Wow, I actually squeled out loud when I read this 🤣 I really enjoyed reading Proto and I have very high expectations of your books because you manage to churn out these meticuously written pieces every week. A refuge from the world of AI slop! Looking forwards to it 👏
Thank you, Elina! I'm taking lots of lessons from how Laura Spinney handled the material in Proto, and hope I can do similar justice to what happened next!
I am excited that you are writing a book. Keep us updated on when it will be published, when and where we can pre-order, etc. I learn so much from your posts I can barely comprehend how much I will learn from your book.
You have the happy talent to make highly entertaining and endlessly fascinating what in other hands might be a dry subject. I’m so glad I found this blog and will wait for the book with great anticipation!
Fantastic, Colin - I'm so pleased Penguin have seen what we all see in your posts (and what I didn't see in an otherwise brilliant Oxford degree in English Language and Literature). I'm sure you'll have tons of ideas for the title, but what came to mind immediately was "Almost English" as in your posts and livestreams I've had such a sense of an emerging language, of the youth of the adult language we speak today. I would say I can't wait for the book, but in the Dead Language Society we get a lot of previews and, I'm sure, extra content. So I'm happy for us as well as you - general jubilee!
I'm going to congratulate you linguistically as I know you study Hebrew and Yiddish.
In modern American Jewish vernacular, folks say "mazel tov" for any good news. (mazel (מזל) initially/literally meaning constellation). Orthodox Jews are particular to make a distinction for good things which haven't yet come to fruition.partcularly about pregnancy. They don't say Mazel Tov but bsha'ah tovah (בשעה טובה) literally at a good time/hour. (This is serious about pregnancy, it can be a little more joking about other things)
Wow, I actually squeled out loud when I read this 🤣 I really enjoyed reading Proto and I have very high expectations of your books because you manage to churn out these meticuously written pieces every week. A refuge from the world of AI slop! Looking forwards to it 👏
Thank you, Elina! I'm taking lots of lessons from how Laura Spinney handled the material in Proto, and hope I can do similar justice to what happened next!
I am excited that you are writing a book. Keep us updated on when it will be published, when and where we can pre-order, etc. I learn so much from your posts I can barely comprehend how much I will learn from your book.
Thank you, Linda! I’ll keep you posted for sure!
Thank you! I loved Proto and I am looking forward to following the thread into English. I will definitely buy your book when it comes out.
A comment: I thoroughly enjoyed the post where each paragraph went back a hundred years. It provided a wonderful time travel adventure!
Thanks, Susan!
You have the happy talent to make highly entertaining and endlessly fascinating what in other hands might be a dry subject. I’m so glad I found this blog and will wait for the book with great anticipation!
How exciting!!! A big brother for Ōsweald Bera! Can't wait to read it.
SO EXCITING
Can't wait to read!
Fantastic, Colin - I'm so pleased Penguin have seen what we all see in your posts (and what I didn't see in an otherwise brilliant Oxford degree in English Language and Literature). I'm sure you'll have tons of ideas for the title, but what came to mind immediately was "Almost English" as in your posts and livestreams I've had such a sense of an emerging language, of the youth of the adult language we speak today. I would say I can't wait for the book, but in the Dead Language Society we get a lot of previews and, I'm sure, extra content. So I'm happy for us as well as you - general jubilee!
Thank you, Fionnuala! That’s very kind of you to say. And thank you for being a part of it!
Congratulations Colin! Thrilled for you, can't wait to read it.
Thank you so much, Evan!
Sounds good. Keep us updated 👍
I'm going to congratulate you linguistically as I know you study Hebrew and Yiddish.
In modern American Jewish vernacular, folks say "mazel tov" for any good news. (mazel (מזל) initially/literally meaning constellation). Orthodox Jews are particular to make a distinction for good things which haven't yet come to fruition.partcularly about pregnancy. They don't say Mazel Tov but bsha'ah tovah (בשעה טובה) literally at a good time/hour. (This is serious about pregnancy, it can be a little more joking about other things)
So, בשעה טובה
That is געשמאַק! Thank you, Adam!
Here’s a copy pre-sold! Congrats!
Thank you, Bill!
Congratulation, Colin! I am looking forward to reading it.
Thanks, Jack!
I am really looking forward to this book. I very much enjoy (and learn from) these posts.
Thank you!
And I will be reading that book!
Thank you, Deb!
Excellent news; congratulations. Along with others I look forward to seeing this develop.
Thank you, John! It'll be a long road, to be sure, but a fun one to walk.