Because Language (becauselangpod)
@becauselanguage.com
A show about linguistics, the science of language. Your hosts (in order of coolness): Hedvig Skirgård, Daniel Midgley, and Ben Ainslie (tie for 2nd).
And the BL Word of the Week of the Year, as voted by listeners:
temu (derog.): a cheap or knock-off version
We think it reflects a complicated relationship with companies we do business with. Even as we use them, we feel the shadiness.
See or hear this episode
becauselanguage.com/131-wotwoty-...
temu (derog.): a cheap or knock-off version
We think it reflects a complicated relationship with companies we do business with. Even as we use them, we feel the shadiness.
See or hear this episode
becauselanguage.com/131-wotwoty-...
December 20, 2025 at 2:10 PM
And the BL Word of the Week of the Year, as voted by listeners:
temu (derog.): a cheap or knock-off version
We think it reflects a complicated relationship with companies we do business with. Even as we use them, we feel the shadiness.
See or hear this episode
becauselanguage.com/131-wotwoty-...
temu (derog.): a cheap or knock-off version
We think it reflects a complicated relationship with companies we do business with. Even as we use them, we feel the shadiness.
See or hear this episode
becauselanguage.com/131-wotwoty-...
Related or not? CAST and CASTER
You know, those wheels on a bed. Surely you didn't want that bed to stay where it is.
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
You know, those wheels on a bed. Surely you didn't want that bed to stay where it is.
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Related or not? CAST and CASTER
You know, those wheels on a bed. Surely you didn't want that bed to stay where it is.
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
You know, those wheels on a bed. Surely you didn't want that bed to stay where it is.
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
We have a shop and you can go shop there for all your shopping shops.
Shop.
becauselanguage.com/shop/
Shop.
becauselanguage.com/shop/
December 3, 2025 at 10:11 AM
We have a shop and you can go shop there for all your shopping shops.
Shop.
becauselanguage.com/shop/
Shop.
becauselanguage.com/shop/
Linguistic galaxy brain!
Asking Annemarie Verkerk and Hedvig Skirgård of @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social: what makes you go "Whoa"?
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
Asking Annemarie Verkerk and Hedvig Skirgård of @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social: what makes you go "Whoa"?
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Linguistic galaxy brain!
Asking Annemarie Verkerk and Hedvig Skirgård of @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social: what makes you go "Whoa"?
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
Asking Annemarie Verkerk and Hedvig Skirgård of @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social: what makes you go "Whoa"?
From our episode 130: Back to the FTR
becauselanguage.com
Word of the Week: polycrisis.
Wait, is that what I think it is?
Check out this episode:
becauselanguage.com/129-they-sta...
Wait, is that what I think it is?
Check out this episode:
becauselanguage.com/129-they-sta...
November 21, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Word of the Week: polycrisis.
Wait, is that what I think it is?
Check out this episode:
becauselanguage.com/129-they-sta...
Wait, is that what I think it is?
Check out this episode:
becauselanguage.com/129-they-sta...
@geraldroche.bsky.social
I still watch this video every so often.
"History is full of depressing things that were defeated by people who did something."
Full episode: becauselanguage.com/109-language...
I still watch this video every so often.
"History is full of depressing things that were defeated by people who did something."
Full episode: becauselanguage.com/109-language...
November 21, 2025 at 3:52 AM
@geraldroche.bsky.social
I still watch this video every so often.
"History is full of depressing things that were defeated by people who did something."
Full episode: becauselanguage.com/109-language...
I still watch this video every so often.
"History is full of depressing things that were defeated by people who did something."
Full episode: becauselanguage.com/109-language...
Those sneaky cute babies! They tricked us into wanting to care for them, and part of that involves communication.
But what about "cute aggression"?
Prof Madeleine Beekman is the author of "The Origin of Language".
@simonschusteranz.bsky.social
Listen on becauselanguage.com
But what about "cute aggression"?
Prof Madeleine Beekman is the author of "The Origin of Language".
@simonschusteranz.bsky.social
Listen on becauselanguage.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Those sneaky cute babies! They tricked us into wanting to care for them, and part of that involves communication.
But what about "cute aggression"?
Prof Madeleine Beekman is the author of "The Origin of Language".
@simonschusteranz.bsky.social
Listen on becauselanguage.com
But what about "cute aggression"?
Prof Madeleine Beekman is the author of "The Origin of Language".
@simonschusteranz.bsky.social
Listen on becauselanguage.com
How do we fit this into our header?
November 8, 2025 at 10:29 AM
How do we fit this into our header?
So many words on this new episode with Maia Chao!
Including COSY CRIME
Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy
www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...
Including COSY CRIME
Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy
www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...
October 11, 2025 at 6:25 AM
So many words on this new episode with Maia Chao!
Including COSY CRIME
Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy
www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...
Including COSY CRIME
Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy
www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...
Artist Maia Chao tells us about her show "Oh", an experimental linguistic lecture performance. With Kelly Wright.
Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/
Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/
October 9, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Artist Maia Chao tells us about her show "Oh", an experimental linguistic lecture performance. With Kelly Wright.
Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/
Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/
Patrons at the Listener level can hear our new bonus episode with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social !
Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.
www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...
Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.
www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...
September 30, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Patrons at the Listener level can hear our new bonus episode with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social !
Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.
www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...
Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.
www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...
why yes I did how good of you to notice
September 24, 2025 at 6:12 AM
why yes I did how good of you to notice
September 24, 2025 at 3:42 AM
LLMs just tell us what we want to hear. Which is wrong. It should be humans telling us what we want to hear.
Our new episode with Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is out, and you can find it in all the places.
www.patreon.com/posts/137195...
Our new episode with Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is out, and you can find it in all the places.
www.patreon.com/posts/137195...
August 24, 2025 at 6:40 AM
LLMs just tell us what we want to hear. Which is wrong. It should be humans telling us what we want to hear.
Our new episode with Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is out, and you can find it in all the places.
www.patreon.com/posts/137195...
Our new episode with Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is out, and you can find it in all the places.
www.patreon.com/posts/137195...
Creators have to be mindful of what to say and what not to say in their content. This affects the language we're exposed to — and what we say IRL. But it's part of an old process. Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is the author of the new book "Algospeak".
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
August 16, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Creators have to be mindful of what to say and what not to say in their content. This affects the language we're exposed to — and what we say IRL. But it's part of an old process. Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is the author of the new book "Algospeak".
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
How do we make better language choices? And what's beyond conscious language? Check out our episode with @karenyin.bsky.social, author of the Conscious Style Guide.
Wherever you get your podcasts.
becauselanguage.com/123-consciou...
Wherever you get your podcasts.
becauselanguage.com/123-consciou...
August 5, 2025 at 3:57 AM
How do we make better language choices? And what's beyond conscious language? Check out our episode with @karenyin.bsky.social, author of the Conscious Style Guide.
Wherever you get your podcasts.
becauselanguage.com/123-consciou...
Wherever you get your podcasts.
becauselanguage.com/123-consciou...
What's a "boomerask"?
From our episode 123: Conscious Language (with Karen Yin)
Tx to listener Sydney for this suggestion
From our episode 123: Conscious Language (with Karen Yin)
Tx to listener Sydney for this suggestion
July 16, 2025 at 8:19 AM
What's a "boomerask"?
From our episode 123: Conscious Language (with Karen Yin)
Tx to listener Sydney for this suggestion
From our episode 123: Conscious Language (with Karen Yin)
Tx to listener Sydney for this suggestion
Language is a wonder. As in: We wonder what makes it all work. So we're talking to linguistic lion Stephen Levinson of @mpi-nl.bsky.social about his new book The Interaction Engine. (The book is open source, by the way!)
Episode coming soon.
Episode coming soon.
July 12, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Language is a wonder. As in: We wonder what makes it all work. So we're talking to linguistic lion Stephen Levinson of @mpi-nl.bsky.social about his new book The Interaction Engine. (The book is open source, by the way!)
Episode coming soon.
Episode coming soon.
Behold! The Brain Chill-O-Matic 9000.
Cat not included.
Cat not included.
July 1, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Behold! The Brain Chill-O-Matic 9000.
Cat not included.
Cat not included.
Can't wait to participate in this live lecture-performance. Creative Time is turning conversation into music and art, and we'll be looking at how we gather meaning out of noises, hesitations, and silences.
hq.creativetime.org/calendar/oh/
hq.creativetime.org/calendar/oh/
June 7, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Can't wait to participate in this live lecture-performance. Creative Time is turning conversation into music and art, and we'll be looking at how we gather meaning out of noises, hesitations, and silences.
hq.creativetime.org/calendar/oh/
hq.creativetime.org/calendar/oh/
Daniel chilling on the couch, waiting for #LingComm25 to start
April 7, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Daniel chilling on the couch, waiting for #LingComm25 to start
Modern English speakers: It really bugs me when people misspell words!
Middle English speakers: (spelling the word "enough")
Middle English speakers: (spelling the word "enough")
March 28, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Modern English speakers: It really bugs me when people misspell words!
Middle English speakers: (spelling the word "enough")
Middle English speakers: (spelling the word "enough")
Post a warning
(more info in alt text)
(more info in alt text)
March 23, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Post a warning
(more info in alt text)
(more info in alt text)
Happy OK Day!
On 23 March 1839, the word OK appeared for the first time in the Boston Morning Globe. It was a humorous abbreviation for "oll korrect". Funny abbreviations were kind of a fad at the time, kind of like the netspeak we see today.
We at Because Language hope your day is OK.
On 23 March 1839, the word OK appeared for the first time in the Boston Morning Globe. It was a humorous abbreviation for "oll korrect". Funny abbreviations were kind of a fad at the time, kind of like the netspeak we see today.
We at Because Language hope your day is OK.
March 23, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Happy OK Day!
On 23 March 1839, the word OK appeared for the first time in the Boston Morning Globe. It was a humorous abbreviation for "oll korrect". Funny abbreviations were kind of a fad at the time, kind of like the netspeak we see today.
We at Because Language hope your day is OK.
On 23 March 1839, the word OK appeared for the first time in the Boston Morning Globe. It was a humorous abbreviation for "oll korrect". Funny abbreviations were kind of a fad at the time, kind of like the netspeak we see today.
We at Because Language hope your day is OK.