Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the science of language.

Minority languages are under threat everywhere, but Tibet represents a particularly difficult challenge. The Tibetan language family is under pressure from (no surprise) Mandarin, even as community support for Tibetan remains high. But where does that leave the many other minority languages of the area, like Manegacha? Language policy, community pressure, and individual language choice are coming together in a turbulent mix. Is there any place for hope in this setting? Dr Gerald Roche tells us about this unique situation, drawing from his new book The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet.  Daniel chats with Dr Sasha Wilmoth about a very surprising sentence, and how our brains process language in some surprising ways. Timestamps Cold open: 0:00 Intros: 0:55 News: 5:30 Chat with Sasha Wilmoth: 21:30 Related or Not: 39:40 Interview with Gerald Roche: 54:40 Words of the Week: 2:02:56 The Reads: 2:29:16 Outtakes: 2:32:56

We're joined for the first time by Douglas Harper, proprietor of the world-renowned Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com). He's here to help us with our Mailbag questions, and even test us in a game of Related or Not. In our Mailbag this time: What's the difference between DEPENDENCE and DEPENDENCY? Why is TONGUE spelled that way? What does it mean if reciting a tongue twister in your mind is just as hard as saying it out loud? Why is STYGIAN the adjective form of the River Styx? Why are WHY and BECAUSE the same in some languages? Timestamps Cold open: 0:00 Intros: 2:01 Questions for Douglas Harper: 9:16 Mailbag questions 1: 24:00 Related or Not: 41:24 Mailbag questions 2: 1:03:20 Comments: 1:14:18 The Reads: 1:18:00 Outtakes: 1:22:47

Language is a lot like love. You can enjoyably lose yourself in both. They can both be dangerous. And they both entail a responsibility to keep each other safe. A new book Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love is both a language book and a memoir, connecting the strands of language learning, language love, and language loss. Daniel speaks with author Dr Julie Sedivy. Also: Large language models have proven adept at duplicating patterns of language that humans find possible. But what about impossible language patterns? Can LLMs learn those? And what even is an impossible language? Dr Matt Spike explains. Timestamps Cold open: 0:00 Intros: 0:34 News: 5:49 Interview with Matt Spike: 32:01 Related or Not: 50:57 Interview with Julie Sedivy: 1:05:34 Words of the Week: 1:33:33 The Reads: 1:55:04 Outtakes: 2:01:21

For our 500th episode, we got together with our great listeners for their words, stories, and inspiration. It's a look back at the show, a look at language from our friends' point of view, and a celebration of our great community. Dr Kelly Wright joins us. Big thanks to our friends who joined us, and to everyone who's listened over the years. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Xc0S_O4KrhY Timestamps Cold open: 0:00 Intros: 1:17 News: 9:19 PharaohKatt tells us about Speech Pathology Week 2024: 27:00 Related or Not (with polls!): 40:23 Words of the Week: 56:52 Self-indulgent twaddle about the show and thank yous: 1:23:16 The Reads: 1:30:50 Outtake: 1:35:24