Can we predict the future of English? | Current trends and language change

Can we predict the future of English? | Current trends and language change

Welcome, time travelers, to a tour through the evolution of the English language! Christina and Dominic chat about the quirks of linguistic prediction, and the weird and wonderful ways language changes right under our noses.

- Who’s at the origin of linguistic change?

- How is American English sneaking into other dialects?

- Will "fewer" finally lose to "less"?

- Can we forecast language like the weather?

From glottal stops to German “Handys” and English “earworms,” this episode explores digital slang and global English influences, and ventures into the question how linguists test their predictions – not with crystal balls, but using data, probabilities, and a whole lot of curiosity.


Full episode transcript available here:

https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/english/sections/edling/sciencecommunication/podcast-transcripts.php#Episode13


Full article available to read for free here:

Can we predict linguistic change? An introduction. By Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer. https://varieng.helsinki.fi/series/volumes/16/introduction.html.


Read more about the topic in the freely available online volume Can we predict linguistic change? Edited by Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer. https://varieng.helsinki.fi/series/volumes/16/.


Mentioned in this episode:

- Tom Scott: The language sounds that could exist, but don't. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uZam0ubq-Y.

- Ig Nobel prizes: https://improbable.com/ig/about-the-ig-nobel-prizes/.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(24)

How much can you say with 100 words? | Phrasebooks as keys to new languages

How much can you say with 100 words? | Phrasebooks as keys to new languages

In this travel-ready episode of Linguistics Behind the Scenes, Christina and Dominic ask a deceptively simple question: if you could learn only 100 words of a language, which ones would you choose?- W...

25 Juni 39min

What can laughter teach us about language? | Cartoons and fun stories in linguistics

What can laughter teach us about language? | Cartoons and fun stories in linguistics

In this animated episode of Linguistics Behind the Scenes, Christina and Dominic explore how creative cartoons, comic strips and children’s shows can teach us about language, communication, cognition ...

8 Maj 49min

What is a "salad salad"? | Copies, quotes, and plagiarism

What is a "salad salad"? | Copies, quotes, and plagiarism

In this duplicative (but never dull) episode of Linguistics Behind the Scenes, Christinaand Dominic explore the fascinating world of copying – from plagiarism tophotocopies, and from fairy tales to “s...

27 Mars 38min

Can a robotic arm lose face? | The linguistics of politeness

Can a robotic arm lose face? | The linguistics of politeness

In this futuristic episode of Linguistics Behind the Scenes, Christina and Dominic investigate how we talk to machines – and what our language reveals about the way we see them.- Do we treat AI and ro...

20 Feb 1h

Does punctuation matter? | To hyphenate or not to hyphenate

Does punctuation matter? | To hyphenate or not to hyphenate

In this episode, Christina and Dominic make a point of exploring the tiny dots and lines that we find in writing. They uncover the history, humor, and hidden powers of punctuation marks – especially t...

3 Feb 44min

Are you working hard or hardly working? | Adverbs and data visualization

Are you working hard or hardly working? | Adverbs and data visualization

In this adverbially adventurous episode of Linguistics Behind the Scenes, Christina and Dominic dig deep into one of grammar’s dustiest drawers: the adverb category, which combines such different word...

12 Dec 202535min

What’s in a name? | How naming customs differ around the world

What’s in a name? | How naming customs differ around the world

In this episode, Christina and Dominic tackle the fascinating – and sometimes funny – ways names reflect identity, culture, and even fashion trends.- Can names have meaning, or do they just point to p...

2 Nov 202539min

Are cooking recipes about YOU and ME? | Cookbook linguistics

Are cooking recipes about YOU and ME? | Cookbook linguistics

In this deliciously geeky episode of Linguistics Behind the Scenes, Christina and Dominic trace the evolution of recipes as both instructions and stories, discussing how language, food, and emotion ar...

30 Sep 202552min

Populärt inom Vetenskap

p3-dystopia
dumma-manniskor
allt-du-velat-veta
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
svd-nyhetsartiklar
medicinvetarna
rss-kriminologerna
bildningspodden
sexet
rss-spraket
dumforklarat
rss-ufobortom-rimligt-tvivel
det-morka-psyket
halsorevolutionen
paranormalt-med-caroline-giertz
rss-vetenskapsradion-2
vetenskapsradion
rss-vetenskapsradion
pojkmottagningen
ufo-sverige