Matthijs
@mccaine.bsky.social
Bi femboy/twunk. Former social scientist. I like owls, languages, Tolkien, and socialism. Tell no lies, claim no easy victories. Private account (sfw)
Pinned
Matthijs
@mccaine.bsky.social
· Nov 24
Neither Morgoth nor Valinor but international socialism
For #Lexember 8, the assigned theme was "something to eat on or off of". I went with Fáni, one of my first tonal languages, spoken in a major subtropical river valley. The word is "bɔ̀fso" - a simple head-initial compound meaning "bamboo leaf" (leaf-bamboo). My sample sentence is then as follows:
December 8, 2025 at 8:06 PM
For #Lexember 8, the assigned theme was "something to eat on or off of". I went with Fáni, one of my first tonal languages, spoken in a major subtropical river valley. The word is "bɔ̀fso" - a simple head-initial compound meaning "bamboo leaf" (leaf-bamboo). My sample sentence is then as follows:
Reposted by Matthijs
Lighting the beacons to get Gondor-affirming care
December 7, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Lighting the beacons to get Gondor-affirming care
"The Trojans should really pull this horse inside, so that they can climb on it and have a better view of the Greek positions"
December 7, 2025 at 8:34 PM
"The Trojans should really pull this horse inside, so that they can climb on it and have a better view of the Greek positions"
Something for #Lexember 7, where the theme is "something to drink or drink with". This time I'm using the opportunity to work on my language "Western Nessan", which has some funky syntax, as described below. The word of the day is "awhi", meaning a kind of rum made of fermented sugarcane juice:
December 7, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Something for #Lexember 7, where the theme is "something to drink or drink with". This time I'm using the opportunity to work on my language "Western Nessan", which has some funky syntax, as described below. The word of the day is "awhi", meaning a kind of rum made of fermented sugarcane juice:
Reposted by Matthijs
Beautiful golden hour shot of Sunset and a burrito robot.
December 7, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Beautiful golden hour shot of Sunset and a burrito robot.
You know you're in a good bar when
December 6, 2025 at 10:43 PM
You know you're in a good bar when
#Lexember day 6 has the prompt "something to eat food with". Like pretty much everyone else, I've gone with "spoon", this time in my language Ancient Mu (see below). The "sour eggs" referred to in the example are not spoiled ones, but eggs cooked with vinegar, which is considered a delicacy.
December 6, 2025 at 5:04 PM
#Lexember day 6 has the prompt "something to eat food with". Like pretty much everyone else, I've gone with "spoon", this time in my language Ancient Mu (see below). The "sour eggs" referred to in the example are not spoiled ones, but eggs cooked with vinegar, which is considered a delicacy.
Sometimes you gotta have fun with the weekend fit
December 6, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Sometimes you gotta have fun with the weekend fit
Find someone who loves you like Beekes loves pre-Greek substrates
December 6, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Find someone who loves you like Beekes loves pre-Greek substrates
"Without the blessing of the priests and diviners, you cannot be the emperor"
bsky.app/profile/jomi...
bsky.app/profile/jomi...
Returning, perhaps unwisely, to this.
This is dangerous territory for @zackpolanski.bsky.social because he needs economists to support him when he makes policy proposals. Not to support the proposals necessarily, but at least to say 'regardless of whether I favour the proposal, this is coherent'.
This is dangerous territory for @zackpolanski.bsky.social because he needs economists to support him when he makes policy proposals. Not to support the proposals necessarily, but at least to say 'regardless of whether I favour the proposal, this is coherent'.
December 6, 2025 at 10:32 AM
"Without the blessing of the priests and diviners, you cannot be the emperor"
bsky.app/profile/jomi...
bsky.app/profile/jomi...
Reposted by Matthijs
RIP to Asad Haider— a great excerpt I came across earlier today from another individual below
December 6, 2025 at 12:42 AM
RIP to Asad Haider— a great excerpt I came across earlier today from another individual below
my friend mostly listens to classical music so his Spotify Wrapped age is 224
December 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM
For #Lexember 5, with the theme "something to prepare food with", I return to the reindeer herders of the frozen tundra and their beautiful Önni öt Nementöq, formerly known under the working title "Tundra Chionian".
December 5, 2025 at 9:26 PM
For #Lexember 5, with the theme "something to prepare food with", I return to the reindeer herders of the frozen tundra and their beautiful Önni öt Nementöq, formerly known under the working title "Tundra Chionian".
Catching up with #Lexember 4, my polysynthetic language Isonyë, used by desert long-distance traders. The theme is something that adds flavor to food. Word of the day is 'corrat', meaning "pepper":
December 5, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Catching up with #Lexember 4, my polysynthetic language Isonyë, used by desert long-distance traders. The theme is something that adds flavor to food. Word of the day is 'corrat', meaning "pepper":
Reposted by Matthijs
One of my most favourite glass vessels: A marvellous Roman vessel in the form of a pig, made of blue glass. It was used to hold ointment or perfume.
Found in a burial in Cologne. Dating late 2nd/early 3rd century AD
📷 Römisch-Germanisches Museum Köln
🏺 #archaeology
Found in a burial in Cologne. Dating late 2nd/early 3rd century AD
📷 Römisch-Germanisches Museum Köln
🏺 #archaeology
December 5, 2025 at 9:10 AM
One of my most favourite glass vessels: A marvellous Roman vessel in the form of a pig, made of blue glass. It was used to hold ointment or perfume.
Found in a burial in Cologne. Dating late 2nd/early 3rd century AD
📷 Römisch-Germanisches Museum Köln
🏺 #archaeology
Found in a burial in Cologne. Dating late 2nd/early 3rd century AD
📷 Römisch-Germanisches Museum Köln
🏺 #archaeology
Reposted by Matthijs
Next up for #HighValyrian #Lexember: zākon “mint”. I like mint in savory things. It’s a fun little surprise. :) #conlang
December 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Next up for #HighValyrian #Lexember: zākon “mint”. I like mint in savory things. It’s a fun little surprise. :) #conlang
I didn't have time yesterday so catching up on #Lexember day 3, with the prompt "a dish for eating". This time I'm using Izikazi, my Semitic-style nonconcatenative language (legitimately derived!). I'll just copy my Discord post for it:
December 4, 2025 at 6:32 PM
I didn't have time yesterday so catching up on #Lexember day 3, with the prompt "a dish for eating". This time I'm using Izikazi, my Semitic-style nonconcatenative language (legitimately derived!). I'll just copy my Discord post for it:
Me seeing a couple old stones: whatever
Me when the old stones are in a circle:
Omg!!!
Me when the old stones are in a circle:
Omg!!!
December 4, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Me seeing a couple old stones: whatever
Me when the old stones are in a circle:
Omg!!!
Me when the old stones are in a circle:
Omg!!!
Reposted by Matthijs
bluesky wrapped but it's how many meaningless arguments you got into. and also your win/loss ratio
Bluesky Wrapped and it's how many times your own joke was explained to you
December 4, 2025 at 1:24 AM
bluesky wrapped but it's how many meaningless arguments you got into. and also your win/loss ratio
Reposted by Matthijs
This is like an extra layer of infuriating to me: it is one thing for you to want the law to say something, it is another thing entirely to insist we must believe it says and always has said that despite all evidence to the contrary and the most basic application of logic
if you genuinely want to argue that the Equality Act, when introduced, intended to make unlawful an approach to trans inclusion that has existed *since the 1970s*, I absolutely cannot take you seriously
December 3, 2025 at 11:52 AM
This is like an extra layer of infuriating to me: it is one thing for you to want the law to say something, it is another thing entirely to insist we must believe it says and always has said that despite all evidence to the contrary and the most basic application of logic
Reposted by Matthijs
Like, I'm sorry the fascists are giving you difficult choices. But that's what fascists fucking do. The only legit answer is "fuck you make me". The only answer that shows you have actual fucking principles not preferences is "fuck you make me". And that sucks. But here we are.
December 3, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Like, I'm sorry the fascists are giving you difficult choices. But that's what fascists fucking do. The only legit answer is "fuck you make me". The only answer that shows you have actual fucking principles not preferences is "fuck you make me". And that sucks. But here we are.
Reposted by Matthijs
The theme of #lexember 2 was "a way of preparing food". This is in Vlanamiryu, a language in a Mediterranean-like setting, which has split ergativity (as shown below). I made "roast, grill" as an old compound verb "pierce-cook". The word for "skewer" is also derived from (proto-)"pierce":
December 2, 2025 at 10:51 PM
The theme of #lexember 2 was "a way of preparing food". This is in Vlanamiryu, a language in a Mediterranean-like setting, which has split ergativity (as shown below). I made "roast, grill" as an old compound verb "pierce-cook". The word for "skewer" is also derived from (proto-)"pierce":
Reposted by Matthijs
If you're trying to ditch NYT Games, which you should be since their games singlehandedly prop up the entire dogshit rag financially, you should switch to Puzzmo. An annual sub is 50% off today for a crazy $19 and as a bonus doesn't enable the genocides of Palestinians and trans people
Puzzmo — The (new) place for thoughtful puzzles.
Re-imagined mainstays like the daily Crossword Puzzle, modern classics like Really Bad Chess and SpellTower, and even a few brand new puzzles.
www.puzzmo.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:46 PM
If you're trying to ditch NYT Games, which you should be since their games singlehandedly prop up the entire dogshit rag financially, you should switch to Puzzmo. An annual sub is 50% off today for a crazy $19 and as a bonus doesn't enable the genocides of Palestinians and trans people
I'm pretty much out of spoons, both mentally and especially literally, but have my first #lexember contribution anyway - from a language (still) provisionally titled "North Great Bay". Today's semantic theme is "food prep before cooking"
December 1, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I'm pretty much out of spoons, both mentally and especially literally, but have my first #lexember contribution anyway - from a language (still) provisionally titled "North Great Bay". Today's semantic theme is "food prep before cooking"