Martin Haspelmath
@haspelmath.bsky.social
2.4K followers 370 following 280 posts
comparative linguist, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig); https://www.eva.mpg.de/linguistic-and-cultural-evolution/staff/martin-haspelmath
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Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
acerbialberto.com
“It is precisely because social media has democratised the public sphere that it has contributed to trends liberals (including myself) are so worried about.” 👏
www.conspicuouscognition.com/p/is-social-...
Is Social Media Destroying Democracy—Or Giving It To Us Good And Hard?
It’s easier to blame the algorithm than the bewildered herd.
www.conspicuouscognition.com
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
cambup-linguistics.cambridge.org
"A compelling and thought-provoking analysis of human sociality and the origins of language."

The Interaction Engine by Stephen C. Levinson (@mpi-nl.bsky.social), Out Now & #OpenAccess

https://cup.org/4nusznG

#OA #Linguistics #LangSky 🐦🐦
Abstract painting of two people gesturing
haspelmath.bsky.social
Deine und meine Optionen sind ziemlich gut, oder? Ja, Lateinamerika ist weit weg vom europäischen Kriegsschauplatz, deshalb wäre es die erste Wahl.
haspelmath.bsky.social
Ich habe auch genug geopfert. Meine Optionen sind nicht so gut, aber in Lateinamerika würde ich mich wohl deutlich sicherer fühlen (vor dem drohenden Krieg in Europa).
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
mpi-nl.bsky.social
We're seeking the next Director of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics! Lead cutting-edge research in language & cognition. Nominations (incl. self) due 19 Dec 2025.
mpi.nl/career-education/vacancies/vacancy/nominations-and-self-nominations-sought-position-director-max
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
ippnwgermany.bsky.social
Heute 13 h in Berlin und Stuttgart: Gemeinsam setzen wir vielfältige und deutliche Zeichen. Gegen alle Kriege. Gegen die Aufrüstung. Für diplomatische Initiativen, Verhandlungen und gemeinsame Sicherheit.
friedensdemo0310.org
haspelmath.bsky.social
My paper on two types of comparative concepts (construction-functions and construction-strategies) is now published: langsci-press.org/catalog/book...
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
akademienunion.bsky.social
📢 Jetzt bewerben: Wissenschaftler:innen können bis zum 31. Januar 2026 ihre Forschungsvorhaben für das #Akademienprogramm 2028 einreichen! Fokus auf Geistes-, Rechts-, Wirtschafts- & Gesellschaftswissenschaften. Interdisziplinäre Projekte willkommen! Zur Ausschreibung 🔗 shorturl.at/GXQC3 #Forschung
Ab sofort können sich Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler mit ihren Forschungsvorhaben für das Akademienprogramm 2028 bewerben.
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
neilcohn.bsky.social
Thanks to @bodowinter.bsky.social for the wonderful endorsement of my upcoming graphic novel about language, cognition, and visual communication! visuallanguagelab.com/sip
Endorsement of the book Speaking in Pictures: “A visually stunning tour de force that redefines what we mean by language itself — essential reading for linguists, cognitive scientists, and anyone fascinated by language and comics.” – Bodo Winter, University of Birmingham, UK, author of Sensory Linguistics
haspelmath.bsky.social
RIP Peter Eisenberg (1940-2025), syntactician of German, phonologist, orthography specialist, and very public linguist (who was not afraid of controversies). He was my second PhD advisor in 1990-93, and an important person in my life during those years at FU Berlin. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_E...
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
mehr.nz
"In the U.S., long hours are worn like badges of honor. But after my time in Denmark, that way of life no longer appeals to me."

nice short piece on science-expathood from a grad student at Aarhus
I thought science hinged on prestige. Moving abroad made me reassess my priorities
In Denmark, this Ph.D. student fell in love with an egalitarian society that values work-life balance
www.science.org
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
kilinguistics.bsky.social
Bybee et al. 1990. So cool I had to make a graph about it 🤩
Results from Bybee et al. 1990 concerning the asymmetry between preposed and postposed grammatical markers in the verb complex. It shows, among other things, a clear preference for prefixes over suffixes, but this tendency is particularly strong in SOV languages and much less pronounced in SVO languages
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
cadlin.bsky.social
How do languages capture the same scene in different ways? 🍏🌍 Subtle differences in spatial terms show how we frame the world through words. Curious? Read the full article in Cadernos de Linguística: doi.org/10.25189/267...
Minimalist graphic with beige background. At the top, the text reads “READ IN CADERNOS DE LINGUÍSTICA.” In the center-left, a simple line drawing of a tree branch with leaves holds a bright yellow apple. Below, bold text says “APPLE ON A BRANCH: WHAT CHANGES?” followed by the caption: “The same scene—an apple on a branch—can be described in different ways across languages. Some highlight contact; others stress support against gravity and the branch’s control of the apple’s position. The scene is the same; the linguistic framing changes.” A small black decorative icon appears in the lower left corner.
Reposted by Martin Haspelmath
mehr.nz
i love the idea implicit here, that decent peer review is worth paying for