Because Language (becauselangpod)

charisn’tma #WordOfTheWeek

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patreon.comBecause Language — creating a podcast about linguistics, the science of language.Get more from Because Language on Patreon. creating a podcast about linguistics, the science of language.. Support Because Language and get exclusive access to their work.

If one more person joins us, then we’ll have 666 members, so… patreon.com/becauselangpod/ 🤘

We made it! Um… hail Satan? *💡* Hail patrons.

@shreyachowdhary.bsky.social

suicidal empathy #WordOfTheWeek

flyingrodent@flyingrodent.bsky.social

“Suicidal empathy” is the calling card of the international fascist movement.

Because Language (becauselangpod) reposted

Shreya Chowdhary

I'm presenting this paper this afternoon in Malmo! Here's a peek at the poster, which previews the article's core arguments. Come find me to talk more about how we can reclaim democratic control over AI futures :) Read full paper here: doi.org/10.1609/aies...

Shreya Chowdhary@shreyachowdhary.bsky.social

New #AIES paper w/ @benzevgreen.bsky.social & @tisjune.bsky.social - "Deconstructing AI Hype: A Playbook for Resistance"! Read here: shreyachowdhary.net/files/decons... We argue that AI hype is a problem not because it misdescribes AI, but because it facilitates AI entrenchment.

Wait, Ben hates interrobangs‽ But they're great! They're a question mark AND an exclamation point. Do you use them? New episode on punctuation with Florence Hazrat here, or in all the podcast places: becauselanguage.com/148-on-the-m...

New episode! It's okay to play with punctuation. Florence Hazrat tells us about the history of the marks we use, and who the heavy hitters were. @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social Book here: books.apple.com/us/book/on-t... Episode here: becauselanguage.com/148-on-the-m...

dw.com'Ragebait' is the 2026 German Youth Word of the YearAlready named the 2025 Oxford Word of the Year, "rage bait" has also been widely adopted in German slang.

here we go

Lynne Murphy@lynneguist.bsky.social

uh-oh. #WotY2026 season is here, and so is my annual WotY watch. And the German Youth Word of the Year is RAGEBAIT www.dw.com/en/ragebait-...

Because Language (becauselangpod) reposted

Emily M. Bender

@emilymbender.bsky.social

Replying to @emilymbender.bsky.social

It's the job of the media to scrutinize such statements and decide whether there's a story here at all (maybe the story is Anthropic researchers have fallen into a fantasy-land and brought many policymakers with them), not to just platform them. >>

This is why we need to beat the “AI is conscious” idea down into the earth whenever we can. If people believe it, they will absolutely prioritise the well-being of Claude over the well-being of actual conscious humans.

Dr Abeba Birhane@abeba.blacksky.app

i need the “llms are might be conscious” folx to read this

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But do they have feelings? Stop being a big silly.

In the end it’s not a good question, because it’s not falsifiable. We can never get into the “brain” of a machine or another mind. The universe in which A is true looks exactly like the universe in which B is true. Define the question better.

Dr Abeba Birhane@abeba.blacksky.app

i need the “llms are might be conscious” folx to read this

It’s software. We made it. Is a book conscious? Yes, it seems alive to you, and that is because it is performing a massive exploit on your human brain, borrowing language-based notions of what consciousness is

Okay, so to answer my question: is an AI agent conscious? Maybe for some definitions of conscious, because conscious is a word that we used to describe certain states of awareness that we see. I’m a conscious being, but not when I’m asleep. So yes, there may be a tormented definition that fits.

My old view: linguists can’t really address the issue of AI consciousness. My new view: linguists are UNIQUELY capable of addressing AI consciousness because we study what words mean and how people use them, which is what this is really about

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bookshop.orgHow to Kill a Language: Power, Resistance, and the Race to Save Our WordsAn urgent, globe-spanning exploration of languages at risk, from Kichwa to Ukrainian, that asks: What do we lose—culturally, politically, and personally—when a language is silenced?“Fascinating . . . ...

Jootball. Pronounced /ʤʊʔbal/

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Because Language (becauselangpod) reposted

Andy Hollandbeck

@logophilius.bsky.social

This is a book I learned about from the @becauselanguage.com podcast. If "How to Kill a Language" is your kind of thing, this podcast probably will be too.

Andy Hollandbeck@logophilius.bsky.social

(Well, it's the book I'm reading now.) bookshop.org/p/books/how-...

eoinhiggins.substack.comThere are no “rogue” AI agentsIdentifying them as such only lets companies like OpenAI off the hook.

rogue #WordOfTheWeek

Eoin Higgins@eoinhiggins.bsky.social

AI isn't going "rogue" because it can't—and we won't get a grip on how companies like OpenAI are playing with fire until we have the language right

patreon.comLive show, 2026-09-26: Grammar Girl Is 20! | Because LanguageLive show, 2026-09-26: Grammar Girl Is 20! by Because Language on Patreon. Join Because Language's community for exclusive content and updates.

Everybody — we're having a party for Mignon because @grammargirl.bsky.social is turning 20. But it's a surprise party, so don't show her this link! Otherwise she'll know what we're up to. But all patrons are welcome, free or paid. Not a patron? Sign up, even free. www.patreon.com/becauselangp...

Actually I will say when it is. In Perth time, it's Saturday, 26 September 2026 at 10:05pm. Here's a link to see when that is for you. time.is/compare/2205...

time.istime.is

Who caught the proofreading error? 😄

Rotten Tomatoes@rottentomatoes.com

All-new trailer for Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's 'You Can See Everything.' The Elizabeth Holmes documentary is in theaters on October 16.

youtube.comVibey metalinguistic senseYouTube video by Because Language

How do we communicate linguistics to the public? Perhaps a bit carefully. Michael Erard @michaelerard.bsky.social has learned a lot about lingcomm in his decades as a journalist. A chat with Michael about his book: The Language Beat. becauselanguage.com/147-the-lang... youtube.com/shorts/K1JUH...

merriam-webster.comWhy Is the Sport Called ‘Pickleball’?The origin story is clearer than most sports

Wondering why it's called pickleball? It's because it uses equipment from other sports. In rowing (which the inventor was into), a "pickle boat" crew is made up of a bunch of players from different teams. Here, @merriam-webster.com explains. www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/why...

caroline cash@cashbrowns.bsky.social

Nancy 9/22/26

20 Sept

Top 10 most translated literary works. Go! Can you complete the list? Answers right here in our latest video: youtu.be/ZqIEuFPK5G0?... New episode available wherever you get your podcasts. becauselanguage.com/146-beyond-w...

19 Sept

Language science sometimes means examining our beliefs a bit critically. But that's part of the fun! Karen Stollznow @karenstollznow.bsky.social explains on this episode. Karen is the author of Beyond Words, available from @universitypress.cambridge.org . becauselanguage.com/146-beyond-w...

18 Sept

sexy apocalypse #WordOfTheWeek

Nicholas Grossman@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social

There have always been humans who thought: 1) The world will end soon 2) It will happen in a cool, exciting way 3) It’ll happen to me personally 4) I’ll be a martyred prophet, or a warlord, or otherwise special 5) People who don’t see this are lesser “Sexy apocalypse” is a great phrase for that

14 Sept

Well, that’s it. AGI is upon us. Humans: behold your god etc

Because Language (becauselangpod) reposted

Keith Houston

@shadycharacters.co.uk

4 Sept

Shady Characters × Because Language! I joined Daniel Midgley and Ben Ainslie recently to shoot the 💩 about emoji – there’s a taster at bsky.app/profile/bec... to see if it’s up your street, or you can dive into the full episode at shadycharacters.co.u.... Thanks to Daniel and Ben for having me on!

Because Language (becauselangpod)@becauselanguage.com

Emoji in medical notes? Yep, they're going all kinds of places they never have before. New live episode with Keith Houston, author of "Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji". Watch or listen to the whole thing: becauselanguage.com/145-face-wit... @shadycharacters.co.uk @wwnorton.com

3 Sept

status.newsApple's Map AcquiescenceIn Cupertino, “not a soul” supports Donald Trump’s “Lake America” decree, Status is told—but, at the same time, the company is resigned to conceding such points to the White House to avoid triggering ...

2 Sept

Years from now, I may not remember all the corruption and evil from this administration. But I will remember the cowardice of everyone who just went along. So look. One day everyone will always have been against this. Get out ahead of it. Position yourself as a future hero. When we fight, we win.

Oliver Darcy@oliverdarcy.bsky.social

“Everyone considers it fucking nuts.” Inside Apple, I'm told "not a soul" supports Donald Trump's Lake Ontario rebrand to "Lake America," but the company is also resigned to making such concessions to avoid the White House's rage. Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/apple-maps...

2 Sept

PS: file under: anticipatory compliance, obeying in advance

Because Language (becauselangpod) reposted

Kory Stamper

@korystamper.bsky.social

2 Sept

Pro tip! The less you post about "Lake America," the less written evidence of its use there is, and the less likely any reputable dictionary company will enter it into their dictionaries. ONLY *YOU* CAN PREVENT BAD LEXICOGRAPHY

26 Aug

file under: backronym

Dinosaur Comics!@qwantz.com

that's right, it was an acronym all along!! it was an extremely tortured acronym all along qwantz.com/index.php?co...

23 Aug

ICYMI: We want to end linguistic prejudice, not teach people to dodge it. But in the meantime, what's the best strategy? A sociophonetic deep dive w Jennifer Nycz @jennycz.bsky.social and Lauren Hall-Lew @lhlew.bsky.social. With ✨Kelly Wright✨ becauselanguage.com/144-sociopho... @academic.oup.com

22 Aug

Optimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Linguist: Now would you say that this one is a cup, a glass, or a mug?

John Scalzi@scalzi.com

Optimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Science Fiction Writer: The cup is a crystalline super computer and the liquid is hyperintelligent, they want to know why humanity should be allowed to exist, you have 30 minutes to respond and the answer must be danced by a cat

22 Aug

New episode! We constantly use sounds to send out signals about our identity. But what percent are we aware of? Not much! Lauren Hall-Lew @lhlew.bsky.social and Jennifer Nycz @jennycz.bsky.social join us. Wherever podcasts are to be had. becauselanguage.com/144-sociopho... @academic.oup.com

15 Aug

In which we respond to THAT review of Sophia Smith Galer's book "How to Kill a Language'. Ben has a solarpunk vision of language revitalisation that — to be honest — feckin rules. Full episode: becauselanguage.com/143-how-to-k... @sophiasgaler.bsky.social ⁩⁨ @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

patreon.comLive show: Talking emoji with Keith Houston, 2026-08-15/16 | Because LanguageLive show: Talking emoji with Keith Houston, 2026-08-15/16 by Because Language on Patreon. Join Because Language's community for exclusive content and updates.

14 Aug

Our next live show is happening 🔜 ! We're talking to @keithhouston.bsky.social about his new book "Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji". All patrons are invited, including free. If you're not a patron, click through and sign up! www.patreon.com/becauselangp...

12 Aug

Fantastic chat with @sophiasgaler.bsky.social, author of "How to Kill a Language". There are many paths to language endangerment, but also many paths to language revival. Wherever you get your podcasts. becauselanguage.com/143-how-to-k... @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

31 July

We're insulting each other in the Shakespearean way. You can see how translating the Bard could be hard. New episode with Daniel Hahn, author of "If This Be Magic". becauselanguage.com/142-if-this-... Shakespeare Insult Generator codepo8.github.io/shakespeare-...

Some of the greatest scenes go one syllable at a time. New episode with Daniel Hahn, author of If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation. Wherever you get your podcasts. becauselanguage.com/142-if-this-... @doubledaybooks.bsky.social @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

My imagination, or could Daniel Hahn have a side gig as an actor

the butter’s penthouse #WordOfTheWeek

Mike Ginn@shutupmikeginn.bsky.social

cashier today told me he knew me from twitter and said him and his partner still use “the butter’s penthouse” 😭

spherical bastard #WordOfTheWeek Not to be confused with spherical cows

Rob Arnol@robertarnol.bsky.social

Morning. ☕️

20 July

Very pleased to find that Bluesky is now the place where I can reliably find good research ideas for the show, and the bad site is not any longer

18 July

Caitlin has a certificate and she will defend it. Just some of the zany hijinks we get up to when it's time for Related or Not. Check out our latest episode with @dannybate.com and @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social! becauselanguage.com/141-why-q-ne...

17 July

file under: scope ambiguity

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17 July

explosive diarrhoea #WordOfTheWeek

Frenemy of the People@frenemyofthepeople.bsky.social

“Explosive diarrhea” is so on point for 2026.

17 July

Our spelling mistakes are *fixing* English. New episode with Danny Bate, author of "Why Q Needs U" Get it in all the podcast places. becauselanguage.com/141-why-q-ne... @dannybate.com @blinkbooks.bsky.social