Stephen Chrisomalis
@schrisomalis.bsky.social
Linguistic anthropologist, Wayne State University. Numbers, cognition, writing and literacy, mathematics. Left, 🇨🇦, he/him. https://glossographia.com/ https://phrontistery.info
Look, MS Word; I'm happy enough to concede that 'timelier' is a word that doesn't sound too terrible, but can we agree that 'more timely' is perfectly ok and also more common?
October 11, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Look, MS Word; I'm happy enough to concede that 'timelier' is a word that doesn't sound too terrible, but can we agree that 'more timely' is perfectly ok and also more common?
Thought I was familiar with the genre of pop-ling books about profanity; ran into Bozzimacoo by Mary Marshall (1975) at the local church book sale for $2 in great condition. Never heard of it but seems to be a fun if dated collection of essays and a glossary. To the shelf! @stronglang.bsky.social
October 4, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Thought I was familiar with the genre of pop-ling books about profanity; ran into Bozzimacoo by Mary Marshall (1975) at the local church book sale for $2 in great condition. Never heard of it but seems to be a fun if dated collection of essays and a glossary. To the shelf! @stronglang.bsky.social
Looks like there are a few folks in Texas with the appropriate level of appreciation for their northern neighbo(u)rs. 🇨🇦
(Seen recently locally in Detroit-Windsor)
(Seen recently locally in Detroit-Windsor)
October 1, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Looks like there are a few folks in Texas with the appropriate level of appreciation for their northern neighbo(u)rs. 🇨🇦
(Seen recently locally in Detroit-Windsor)
(Seen recently locally in Detroit-Windsor)
Anthro (or adjacent) friends: I'm developing a roundtable for the @anthrosciences.bsky.social annual meeting (at SfAA, Albuquerque, 03/17-03/21), "Unhexing the Hexagon: Cognitive Anthropologists in Dialogue" where each presenter talks about a new-ish #cogsci paper (not their own) of anthro interest.
September 23, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Anthro (or adjacent) friends: I'm developing a roundtable for the @anthrosciences.bsky.social annual meeting (at SfAA, Albuquerque, 03/17-03/21), "Unhexing the Hexagon: Cognitive Anthropologists in Dialogue" where each presenter talks about a new-ish #cogsci paper (not their own) of anthro interest.
In my social theory grad proseminar this term, I'm having each student choose a text from the 'quiet canon' to write a paper on. These are important pre-1970 texts that allow anthro folks from different subfields to explore their interests. Here's what I've got; additional suggestions welcome!
September 16, 2025 at 6:31 PM
In my social theory grad proseminar this term, I'm having each student choose a text from the 'quiet canon' to write a paper on. These are important pre-1970 texts that allow anthro folks from different subfields to explore their interests. Here's what I've got; additional suggestions welcome!
This is just to prove that every few years (but in this case, not since 2018) I can get my campus office fully clean and tidy.
August 21, 2025 at 6:59 PM
This is just to prove that every few years (but in this case, not since 2018) I can get my campus office fully clean and tidy.
Started with an inbox of 35000+ emails (answered, read, just not sorted), 2014-. Have been sorting as they come in for over a year now, and slowly working through the backlog. As of just now: 0. Next step: sort the sent emails too?
August 1, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Started with an inbox of 35000+ emails (answered, read, just not sorted), 2014-. Have been sorting as they come in for over a year now, and slowly working through the backlog. As of just now: 0. Next step: sort the sent emails too?
For anyone interested in the kind of stuff I'll be poking around at this year in my new project on the interface of technology and English numerals, here's a great example from 1904. The metapragmatics of numeral reading is much more complicated than one might imagine.
July 30, 2025 at 8:21 PM
For anyone interested in the kind of stuff I'll be poking around at this year in my new project on the interface of technology and English numerals, here's a great example from 1904. The metapragmatics of numeral reading is much more complicated than one might imagine.
Did I spend [redacted] on this memento of my European trip? Sure did!
This is a medal depicting Holy Roman Empress Elisabeth Christine, commemorating the foundation of the Brussels Poorhouse.
It is undated except through the chronogram: brUXeLLarUM tranqUILLItatIs stUDIosa, for 1734.
This is a medal depicting Holy Roman Empress Elisabeth Christine, commemorating the foundation of the Brussels Poorhouse.
It is undated except through the chronogram: brUXeLLarUM tranqUILLItatIs stUDIosa, for 1734.
June 23, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Did I spend [redacted] on this memento of my European trip? Sure did!
This is a medal depicting Holy Roman Empress Elisabeth Christine, commemorating the foundation of the Brussels Poorhouse.
It is undated except through the chronogram: brUXeLLarUM tranqUILLItatIs stUDIosa, for 1734.
This is a medal depicting Holy Roman Empress Elisabeth Christine, commemorating the foundation of the Brussels Poorhouse.
It is undated except through the chronogram: brUXeLLarUM tranqUILLItatIs stUDIosa, for 1734.
Wonderful! That's one of two chronograms on the building 'Le Roy d'Espagne'; the second is much smaller, on the archway over the door (at the bottom of your photo). We ate at the restaurant there. Brussels is chock full of the things (chronograms ... well, and restaurants).
June 23, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Wonderful! That's one of two chronograms on the building 'Le Roy d'Espagne'; the second is much smaller, on the archway over the door (at the bottom of your photo). We ate at the restaurant there. Brussels is chock full of the things (chronograms ... well, and restaurants).
Well I have no idea how that happened. Just hit halfway to half a myriad of you. Welcome if you're new. Just wipe your feet on the mat before you come in.
June 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Well I have no idea how that happened. Just hit halfway to half a myriad of you. Welcome if you're new. Just wipe your feet on the mat before you come in.
Live in Europe? Want to spend a few minutes in your town/city looking up at building and church inscriptions? One word, my friends: chronograms.
June 16, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Live in Europe? Want to spend a few minutes in your town/city looking up at building and church inscriptions? One word, my friends: chronograms.
Forgot to post this at the time. For a second, I wondered whether this map of the Cologne transit system was indicating 'here there be spiders' at Bergisch Gladbach. But no, just a little guy hanging out.
June 13, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Forgot to post this at the time. For a second, I wondered whether this map of the Cologne transit system was indicating 'here there be spiders' at Bergisch Gladbach. But no, just a little guy hanging out.
Getting closer to my Sooper Seekrit vacation project. Meanwhile, check out this date from Aachen cathedral: 1635= (|).|).XXXIIIIIX.The (|) for M and |) for D are archaic but not really weird. But this is the only example I know of IIIIIX for 5 instead of the usual V. I have theories. Your thoughts?
June 11, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Getting closer to my Sooper Seekrit vacation project. Meanwhile, check out this date from Aachen cathedral: 1635= (|).|).XXXIIIIIX.The (|) for M and |) for D are archaic but not really weird. But this is the only example I know of IIIIIX for 5 instead of the usual V. I have theories. Your thoughts?
So while these are clearly intentionally made for some purpose, it's worth caution when labeling objects like this "os avec incision". Numerical? Musical? Aesthetic in some other way. A little agnosticism please.
June 6, 2025 at 11:54 AM
So while these are clearly intentionally made for some purpose, it's worth caution when labeling objects like this "os avec incision". Numerical? Musical? Aesthetic in some other way. A little agnosticism please.
See these? They're Colima (western Mexico) musical scrapers, about 2000 years old. You'd be excused if you interpreted it as a numerical artifact though ‐ it's not so different from any number of Paleolithic "tallies" some may well be but other kinds of evidence are needed.
June 6, 2025 at 11:54 AM
See these? They're Colima (western Mexico) musical scrapers, about 2000 years old. You'd be excused if you interpreted it as a numerical artifact though ‐ it's not so different from any number of Paleolithic "tallies" some may well be but other kinds of evidence are needed.
This Tuareg imzad (bowed single string instrument) with a Tifinagh inscription is fascinating. Anyone who can tell me what it says? @lameensouag.bsky.social? (Museum des instruments de musique, Brussels)
June 5, 2025 at 8:30 PM
This Tuareg imzad (bowed single string instrument) with a Tifinagh inscription is fascinating. Anyone who can tell me what it says? @lameensouag.bsky.social? (Museum des instruments de musique, Brussels)
This is wonderful. I love all the weird and wonderful ligatured 'et's that make up the history of the ampersand. Like this Roman one from the 2nd century CE I saw this week at the Luxembourg City Museum.
June 5, 2025 at 2:36 PM
This is wonderful. I love all the weird and wonderful ligatured 'et's that make up the history of the ampersand. Like this Roman one from the 2nd century CE I saw this week at the Luxembourg City Museum.
Not ready to share too much of my Sooper Seekrit vacation project yet, but I did make a discovery today in Brussels that (as my wife so cleverly noted) is quite groundbreaking. Just a tantalizing fragment for now, since I don't want to get scooped. I've already said too much.
June 4, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Not ready to share too much of my Sooper Seekrit vacation project yet, but I did make a discovery today in Brussels that (as my wife so cleverly noted) is quite groundbreaking. Just a tantalizing fragment for now, since I don't want to get scooped. I've already said too much.
I try not to be the pedantic Neil deGrasse Tyson of numerals, but you can't name your wine CLXXX even if the gate was erected in 180 AD, because the AD system is centuries newer than that. DCCCCXXXIII ab urbe condita, if you please.
June 3, 2025 at 11:12 AM
I try not to be the pedantic Neil deGrasse Tyson of numerals, but you can't name your wine CLXXX even if the gate was erected in 180 AD, because the AD system is centuries newer than that. DCCCCXXXIII ab urbe condita, if you please.
Super excited to share the results of my European holiday Sooper Seekrit project with you. Until then, here's a mystery: what is this button and why? (If you know Braille, it might help, or maybe not)
June 2, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Super excited to share the results of my European holiday Sooper Seekrit project with you. Until then, here's a mystery: what is this button and why? (If you know Braille, it might help, or maybe not)
In Luxembourg, I wonder, does the subbookkeeper work on rue Waassergaass?
June 1, 2025 at 6:53 PM
In Luxembourg, I wonder, does the subbookkeeper work on rue Waassergaass?
In unrelated news, I'm always delighted to visit a place on vacation and encounter a serendipitous festival or event. But I do wonder when the musicians and dancers at Luxembourg's Night Marathon are going to wrap up this delightful (?) serenade.
May 31, 2025 at 9:49 PM
In unrelated news, I'm always delighted to visit a place on vacation and encounter a serendipitous festival or event. But I do wonder when the musicians and dancers at Luxembourg's Night Marathon are going to wrap up this delightful (?) serenade.
I speak poor German and naturally no Kölsch. Fascinating bilingual signage in Aachen, but 'Bejaadejrav' eludes me. 'Jrav' cognate with 'Graben'? And the rest?
May 31, 2025 at 10:20 AM
I speak poor German and naturally no Kölsch. Fascinating bilingual signage in Aachen, but 'Bejaadejrav' eludes me. 'Jrav' cognate with 'Graben'? And the rest?
I feel slightly bad for Miles, whoever he is, but this van-dalism is delightful.
May 28, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I feel slightly bad for Miles, whoever he is, but this van-dalism is delightful.