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jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
James McElvenny
@jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
240 followers 200 following 35 posts
Linguist and intellectual historian. www.jamesmcelvenny.net
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jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
James McElvenny @jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social · 2d
And here’s the open access manuscript

works.hcommons.org/records/myft...
Linguistic description between Kleinstaaterei and the Word of God: a case study of the 1838 Lutheran mission to South Australia
This paper presents a case study of the linguistic work conducted by the German Lutheran missionaries Christian G. Teichelmann (1807–1888) and Clamor W. Schürmann (1815–1893) in producing grammars and...
works.hcommons.org
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jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
James McElvenny @jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social · 2d
Hans Conon v d G features in a recent paper on which I was co-author

doi.org/10.1075/hl.0...
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Reposted by James McElvenny
bnerlich.bsky.social
Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · Sep 5
My blog posts are always a bit niche, but this one is a bit nicher than others. This is not to say it’s not interesting. It should be of interest to anybody who works on language, #LLMs, #meaning and context. Have a look!
makingsciencepublic.com/2025/09/05/u...
Understanding computational hermeneutics: Making meaning between the past and the present
A large group of scholars led by Cody Kommers and Drew Hemment at the Alan Turing Institute recently published a paper on ‘computational hermeneutics’. They mention Hans-Georg Gadamer and Wilhelm D…
makingsciencepublic.com
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Reposted by James McElvenny
hiphilangsci.bsky.social
HiPhiLangSci @hiphilangsci.bsky.social · Sep 1
In the latest episode of our podcast (no. 47), we talk to Geoff Pullum about his career, his contributions to linguistics, and how he sees the future of the field.

🎙️ hiphilangsci.net/2025/09/01/p...

#Histlx #Linguistics #BLinguistik
Podcast episode 47: Geoff Pullum on Geoff Pullum
In this interview, we talk to Geoff Pullum about his career, his contributions to linguistics, and how he sees the future of the field.
hiphilangsci.net
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Reposted by James McElvenny
henrysweetsoc.bsky.social
Henry Sweet Society @henrysweetsoc.bsky.social · Aug 13
A fresh new batch of Language & History articles has been published online, with a focus on the interactions between ✨Chinese and English✨ language teaching! Give them a look 👀
www.tandfonline.com/toc/ylhi20/0/0
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Reposted by James McElvenny
hiphilangsci.bsky.social
HiPhiLangSci @hiphilangsci.bsky.social · Aug 11
Call of the Consoritium for History of Science, Technology and Medicine (CHSTM): Working group History of the Language Sciences

Where? Online
When? September 2025 - May 2026
Further details? See the post on our blog

🔗 hiphilangsci.net/2025/08/09/c...

#Histlx
Call: CHSTM History of Language Sciences 2025–26
CHSTM Working group History of the Language Sciences. Meetings online, September 2025–May 2026 Archives scaffold research in both in history and the sciences. Far from passive repositories, they as…
hiphilangsci.net
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Reposted by James McElvenny
herbilis.bsky.social
Philip K. @herbilis.bsky.social · Aug 8
Staatliche grammatische Empörung

54books.de/die-sprache-...
Die Sprache macht, was sie will – Über grammatische Empörung - 54books
von Philip Kraut So unwahrscheinlich es auch klingt: Unmarkierte Akkusative machen manche Menschen „wahnsinnig“. Stein des Anstoßes war ein auf X/Twitter gepostetes stockfootageartiges…
54books.de
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Reposted by James McElvenny
hiphilangsci.bsky.social
HiPhiLangSci @hiphilangsci.bsky.social · Aug 5
Call for Papers for the Annual Meeting of the North American Association for the History of the Language Sciences (NAAHoLS)

Date: 8-11 January 2026
Place: New Orleans, Louisiana
Deadline for submission: 1 September 2025

🔗 hiphilangsci.net/2025/08/05/n...

#Histlx
NAAHoLS 2026 Annual Meeting
Date: 8-11 January 2026Place: New Orleans, LouisianaDeadline for submission: 1 September 2025Information: The North American Association for the History of the Language Sciences (NAAHoLS) will hold…
hiphilangsci.net
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Reposted by James McElvenny
ottomanhistory.bsky.social
History Cafe ☕ Ottoman Heritage @ottomanhistory.bsky.social · Jul 30
📕 Puss in Boots in Ottoman Turkish, 1910s #cat
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tespiteri.bsky.social
Thomas Spiteri @tespiteri.bsky.social · Jul 31
It was a true privilege to have had the chance to interview Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, whose work has long influenced both my research interests and engagement with this discipline.

It's this week's episode of
The HPS Podcast – out now! 🎧

@hpspodcast.bsky.social

#hps #histsci #experiments
S5 E3 - Hans-Jörg Rheinberger on Epistemic Things
The HPS Podcast - Conversations from History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science · Episode
open.spotify.com
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Reposted by James McElvenny
bnerlich.bsky.social
Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · Jul 26
For weekend readers, my first Making Science Public post on my own blog site, reflecting on the current state of and challenges to science communication #scicomm - feel free to press 'subscribe'! makingsciencepublic.com/2025/07/25/m...
Making Science Public in a chaotic world
As you know, I am now gradually moving from my old ‘Making Science Public’ blog home at the University of Nottingham to my new personal blog home here. This wasn’t easy and lots of people supported…
makingsciencepublic.com
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Reposted by James McElvenny
hiphilangsci.bsky.social
HiPhiLangSci @hiphilangsci.bsky.social · Jul 22
A perfect occasion to listen to ep. 44 of our podcast, in which James McElvenny (@jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social) talks to Ian Stewart (@princetonupress.bsky.social) about modern ideas about the Celts and and the role of historical-comparative linguistics.

🎙️ hiphilangsci.net/2025/03/01/p...

#Histlx
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Reposted by James McElvenny
henrysweetsoc.bsky.social
Henry Sweet Society @henrysweetsoc.bsky.social · Jul 14
Don't forget that the full archive of the Henry Sweet Society Bulletin (predecessor of Language & History) is available on our website in ✨OPEN ACCESS✨! This includes issues no. 1-51 (1984-2008). Drop by and browse: www.henrysweet.org/bulletin-of-...
HSS Bulletin Archive — Henry Sweet Society
Bulletin of the Henry Sweet Society
www.henrysweet.org
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Reposted by James McElvenny
superlinguo.bsky.social
Lauren Gawne @superlinguo.bsky.social · Jul 17
The latest round of cuts at ANU include an outrageous plan to close the Australian National Dictionary Centre (ANDC). ANU has forgotten its vital function as the national university.

Please sign this petition urging ANU to reconsider and protect the ANDC:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Why the ANDC Matters? - The ANDC is Australia’s leading centre for lexicographical research, jointly funded by ANU and Oxford University Press. - It is the definitive authority on Australian English—documenting regionalisms, Aboriginal English, and producing landmark publications like the Australian National Dictionary. - Its widely celebrated “Word of the Year” initiative connects Australians with their evolving language and identity. - For ANU, it provides immense national and international visibility—while operating as a low-cost, high-impact asset. The Cost of Closure: - Damage to Australian English: Halting systematic documentation of our unique national language. - Setback for Indigenous Languages: Undermining efforts to research and preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. - Erosion of National Identity: Undermining the role of language in shaping how Australians see themselves, their history, and their culture. - Damage to ANU’s Reputation: Compromising its mission as a national university and leader in cultural heritage research.
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henrysweetsoc.bsky.social
Henry Sweet Society @henrysweetsoc.bsky.social · Jul 9
✨Vivien Law Essay Prize in the history of linguistic ideas✨
Deadline: 30th September 2025
If you are: a currently registered student or received your PhD/equivalent within the last five years (maternity leave excluded)
See details and get your submissions ready!👇
www.henrysweet.org/vivien-law-p...
The Vivien Law Prize — Henry Sweet Society
The Vivien Law Prize
www.henrysweet.org
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jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
James McElvenny @jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social · Jul 1
(aber, ja, um Missverständnisse zu vermeiden: #climatechangeisreal)
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jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
James McElvenny @jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social · Jul 1
Bah! Ich habe meine ganze Schulzeit bei 40 Grad im Outback verbracht.
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aeon.co
Aeon Magazine @aeon.co · Jun 23
‘If we could stop thinking of the brain like it’s a Rubik’s cube, then perhaps we would have more capacity to talk about what’s truly iconic about Gage: that he survived, both as a body and a person’ buff.ly/1gMuFXd
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jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
James McElvenny @jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social · Jun 29
i.e. Voegelin as quoted in Hockett (ed.), just in case it’s not clear. Link to book on archive.org in the post.
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
archive.org
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jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
James McElvenny @jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social · Jun 29
Sorry, I don’t know. The most fun anecdote I know about that period is the attached from C. F. Voegelin.

archive.org/details/leon...
„Charles F. Voegelin has told me of the relation between Bloomfield and Sapr as he observed it in the 1930’s. Each had deep respect for the other, but with certain reservations. Sapir admired Bloomfield’s ability patiently to excerpt data and to file and collate slips until the patterns of the language…“ „…emerged, but spoke deprecatingly of Bloomfield’s sophomoric psychology. Bloomfield was dazzled by Sapir’s virtuosity and perhaps a bit jealous of it, but in matters outside language referred to Sapir as a ‚medicine man‘.“
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laurarad.bsky.social
Laura Rademaker @laurarad.bsky.social · Jun 27
Look what's arrived!
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jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social
James McElvenny @jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social · Jun 27
Interesting! And is there a connection to “slim” as in American “slim customer”?
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stabihh.bsky.social
Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg @stabihh.bsky.social · Jun 26
Die FAZ über unsere aktuelle Ausstellung:
„Warum wir nicht alle plattdeutsch sprechen
Die Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg widmet sich in einer Ausstellung der Geschichte des Niederdeutschen.“

Noch bis 21.7. in der Stabi: blog.sub.uni-hamburg.de?p=40359
"Was ist das. - Was - ist das . . ." "Je, den Düwel ook, c'est la question, ma très chère demoiselle!" Im Salon der Familie Buddenbrook versucht die achtjährige Antonie in schulmäßigem Hochdeutsch den Katechismus herzusagen, was ihr Großvater, der ältere Johann Buddenbrook, mit einem wenig christlichen Einwurf auf Plattdeutsch und Französisch unterbricht. Die ersten Sätze in Thomas Manns Roman entfalten die sprachliche Situation, die noch in der Mitte des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts in Lübeck und vielen anderen norddeutschen Städten herrschte: Seine Glanzzeit als internationale Schriftsprache der Hanse hatte das Niederdeutsche zu dieser Zeit zwar längst hinter sich, aber es führte auch im Großbürgertum noch ein geachtetes Dasein neben der Bildungssprache Französisch. Hochdeutsch beherrschte man in diesen Kreisen zwar auch, aber es spielte keine hervorgehobene Rolle. In den kommenden Generationen änderte sich das. Niederdeutsch, dessen Gebiet sich von den Küsten bis in den Nordrand Hessens und über große Teile Westfalens erstreckt, wurde zur Sprache der "einfachen Leute". Bis vor nicht allzu langer Zeit galt es als Hemmnis schulischer Bildung und beruflichen Aufstiegs. Erst in jüngster Zeit hat ein Umdenken eingesetzt; der Rückgang wird nun als drohender Verlust angesehen. Das einst belächelte Provinzidiom genießt in großen Teilen Norddeutschlands mittlerweile ein beachtliches kulturelles Prestige. Der wechselvollen Geschichte des Niederdeutschen und seiner Erforschung widmet sich eine Ausstellung in der Hamburger Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek, ausgerichtet vom Verein für Niederdeutsche Sprachforschung aus Anlass seines 150-jährigen Bestehens. Das Spektrum der Exponate in der Staatsbibliothek (zu sehen bis zum 21. Juli) spannt sich von mittelalterlichen Handschriften über illustrierte Drucke der frühen Neuzeit bis zu Sprachkarten, Schulbüchern, der Dokumentation plattdeutscher Straßennamen und der Präsentation aktueller linguistischer Untersuchungen. Deutlich…
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aeon.co
Aeon Magazine @aeon.co · Jun 20
‘Enchantment and wonder can still coexist with the most serious science.’ How French ‘merveilleux-scientifique’ fiction reframed reality buff.ly/QnbZuh8
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hiphilangsci.bsky.social
HiPhiLangSci @hiphilangsci.bsky.social · Jun 23
Check out the latest publications in the history and philosophy of the language sciences for June 2025 🤩

📚 hiphilangsci.net/2025/06/23/p...

#Histlx
Recent publications in the history and philosophy of the language sciences – June 2025
Zwartjes, Otto, ed. 2025. The History of Chinese Linguistics in East and West. [Special issue] Historiographia Linguistica 51(1-3). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 385 p. ISSN 0302-5…
hiphilangsci.net
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