Category Archives: language

the not so common heritage

Posted on Thursday, 2002 February 14 by Anton

When allusions whoosh by to movies that I never saw, like these, I worry a bit less about homogenization of culture. While I’m up: why do some -ize verbs like baptize have nouns in -ism, while others take -ization (half … Continue reading →

Posted in cartoons, cinema, language | 2 Comments

calling all fen

Posted on Wednesday, 2002 February 13 by Anton

The Oxford English Dictionary wants your help in finding early citations of words coined in science fiction and fandom. 2022: The project is now independent of OUP.

Posted in fandom, language | Leave a comment

this is serious!

Posted on Wednesday, 2002 February 13 by Anton

An old friend calls my attention to this proof of the irrationality of pi, which happens to be a mere link or two away from this favorite essay in historical linguistics; each is in a perhaps surprising literary form.

Posted in language, mathematics | Leave a comment