Laura Spinney
@laurainparis.bsky.social
My discovery of the weekend, thanks to film-maker Hana Vojáčková, the extraordinary Spartakiads - vast, synchronised sports events popular in eastern Europe in the Communist years.
Her short film on the subject: vimeo.com/614731350
Her short film on the subject: vimeo.com/614731350
September 15, 2025 at 8:16 AM
My discovery of the weekend, thanks to film-maker Hana Vojáčková, the extraordinary Spartakiads - vast, synchronised sports events popular in eastern Europe in the Communist years.
Her short film on the subject: vimeo.com/614731350
Her short film on the subject: vimeo.com/614731350
Hallo liebe Leser von DER URKNALL UNSERER SPRACHE! Die deutschsprachige Ausgabe von PROTO ist für das Wissensbuch des Jahres in der Kategorie "Überblick" nominiert. Noch bis zum 14. August könnt ihr hier abstimmen: www.konradin-service.de/umfrage/inde...
August 11, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Hallo liebe Leser von DER URKNALL UNSERER SPRACHE! Die deutschsprachige Ausgabe von PROTO ist für das Wissensbuch des Jahres in der Kategorie "Überblick" nominiert. Noch bis zum 14. August könnt ihr hier abstimmen: www.konradin-service.de/umfrage/inde...
Love this. How to say 92 in different European languages. Note the outliers France and especially Denmark. With thanks to brilliantmaps.com and reddit. #linguistics
July 24, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Love this. How to say 92 in different European languages. Note the outliers France and especially Denmark. With thanks to brilliantmaps.com and reddit. #linguistics
The 5 main tributaries of the great Indus River, which are at the origin of the name Punjab / Panjab - from Persian panj (five) and āb (water) - because named by the Mughals - and going further back to Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe and *h₂ep- #linguistics #protoindoeuropean
June 15, 2025 at 6:32 PM
The 5 main tributaries of the great Indus River, which are at the origin of the name Punjab / Panjab - from Persian panj (five) and āb (water) - because named by the Mughals - and going further back to Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe and *h₂ep- #linguistics #protoindoeuropean
When Danish fishermen (two pictured) stepped ashore in Northumbrian ports in the 19th Century, I'm told, they and the locals could understand each other. Can any local historians confirm? #danelaw #linguistics #protoindoeuropean
May 29, 2025 at 3:36 PM
When Danish fishermen (two pictured) stepped ashore in Northumbrian ports in the 19th Century, I'm told, they and the locals could understand each other. Can any local historians confirm? #danelaw #linguistics #protoindoeuropean
Galatasary means "palace of the Celts". The Galatians Paul wrote to were Celts too. Yes, there were once Celts in Turkey. Read PROTO for more... #linguistics #archaeology #genetics #protoindoeuropean
May 14, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Galatasary means "palace of the Celts". The Galatians Paul wrote to were Celts too. Yes, there were once Celts in Turkey. Read PROTO for more... #linguistics #archaeology #genetics #protoindoeuropean
Did he speak #protoindoeuropean? Yamnaya man who lived about 2,700BCE in what is now the Russian steppe, courtesy of archaeologist Natalia Shishlina. I watched her team excavate him in the summer of 2023. Read more in PROTO... #adna #linguistics #archaeology
May 2, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Did he speak #protoindoeuropean? Yamnaya man who lived about 2,700BCE in what is now the Russian steppe, courtesy of archaeologist Natalia Shishlina. I watched her team excavate him in the summer of 2023. Read more in PROTO... #adna #linguistics #archaeology
PUBLICATION DAY - finally!
Why does nearly half of humanity speak languages descended from a single common ancestor?
That question fascinated me enough to write a book about it, hopefully it will fascinate you enough to read it.
Why does nearly half of humanity speak languages descended from a single common ancestor?
That question fascinated me enough to write a book about it, hopefully it will fascinate you enough to read it.
April 24, 2025 at 5:35 AM
PUBLICATION DAY - finally!
Why does nearly half of humanity speak languages descended from a single common ancestor?
That question fascinated me enough to write a book about it, hopefully it will fascinate you enough to read it.
Why does nearly half of humanity speak languages descended from a single common ancestor?
That question fascinated me enough to write a book about it, hopefully it will fascinate you enough to read it.
The #virginqueen subtly changed the #englishlanguage to mark herself out as a female monarch in a masculine power space. She helped do away with the double negative and replace ‘ye’ with ‘you’. Courtesy of Mel Evans @universityofleeds.bsky.social shorturl.at/tNVOc #linguistics #tudorhistory #proto
April 17, 2025 at 8:28 AM
The #virginqueen subtly changed the #englishlanguage to mark herself out as a female monarch in a masculine power space. She helped do away with the double negative and replace ‘ye’ with ‘you’. Courtesy of Mel Evans @universityofleeds.bsky.social shorturl.at/tNVOc #linguistics #tudorhistory #proto
A dragon stone or vishap in Yerevan. Such stones litter the Armenian highlands. Some think they represent animal sacrifices, pagan rituals that came from the steppe with the Armenian language. @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social #linguistics #archaeology shorturl.at/lYdKY
April 11, 2025 at 7:27 AM
A dragon stone or vishap in Yerevan. Such stones litter the Armenian highlands. Some think they represent animal sacrifices, pagan rituals that came from the steppe with the Armenian language. @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social #linguistics #archaeology shorturl.at/lYdKY
Being multilingual didn't do Arsenal FC manager Mikel Arteta any harm. It could give your economy wings too.
#proto
shorturl.at/KvKoC
#proto
shorturl.at/KvKoC
March 27, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Being multilingual didn't do Arsenal FC manager Mikel Arteta any harm. It could give your economy wings too.
#proto
shorturl.at/KvKoC
#proto
shorturl.at/KvKoC
Interviewing a #Kalmyk shepherd July 2023, to understand how their #BronzeAge #Indo-European -speaking predecessors might have used the landscape. With archaeologist Natalia Shishlina in the #steppe #archaeology #linguistics #genetics @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
March 21, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Interviewing a #Kalmyk shepherd July 2023, to understand how their #BronzeAge #Indo-European -speaking predecessors might have used the landscape. With archaeologist Natalia Shishlina in the #steppe #archaeology #linguistics #genetics @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
When the first steppe nomads came to Europe 5,000 years ago, they brought their languages, and sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. Sheep milk and cheese powered the spread of the #indoeuropeanlanguages . #yamnaya #language #ancientdna
March 7, 2025 at 3:58 PM
When the first steppe nomads came to Europe 5,000 years ago, they brought their languages, and sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. Sheep milk and cheese powered the spread of the #indoeuropeanlanguages . #yamnaya #language #ancientdna
#sarmatian necklace, more than 3,000 years old. Isn't it beautiful?
February 27, 2025 at 9:57 AM
#sarmatian necklace, more than 3,000 years old. Isn't it beautiful?
25% off if you preorder PROTO, the story of the #IndoEuropean languages - by midnight on Monday. Then it turns into a pumpkin. #language #archaeology #aDNA
@waterstones.bsky.social @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
@waterstones.bsky.social @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
February 22, 2025 at 7:50 AM
25% off if you preorder PROTO, the story of the #IndoEuropean languages - by midnight on Monday. Then it turns into a pumpkin. #language #archaeology #aDNA
@waterstones.bsky.social @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
@waterstones.bsky.social @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
How to reconstruct a 5,000-year-old insult: compare its modern descendants #linguistics
geni.us/proto
@wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
@bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social
geni.us/proto
@wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
@bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social
February 14, 2025 at 12:05 PM
How to reconstruct a 5,000-year-old insult: compare its modern descendants #linguistics
geni.us/proto
@wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
@bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social
geni.us/proto
@wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social
@bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social
A clay tablet was unearthed at the ancient Hittite capital, Hattusha in Türkiye, in the summer of 2023, that bears an as-yet unknown Indo-European language. Linguists are busy deciphering it. Read more in PROTO: HOW ONE ANCIENT LANGUAGE WENT GLOBAL
February 6, 2025 at 1:31 PM
A clay tablet was unearthed at the ancient Hittite capital, Hattusha in Türkiye, in the summer of 2023, that bears an as-yet unknown Indo-European language. Linguists are busy deciphering it. Read more in PROTO: HOW ONE ANCIENT LANGUAGE WENT GLOBAL
The southern Russian steppe in late June2023. Exceptionally green, for the season, but it was in an environment like this that the 5,000-year-old #Proto-Indo-European language was probably spoken.
February 1, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The southern Russian steppe in late June2023. Exceptionally green, for the season, but it was in an environment like this that the 5,000-year-old #Proto-Indo-European language was probably spoken.