#sociolinguistics — Public Fediverse posts

A fascinating story from Katty Kay from the @BBC_News_Labs where she interviews Dr Matthias Mehl about research with Dr Valeria Pfeifer mapping the decline of speech volume over the last 20 years.

Using a meta-analysis approach during a replication study, they found that people are speaking on average 300 words less a day now that 20 years ago. While that may not seem like much, it adds up to over 120,000 words a year.

While the reasons behind the decline are not clear, Dr Mehl speculates that it's due to a shift in modality - we're reading and writing - email, text, Slack, more than 20 year ago, and we've lost "incidental" opportunities for interaction during the day as more of us #WFH and live alone.

I'm reminded of @gretchenmcc 's work here, "Because Internet", that maps how the internet has shaped *written* language.

If we're speaking less, will this change our speech over time?

Pfeifer, V. A., & Mehl, M. R. (2026). Sliding Into Silence? We Are Speaking 300 Daily Words Fewer Every Year. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 21(4), 447-449. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261425131

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0p9z80d/watch

#speech #sociolinguistics #language #STS

A fascinating story from Katty Kay from the @BBC_News_Labs where she interviews Dr Matthias Mehl about research with Dr Valeria Pfeifer mapping the decline of speech volume over the last 20 years.

Using a meta-analysis approach during a replication study, they found that people are speaking on average 300 words less a day now that 20 years ago. While that may not seem like much, it adds up to over 120,000 words a year.

While the reasons behind the decline are not clear, Dr Mehl speculates that it's due to a shift in modality - we're reading and writing - email, text, Slack, more than 20 year ago, and we've lost "incidental" opportunities for interaction during the day as more of us #WFH and live alone.

I'm reminded of @gretchenmcc 's work here, "Because Internet", that maps how the internet has shaped *written* language.

If we're speaking less, will this change our speech over time?

Pfeifer, V. A., & Mehl, M. R. (2026). Sliding Into Silence? We Are Speaking 300 Daily Words Fewer Every Year. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 21(4), 447-449. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261425131

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0p9z80d/watch

#speech #sociolinguistics #language #STS

A fascinating story from Katty Kay from the @BBC_News_Labs where she interviews Dr Matthias Mehl about research with Dr Valeria Pfeifer mapping the decline of speech volume over the last 20 years.

Using a meta-analysis approach during a replication study, they found that people are speaking on average 300 words less a day now that 20 years ago. While that may not seem like much, it adds up to over 120,000 words a year.

While the reasons behind the decline are not clear, Dr Mehl speculates that it's due to a shift in modality - we're reading and writing - email, text, Slack, more than 20 year ago, and we've lost "incidental" opportunities for interaction during the day as more of us #WFH and live alone.

I'm reminded of @gretchenmcc 's work here, "Because Internet", that maps how the internet has shaped *written* language.

If we're speaking less, will this change our speech over time?

Pfeifer, V. A., & Mehl, M. R. (2026). Sliding Into Silence? We Are Speaking 300 Daily Words Fewer Every Year. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 21(4), 447-449. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261425131

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0p9z80d/watch

#speech #sociolinguistics #language #STS

A fascinating story from Katty Kay from the @BBC_News_Labs where she interviews Dr Matthias Mehl about research with Dr Valeria Pfeifer mapping the decline of speech volume over the last 20 years.

Using a meta-analysis approach during a replication study, they found that people are speaking on average 300 words less a day now that 20 years ago. While that may not seem like much, it adds up to over 120,000 words a year.

While the reasons behind the decline are not clear, Dr Mehl speculates that it's due to a shift in modality - we're reading and writing - email, text, Slack, more than 20 year ago, and we've lost "incidental" opportunities for interaction during the day as more of us #WFH and live alone.

I'm reminded of @gretchenmcc 's work here, "Because Internet", that maps how the internet has shaped *written* language.

If we're speaking less, will this change our speech over time?

Pfeifer, V. A., & Mehl, M. R. (2026). Sliding Into Silence? We Are Speaking 300 Daily Words Fewer Every Year. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 21(4), 447-449. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261425131

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0p9z80d/watch

#speech #sociolinguistics #language #STS

Flags are not languages!

I'm looking at 𝑦𝑜𝑢, Europe! You really love to use flags as languages and don't wanna stop!

https://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/best-practice-for-presenting-languages/

Btw, which flag do you use for Arabic, Europe?

Is it 🇫🇷 ? lolololol

#Sociolinguistics #FlagsAreNotLanguages

Flags are not languages!

I'm looking at 𝑦𝑜𝑢, Europe! You really love to use flags as languages and don't wanna stop!

https://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/best-practice-for-presenting-languages/

Btw, which flag do you use for Arabic, Europe?

Is it 🇫🇷 ? lolololol

#Sociolinguistics #FlagsAreNotLanguages

Flags are not languages!

I'm looking at 𝑦𝑜𝑢, Europe! You really love to use flags as languages and don't wanna stop!

https://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/best-practice-for-presenting-languages/

Btw, which flag do you use for Arabic, Europe?

Is it 🇫🇷 ? lolololol

#Sociolinguistics #FlagsAreNotLanguages

Flags are not languages!

I'm looking at 𝑦𝑜𝑢, Europe! You really love to use flags as languages and don't wanna stop!

https://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/best-practice-for-presenting-languages/

Btw, which flag do you use for Arabic, Europe?

Is it 🇫🇷 ? lolololol

#Sociolinguistics #FlagsAreNotLanguages

In May, Ariba Khan successfully defended her doctoral thesis.

Congratulations! 🎉

For her doctoral research, she investigated the sociolinguistic situation of the state of Jharkhand. Her results show, among other things, evident social and linguistic inequality.

Read more in our series of interviews with #NewlyGraduatedPhDStudents: https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/cluster-roots/details/news/newly-graduated-phd-student-ariba-khan

#SocioLinguistics #Liguistics #Inequality #PhD #EarlyCareerScientists #RootsAcademy

In May, Ariba Khan successfully defended her doctoral thesis.

Congratulations! 🎉

For her doctoral research, she investigated the sociolinguistic situation of the state of Jharkhand. Her results show, among other things, evident social and linguistic inequality.

Read more in our series of interviews with #NewlyGraduatedPhDStudents: https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/cluster-roots/details/news/newly-graduated-phd-student-ariba-khan

#SocioLinguistics #Liguistics #Inequality #PhD #EarlyCareerScientists #RootsAcademy

In May, Ariba Khan successfully defended her doctoral thesis.

Congratulations! 🎉

For her doctoral research, she investigated the sociolinguistic situation of the state of Jharkhand. Her results show, among other things, evident social and linguistic inequality.

Read more in our series of interviews with #NewlyGraduatedPhDStudents: https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/cluster-roots/details/news/newly-graduated-phd-student-ariba-khan

#SocioLinguistics #Liguistics #Inequality #PhD #EarlyCareerScientists #RootsAcademy

Is there anybody here who will be at #SS26 in a few days?
#SocioLinguistics #AppliedLinguistics
#FortHare
#KuGompo
#AcademicMastodon
https://www.ufh.ac.za/sociolinguistics-symposium-2026

Is there anybody here who will be at #SS26 in a few days?
#SocioLinguistics #AppliedLinguistics
#FortHare
#KuGompo
#AcademicMastodon
https://www.ufh.ac.za/sociolinguistics-symposium-2026

Is there anybody here who will be at #SS26 in a few days?
#SocioLinguistics #AppliedLinguistics
#FortHare
#KuGompo
#AcademicMastodon
https://www.ufh.ac.za/sociolinguistics-symposium-2026

Is there anybody here who will be at #SS26 in a few days?
#SocioLinguistics #AppliedLinguistics
#FortHare
#KuGompo
#AcademicMastodon
https://www.ufh.ac.za/sociolinguistics-symposium-2026

This morning I awoke thinking about sex – actually gender – of borrowed Latin words. Get your mind out of the gutter.

👉 https://brywillis634737.substack.com/p/we-still-bury-the-dead

I wrote a piece about it, but I was truly conflicted on my journey, especially as I compared English and French approaches, and a potential feminist rift.

#philosophy #language #sociolinguistics #etymology #english #french #latin #gender #writing #culture #feminism #linguistics #reform #administration

This morning I awoke thinking about sex – actually gender – of borrowed Latin words. Get your mind out of the gutter.

👉 https://brywillis634737.substack.com/p/we-still-bury-the-dead

I wrote a piece about it, but I was truly conflicted on my journey, especially as I compared English and French approaches, and a potential feminist rift.

#philosophy #language #sociolinguistics #etymology #english #french #latin #gender #writing #culture #feminism #linguistics #reform #administration

This morning I awoke thinking about sex – actually gender – of borrowed Latin words. Get your mind out of the gutter.

👉 https://brywillis634737.substack.com/p/we-still-bury-the-dead

I wrote a piece about it, but I was truly conflicted on my journey, especially as I compared English and French approaches, and a potential feminist rift.

#philosophy #language #sociolinguistics #etymology #english #french #latin #gender #writing #culture #feminism #linguistics #reform #administration

This morning I awoke thinking about sex – actually gender – of borrowed Latin words. Get your mind out of the gutter.

👉 https://brywillis634737.substack.com/p/we-still-bury-the-dead

I wrote a piece about it, but I was truly conflicted on my journey, especially as I compared English and French approaches, and a potential feminist rift.

#philosophy #language #sociolinguistics #etymology #english #french #latin #gender #writing #culture #feminism #linguistics #reform #administration

Why, in the year of our Paul Passy 2026, are there still people who've put in hundreds of coding hours and still manage to believe there's a single IPA representation for any given orthographic text?

I know they just WANT there to be a one-to-one mapping, but wishing it don't make it so.

I'm pretty sure someone's come up with a corrolary of the #BenderRule for accents!

https://github.com/open-dict-data/ipa-dict/

#linguistics #sociolinguistics #phonetics #IPA

Why, in the year of our Paul Passy 2026, are there still people who've put in hundreds of coding hours and still manage to believe there's a single IPA representation for any given orthographic text?

I know they just WANT there to be a one-to-one mapping, but wishing it don't make it so.

I'm pretty sure someone's come up with a corrolary of the #BenderRule for accents!

https://github.com/open-dict-data/ipa-dict/

#linguistics #sociolinguistics #phonetics #IPA

Why, in the year of our Paul Passy 2026, are there still people who've put in hundreds of coding hours and still manage to believe there's a single IPA representation for any given orthographic text?

I know they just WANT there to be a one-to-one mapping, but wishing it don't make it so.

I'm pretty sure someone's come up with a corrolary of the #BenderRule for accents!

https://github.com/open-dict-data/ipa-dict/

#linguistics #sociolinguistics #phonetics #IPA

Why, in the year of our Paul Passy 2026, are there still people who've put in hundreds of coding hours and still manage to believe there's a single IPA representation for any given orthographic text?

I know they just WANT there to be a one-to-one mapping, but wishing it don't make it so.

I'm pretty sure someone's come up with a corrolary of the #BenderRule for accents!

https://github.com/open-dict-data/ipa-dict/

#linguistics #sociolinguistics #phonetics #IPA

Job opening for an Associate Professor or Professor in Sociolinguistics, at Oxford. "This is an open-rank post that is open to candidates at all career stages, ranging from those who have just completed a doctorate to senior scholars who have already attained the highest international standing." This is a very good opportunity for someone! Details at

https://www.ling-phil.ox.ac.uk/news/2026/05/14/we-are-hiring-sociolinguist

Closing date for applications: Jun 12th

Please re-post this or circulate it via any route you like, so we can spread the word as widely as possible.

#linguistics #sociolinguistics

Job opening for an Associate Professor or Professor in Sociolinguistics, at Oxford. "This is an open-rank post that is open to candidates at all career stages, ranging from those who have just completed a doctorate to senior scholars who have already attained the highest international standing." This is a very good opportunity for someone! Details at

https://www.ling-phil.ox.ac.uk/news/2026/05/14/we-are-hiring-sociolinguist

Closing date for applications: Jun 12th

Please re-post this or circulate it via any route you like, so we can spread the word as widely as possible.

#linguistics #sociolinguistics

Job opening for an Associate Professor or Professor in Sociolinguistics, at Oxford. "This is an open-rank post that is open to candidates at all career stages, ranging from those who have just completed a doctorate to senior scholars who have already attained the highest international standing." This is a very good opportunity for someone! Details at

https://www.ling-phil.ox.ac.uk/news/2026/05/14/we-are-hiring-sociolinguist

Closing date for applications: Jun 12th

Please re-post this or circulate it via any route you like, so we can spread the word as widely as possible.

#linguistics #sociolinguistics

Job opening for an Associate Professor or Professor in Sociolinguistics, at Oxford. "This is an open-rank post that is open to candidates at all career stages, ranging from those who have just completed a doctorate to senior scholars who have already attained the highest international standing." This is a very good opportunity for someone! Details at

https://www.ling-phil.ox.ac.uk/news/2026/05/14/we-are-hiring-sociolinguist

Closing date for applications: Jun 12th

Please re-post this or circulate it via any route you like, so we can spread the word as widely as possible.

#linguistics #sociolinguistics

Men use “vocal fry“ more than women, counter to stereotype

Study suggests

Archive: ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/51afu

#acoustics #gender-bias #linguistics #science #sociolinguistics #sociology #vocal-fry #vocalizations
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/men-use-vocal-fry-more-than-women-counter-to-stereotype/

Men use “vocal fry“ more than women, counter to stereotype

Study suggests

Archive: ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/51afu

#acoustics #gender-bias #linguistics #science #sociolinguistics #sociology #vocal-fry #vocalizations
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/men-use-vocal-fry-more-than-women-counter-to-stereotype/

Men use “vocal fry“ more than women, counter to stereotype

Study suggests

Archive: ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/51afu

#acoustics #gender-bias #linguistics #science #sociolinguistics #sociology #vocal-fry #vocalizations
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/men-use-vocal-fry-more-than-women-counter-to-stereotype/

Men use “vocal fry“ more than women, counter to stereotype

Study suggests

Archive: ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/51afu

#acoustics #gender-bias #linguistics #science #sociolinguistics #sociology #vocal-fry #vocalizations
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/men-use-vocal-fry-more-than-women-counter-to-stereotype/

New Study Reveals Language Evolves in Predictable, Weather-Like Patterns, Researchers Say

Language is ever evolving—from ancient dialects to modern slang, the words and accents people use are…
#NewsBeep #News #Science #AU #Australia #culturallinguistics #dialects #JamesBurridge #language“weathermap” #languagechange #languageevolution #languagemapping #linguisticpatterns #regionalaccents #sociolinguistics #Statisticalphysics #UniversityofPortsmouth #wordspread
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/660727/

New Study Reveals Language Evolves in Predictable, Weather-Like Patterns, Researchers Say

Language is ever evolving—from ancient dialects to modern slang, the words and accents people use are…
#NewsBeep #News #Science #AU #Australia #culturallinguistics #dialects #JamesBurridge #language“weathermap” #languagechange #languageevolution #languagemapping #linguisticpatterns #regionalaccents #sociolinguistics #Statisticalphysics #UniversityofPortsmouth #wordspread
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/660727/

New Study Reveals Language Evolves in Predictable, Weather-Like Patterns, Researchers Say

Language is ever evolving—from ancient dialects to modern slang, the words and accents people use are…
#NewsBeep #News #Science #AU #Australia #culturallinguistics #dialects #JamesBurridge #language“weathermap” #languagechange #languageevolution #languagemapping #linguisticpatterns #regionalaccents #sociolinguistics #Statisticalphysics #UniversityofPortsmouth #wordspread
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/660727/

https://www.europesays.com/ie/476603/ New Study Reveals Language Evolves in Predictable, Weather-Like Patterns, Researchers Say #CulturalLinguistics #dialects #Éire #IE #Ireland #JamesBurridge #Language“weatherMap” #LanguageChange #LanguageEvolution #LanguageMapping #LinguisticPatterns #RegionalAccents #Science #sociolinguistics #StatisticalPhysics #UniversityOfPortsmouth #WordSpread

https://www.europesays.com/dk/46578/ Nikola Edelsztejn | We should normalise regional accents in Amsterdam student life #Adaptation #Amsterdam #BrabantAccent #CulturalDiversity #dialects #identity #inclusion #LanguageNorms #LanguageUse #LimburgAccent #LinguisticPressure #Netherlands #Randstad #RegionalAccents #sociolinguistics #StandardLanguage #StudentLife #UniversityCulture

A comment on my post describes users of this slang as lazy simpletons with a limited vocabulary. (I was having none of it.)

I see linguistic shortcuts – abbreviations and the like – more as efficiencies. They're the verbal equivalent of desire paths, which no one sees as "lazy".

But the characterization shows the social baggage that language has accumulated. It's a scapegoat for broader anxieties and prejudices.

#language #slang #abbreviations #sociolinguistics #blogging

A comment on my post describes users of this slang as lazy simpletons with a limited vocabulary. (I was having none of it.)

I see linguistic shortcuts – abbreviations and the like – more as efficiencies. They're the verbal equivalent of desire paths, which no one sees as "lazy".

But the characterization shows the social baggage that language has accumulated. It's a scapegoat for broader anxieties and prejudices.

#language #slang #abbreviations #sociolinguistics #blogging

A comment on my post describes users of this slang as lazy simpletons with a limited vocabulary. (I was having none of it.)

I see linguistic shortcuts – abbreviations and the like – more as efficiencies. They're the verbal equivalent of desire paths, which no one sees as "lazy".

But the characterization shows the social baggage that language has accumulated. It's a scapegoat for broader anxieties and prejudices.

#language #slang #abbreviations #sociolinguistics #blogging

A comment on my post describes users of this slang as lazy simpletons with a limited vocabulary. (I was having none of it.)

I see linguistic shortcuts – abbreviations and the like – more as efficiencies. They're the verbal equivalent of desire paths, which no one sees as "lazy".

But the characterization shows the social baggage that language has accumulated. It's a scapegoat for broader anxieties and prejudices.

#language #slang #abbreviations #sociolinguistics #blogging

Ecolinguistics emerged in the 1990s as a new #paradigm of linguistic research, widening #sociolinguistics to take into account not only the social context in which language is embedded, but also the wider ecological context, including other species and the physical environment. #MichaelHalliday's 1990 speech #NewWaysOfMeaningTheChallengeToAppliedLinguistics is often credited as a work which provided the stimulus for linguists to consider the ecological context and consequences of language.

In #Bulgarian, adding little fillers like "бе" or "ма" can instantly flip a phrase into something rude or at least very street-level colloquial. It's almost like the opposite of Japanese. Do other languages have small words that completely shift the tone like that?

#Linguistics #Multilingual #Sociolinguistics

In #Bulgarian, adding little fillers like "бе" or "ма" can instantly flip a phrase into something rude or at least very street-level colloquial. It's almost like the opposite of Japanese. Do other languages have small words that completely shift the tone like that?

#Linguistics #Multilingual #Sociolinguistics

In #Bulgarian, adding little fillers like "бе" or "ма" can instantly flip a phrase into something rude or at least very street-level colloquial. It's almost like the opposite of Japanese. Do other languages have small words that completely shift the tone like that?

#Linguistics #Multilingual #Sociolinguistics

**Do we swear more with friends or with acquaintances? F#ck in social networks**

"_Our findings show that Americans use fuck most frequently, while Australians least frequently but they are highly creative with spelling variants of the word._"

Laitinen, M. et al. (2025) 'Do we swear more with friends or with acquaintances? F#ck in social networks,' Lingua, 320, p. 103931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2025.103931.

#OpenAccess #OA #Research #Swearing #SocialMedia #Sociolinguistics #Academia

**Do we swear more with friends or with acquaintances? F#ck in social networks**

"_Our findings show that Americans use fuck most frequently, while Australians least frequently but they are highly creative with spelling variants of the word._"

Laitinen, M. et al. (2025) 'Do we swear more with friends or with acquaintances? F#ck in social networks,' Lingua, 320, p. 103931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2025.103931.

#OpenAccess #OA #Research #Swearing #SocialMedia #Sociolinguistics #Academia

**Do we swear more with friends or with acquaintances? F#ck in social networks**

"_Our findings show that Americans use fuck most frequently, while Australians least frequently but they are highly creative with spelling variants of the word._"

Laitinen, M. et al. (2025) 'Do we swear more with friends or with acquaintances? F#ck in social networks,' Lingua, 320, p. 103931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2025.103931.

#OpenAccess #OA #Research #Swearing #SocialMedia #Sociolinguistics #Academia

Interesting piece on why accents can change in adulthood, touching on geography, identity, prestige, intelligibility, professional status, and other social forces [gift link]
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/12/accent-dialect-acquisition/685124/?gift=V3O2UvvjYxV4cxnKzA_IbBDJc5q7hrirBd06BY_HL7E

#language #sociolinguistics #accents #dialect #LanguageChange #linguistics #TaylorSwift

Interesting piece on why accents can change in adulthood, touching on geography, identity, prestige, intelligibility, professional status, and other social forces [gift link]
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/12/accent-dialect-acquisition/685124/?gift=V3O2UvvjYxV4cxnKzA_IbBDJc5q7hrirBd06BY_HL7E

#language #sociolinguistics #accents #dialect #LanguageChange #linguistics #TaylorSwift

Interesting piece on why accents can change in adulthood, touching on geography, identity, prestige, intelligibility, professional status, and other social forces [gift link]
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/12/accent-dialect-acquisition/685124/?gift=V3O2UvvjYxV4cxnKzA_IbBDJc5q7hrirBd06BY_HL7E

#language #sociolinguistics #accents #dialect #LanguageChange #linguistics #TaylorSwift

Interesting piece on why accents can change in adulthood, touching on geography, identity, prestige, intelligibility, professional status, and other social forces [gift link]
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/12/accent-dialect-acquisition/685124/?gift=V3O2UvvjYxV4cxnKzA_IbBDJc5q7hrirBd06BY_HL7E

#language #sociolinguistics #accents #dialect #LanguageChange #linguistics #TaylorSwift

@benjamingeer @NilaJones @ShaulaEvans
Part of the explanation is that pronunciations have changed (diverged) over time, whereas spellings have been slower to change. For example, Old English, Old French, Old High German and Latin all had apical trilled [r], but words with that sound came to be pronounced various different ways. So the present-day variation is not totally random. Also, within each language there are other factors leading to a certain amount of variation. Variation and change are always with us, so it's unwise to expect constancy and uniformity in pronunciation and other aspects of language.

#phonetics #sociolinguistics #speech

@benjamingeer @NilaJones @ShaulaEvans
Part of the explanation is that pronunciations have changed (diverged) over time, whereas spellings have been slower to change. For example, Old English, Old French, Old High German and Latin all had apical trilled [r], but words with that sound came to be pronounced various different ways. So the present-day variation is not totally random. Also, within each language there are other factors leading to a certain amount of variation. Variation and change are always with us, so it's unwise to expect constancy and uniformity in pronunciation and other aspects of language.

#phonetics #sociolinguistics #speech

@benjamingeer @NilaJones @ShaulaEvans
Part of the explanation is that pronunciations have changed (diverged) over time, whereas spellings have been slower to change. For example, Old English, Old French, Old High German and Latin all had apical trilled [r], but words with that sound came to be pronounced various different ways. So the present-day variation is not totally random. Also, within each language there are other factors leading to a certain amount of variation. Variation and change are always with us, so it's unwise to expect constancy and uniformity in pronunciation and other aspects of language.

#phonetics #sociolinguistics #speech

@benjamingeer @NilaJones @ShaulaEvans
Part of the explanation is that pronunciations have changed (diverged) over time, whereas spellings have been slower to change. For example, Old English, Old French, Old High German and Latin all had apical trilled [r], but words with that sound came to be pronounced various different ways. So the present-day variation is not totally random. Also, within each language there are other factors leading to a certain amount of variation. Variation and change are always with us, so it's unwise to expect constancy and uniformity in pronunciation and other aspects of language.

#phonetics #sociolinguistics #speech

...And a minor sociolinguistic note: I don't think anyone but an FT columnist would say "I remember sitting next to a managing director on a business flight." Most normal humans beings would say something like "I was sitting next to an executive." #sociolinguistics

...And a minor sociolinguistic note: I don't think anyone but an FT columnist would say "I remember sitting next to a managing director on a business flight." Most normal humans beings would say something like "I was sitting next to an executive." #sociolinguistics

...And a minor sociolinguistic note: I don't think anyone but an FT columnist would say "I remember sitting next to a managing director on a business flight." Most normal humans beings would say something like "I was sitting next to an executive." #sociolinguistics

...And a minor sociolinguistic note: I don't think anyone but an FT columnist would say "I remember sitting next to a managing director on a business flight." Most normal humans beings would say something like "I was sitting next to an executive." #sociolinguistics

Another reason why understanding how #multilingualism and socio-economic opportunities are distributed across urban space. A lot of my research has been about exploring these aspects from a geographical perspective.

The link is in Finnish, but the title roughly says "Large-scale study: Linguistic competencies are linked to slowing down the aging of the brain."

Keeping my fingers crossed for positive funding decisions 🤞🎓🔎

#UrbanStudies #Geography #Sociolinguistics
https://www.hs.fi/tiede/art-2000011627100.html