exchanges occur. 1/3
May 1, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Native English speakers! Please help me (and linguistics at large) by doing the (very short) survey at the link below. You'll need to evaluate six exchanges after reading the instructions, which describe the general set-up in which these exchanges occur. 1/3
I NEEF HELP URGENTLY. Do I have anyone in LA who I can crash with tonight? It's a very long story, but I need help.
April 28, 2025 at 11:46 PM
I NEEF HELP URGENTLY. Do I have anyone in LA who I can crash with tonight? It's a very long story, but I need help.
1. dogs always take the widest possible scope
2. OBEY SCOOP 👮
2. OBEY SCOOP 👮
April 28, 2025 at 3:43 PM
1. dogs always take the widest possible scope
2. OBEY SCOOP 👮
2. OBEY SCOOP 👮
that feeling when you forget to switch languages in google translate and accidentally cause our ai overlords to speak in tongues 👹👹👹
April 8, 2025 at 11:19 AM
that feeling when you forget to switch languages in google translate and accidentally cause our ai overlords to speak in tongues 👹👹👹
the v-nyi 10 applications are open: forms.gle/3zLnxy6toxBg...
for more details about the school: nyispb.org
this time around, i'm teaching 'intonation and meaning', here's a little teaser: youtu.be/KoX_k854OSM
for more details about the school: nyispb.org
this time around, i'm teaching 'intonation and meaning', here's a little teaser: youtu.be/KoX_k854OSM
V-NYI #10 (July 10-25, 2025), teaser - Masha Esipova (Bar-Ilan University)
YouTube video by Masha Esipova
youtu.be
April 4, 2025 at 7:08 AM
the v-nyi 10 applications are open: forms.gle/3zLnxy6toxBg...
for more details about the school: nyispb.org
this time around, i'm teaching 'intonation and meaning', here's a little teaser: youtu.be/KoX_k854OSM
for more details about the school: nyispb.org
this time around, i'm teaching 'intonation and meaning', here's a little teaser: youtu.be/KoX_k854OSM
meet motya* the mantis!
so two days ago i noticed this guy hanging out on the bamboo shades (perfect camouflage) in my living room. and today i decided to feed him. so i gave him a dead fly and he took it and ate it!
*i named him motya because mantis -> matthew/matvey -> motya, i'm bad at this
so two days ago i noticed this guy hanging out on the bamboo shades (perfect camouflage) in my living room. and today i decided to feed him. so i gave him a dead fly and he took it and ate it!
*i named him motya because mantis -> matthew/matvey -> motya, i'm bad at this
March 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
meet motya* the mantis!
so two days ago i noticed this guy hanging out on the bamboo shades (perfect camouflage) in my living room. and today i decided to feed him. so i gave him a dead fly and he took it and ate it!
*i named him motya because mantis -> matthew/matvey -> motya, i'm bad at this
so two days ago i noticed this guy hanging out on the bamboo shades (perfect camouflage) in my living room. and today i decided to feed him. so i gave him a dead fly and he took it and ate it!
*i named him motya because mantis -> matthew/matvey -> motya, i'm bad at this
i assume our academic boycott aficionado colleagues are already petitioning to cancel all conferences in the us? (btw, i was scheduled to present at wccfl and salt and have already made travel arrangements, but... i guess not?) www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/u...
Draft List for New Travel Ban Proposes Trump Target 43 Countries
A draft circulating inside the administration lists three tiers of countries whose citizens may face restrictions on entering the United States.
www.nytimes.com
March 15, 2025 at 4:21 PM
i assume our academic boycott aficionado colleagues are already petitioning to cancel all conferences in the us? (btw, i was scheduled to present at wccfl and salt and have already made travel arrangements, but... i guess not?) www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/u...
the three genders
(🎶 - man to woman or woman to man? - man to woman. - from penis to vaginaaa 🎶)
(🎶 - man to woman or woman to man? - man to woman. - from penis to vaginaaa 🎶)
March 8, 2025 at 7:15 PM
the three genders
(🎶 - man to woman or woman to man? - man to woman. - from penis to vaginaaa 🎶)
(🎶 - man to woman or woman to man? - man to woman. - from penis to vaginaaa 🎶)
grading the introling take-home final. in response to some of the extra credit questions, one of the students wrote:
- "I considered syntax to be just about rules, while in reality, it is not that boring."
- "Presuppositions. They’re so spy-like, with hidden meanings in sentences."
- "I considered syntax to be just about rules, while in reality, it is not that boring."
- "Presuppositions. They’re so spy-like, with hidden meanings in sentences."
February 23, 2025 at 12:15 PM
grading the introling take-home final. in response to some of the extra credit questions, one of the students wrote:
- "I considered syntax to be just about rules, while in reality, it is not that boring."
- "Presuppositions. They’re so spy-like, with hidden meanings in sentences."
- "I considered syntax to be just about rules, while in reality, it is not that boring."
- "Presuppositions. They’re so spy-like, with hidden meanings in sentences."
a gift for y'all attitude predicate aficionados: 'don't believe everything you think' 🤔
February 17, 2025 at 3:56 PM
a gift for y'all attitude predicate aficionados: 'don't believe everything you think' 🤔
last thursday, i taught the last lecture of my intro to linguistics class. one student told me they'd changed their major to include linguistics thanks to this class, and another student sent me a collection of memes inspired by my lectures. so i'm gonna call it a success
February 2, 2025 at 3:37 PM
last thursday, i taught the last lecture of my intro to linguistics class. one student told me they'd changed their major to include linguistics thanks to this class, and another student sent me a collection of memes inspired by my lectures. so i'm gonna call it a success
pictorial contradiction
fwiw, the hebrew text says, courtesy of google translate:
left pic: waiting area for animals
right pic: bringing in animals is forbidden
but like... at least add arrows or something?
fwiw, the hebrew text says, courtesy of google translate:
left pic: waiting area for animals
right pic: bringing in animals is forbidden
but like... at least add arrows or something?
January 25, 2025 at 2:33 PM
pictorial contradiction
fwiw, the hebrew text says, courtesy of google translate:
left pic: waiting area for animals
right pic: bringing in animals is forbidden
but like... at least add arrows or something?
fwiw, the hebrew text says, courtesy of google translate:
left pic: waiting area for animals
right pic: bringing in animals is forbidden
but like... at least add arrows or something?
the take-home midterm in my introling class had an extra credit task asking to create a morphology exercise in a non-existent language. one of the students conceived middle english mice language, and the first item in the paradigm was 'pipipieeepiepiei' ('the plague eats the town') 🐁💀
January 7, 2025 at 10:05 PM
the take-home midterm in my introling class had an extra credit task asking to create a morphology exercise in a non-existent language. one of the students conceived middle english mice language, and the first item in the paradigm was 'pipipieeepiepiei' ('the plague eats the town') 🐁💀
last week in my 'linguistics beyond language' class we were discussing text modifications & a student told me about the multigender hebrew font: multigenderhebrew.com yesterday i was at a fair & the font's creator was selling merch there, so i got this tee saying ≈'all people are equal' in this font
December 21, 2024 at 3:42 PM
last week in my 'linguistics beyond language' class we were discussing text modifications & a student told me about the multigender hebrew font: multigenderhebrew.com yesterday i was at a fair & the font's creator was selling merch there, so i got this tee saying ≈'all people are equal' in this font
i'm a tree parent now! they are an olive tree, and their name is liv 🌳🫒🕊 coincidentally, i picked them up from the nursery today, and also today we started drawing trees in the syntax module of my introling class 1/2
December 3, 2024 at 6:46 PM
i'm a tree parent now! they are an olive tree, and their name is liv 🌳🫒🕊 coincidentally, i picked them up from the nursery today, and also today we started drawing trees in the syntax module of my introling class 1/2
another update from my intro to #linguistics students. they were doing a morphology exercise on meadow mari today, and one of the groups submitted their responses with what i first thought was the word 'anguish' written at the top. but at second glance, i think this was meant to be 'linguistics'
November 14, 2024 at 6:04 PM
another update from my intro to #linguistics students. they were doing a morphology exercise on meadow mari today, and one of the groups submitted their responses with what i first thought was the word 'anguish' written at the top. but at second glance, i think this was meant to be 'linguistics'
new wugs just dropped! i'm teaching intro to #linguistics & just had the students create wug tests in their languages in groups. they didn't have to create drawings, but some still did. here's a plinnaya zavipka & a palpaka (a regular one & a pink one; the latter has had a drastic effect on oleg)
![A piece of paper with another handwritten "wug" test in Russian:
Oleg kupil palpaku (Russian)
Oleg bought palpaka
'Oleg bought a palpaka.'
Ona rozovogo tsveta.
she pink color
'She is pink.'
I teper Oleg gulyaet s rozovoy _____ [the anticipated form 'palpakoi' is added by a different group of students].
And now Oleg walking with pink palpaka.instr
'And now Oleg is walking with a pink palpaka.'](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:t7auxwxpzu3i4pvlxypmyfno/bafkreidwim2qrjfprjhwutk6vhadca5nvtdn34vhmer7rktpegaofiecva@jpeg)
November 9, 2024 at 7:44 PM
new wugs just dropped! i'm teaching intro to #linguistics & just had the students create wug tests in their languages in groups. they didn't have to create drawings, but some still did. here's a plinnaya zavipka & a palpaka (a regular one & a pink one; the latter has had a drastic effect on oleg)
you've heard of presuppositions of prohibitory signs (if not, i'm taking this personally: doi.org/10.5334/gjgl...), but have you heard of their implicatures? this was the only painting i saw yesterday at the tlv museum of art that had a 'do not touch' sign next to it
October 11, 2024 at 5:37 PM
you've heard of presuppositions of prohibitory signs (if not, i'm taking this personally: doi.org/10.5334/gjgl...), but have you heard of their implicatures? this was the only painting i saw yesterday at the tlv museum of art that had a 'do not touch' sign next to it