# Language is Incredible ### Dr. Will Styler - 2022 UCSD Legacy Lecture <http://savethevowels.org/legacy> --- ### Thanks to the UCSD Scholars' Society for hosting this talk - To Seth McLaughlin for coordinating the process with me - To my colleagues and students for supporting me and providing feedback - To UCSD's LingUA for helping get out the vote and classing the place up --- ### Thanks to all the students who voted to bring me here - This is the highest honor I could receive as a teacher - It means the world to me that you chose me to give this talk --- ### The Prompt > "If this were the last lecture you ever gave, what would you want to share with the world?" --- ### Using language is the most incredible and complex thing you will ever do - ... and yet you do it every day, all day --- ### People don't generally see this - We use language *so often* that it feels 'boring', 'normal' and 'easy' - We stop seeing the complexity - We stop seeing how truly bizarre it is - We stop understanding why people spend lifetimes studying it --- ### So, rather than trying to tell you why language is incredible... - I'm going to show you, by showing you that your language is very, very weird - That there is more complexity than most people *ever* notice - ... and yet it still works so well that it feels 'boring' - **That** is incredible --- ## One quick note! --- ### The World has staggering Linguistic diversity - More than 7000 languages spoken on Earth - More than than 200 languages spoken here in the US - More than 50 languages spoken in California - **Every one of these languages is as complex, fascinating, and incredible as English is!** --- ### We're doing this talk in English - It's the most commonly spoken language on our campus - It's got plenty of fun chaos to make language seem weird! - ... but English isn't the only language which is incredible! - Be thinking about how all these ideas apply in your own languages and dialects! --- ### Our plan - Speech is incredible - Grammar is incredible - Meaning is incredible - All Language is Incredible - Language is incredible --- ## Speech is Incredible --- ### Your writing system is lying to you - Cheesy Legacy Lecture Example - We fought through, though rough boughs coughed. - Knight - This thistle - Unionized --- # 🐟 Ghoti 🐟 - 'gh' from 'tough' - 'o' from 'women' - 'ti' from 'fiction' - ... and the most vile lie you've been told... --- ### AEIOU and sometimes Y - Five vile deceptions - (Sometimes six) - They hide from you the true diversity of English vowels - Beet, bit, bet, bat, bird, but, bought, board, book, boot, boy, buy, bay, boat - ... and even more, depending how you count! - Other languages have even more vowels than we do! --- ### So, let's put the writing system aside! - <img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou.png" alt="aeiou.png The image contains a list of letters with some marked with red circles and crosses, indicating they are incorrect choices in what appears to be an educational context, possibly related to phonetics or spelling. The letters shown are: - a (marked with a red circle) - e (marked with a red circle) - i (marked with a red circle) - o (marked with a red circle) - u (marked with a red circle) Following these, there is text that reads and sometimes in black. Next to this phrase, the letter v has been crossed out with a red line and marked with a red cross. To the right of all the letters, there are two large words written in red: - The first word says NEVER!!!! - Below it is another word that reads sometimes but with the letter v crossed out. This description was generated automatically from image files by a local LLM, and thus, may not be fully accurate. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- ## "Linguistics is the best major ever!" --- ### Your writing system hides that speech is amazingly complicated - Individual sounds blend together - Adjacent sounds affect each other - Car Keys - You don't generally run out of air when talking --- ### Your ability to understand speech is even more incredible --- ### Let's listen to some sounds <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> --- ### Let's listen to some sounds <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <br> ### Now let's play all three at once! <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> --- ### Let's listen to some sounds <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <br> ### Now let's play all three at once! <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> <br> ### Does this help? <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> --- ### Your mind is able to turn incredible distortion into 'speech' - 'Sine Wave Speech' has three sine waves, changing frequency to match the loudest components of speech - Our brain is able to hear speech even here - Incredible! --- ### Wow, we're great at using sound for speech perception! - Let's see that again --- ### Video 1 <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> --- ### Video 2 <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> --- ### They're the same video! - # 😇 --- ### Speech perception isn't only about sound - This is the McGurk Effect - When you see 'ga ga ga' and hear 'ba ba ba', your mind tries to find the best answer! - This shows that speech perception is 'multimodal', and doesn't just rely on the acoustic signal --- ### Every human you've ever met sounds different - Different language background and dialects - Different vocal tract length - Different tongues making different shapes with a different voice - Two different people may produce 'dead' and 'did' with *nearly identical acoustics*, and yet you'll hear them as two distinct vowels - **You have never once given a damn!** --- ### Speech is incredible - It's nothing like our writing system makes us think it is - It's fluid, continuous, and complex - We are able to perceive speech despite incredible distortion - We use information above and beyond the acoustic signal - ### The fact that we can create and understand speech ever, at all, is incredible --- ### We understand speech using mechanisms which we use constantly yet don't *quite* understand - Speaking of which... --- ## Grammar is incredible --- ### What do we mean by grammar? - Linguists have a different definition of grammar than most --- ### 'Grammar' to most people - They're is a nice park over their. - 'That's the wrong form of 'there'!!! - Jessica's a great person to travel with. - 'You can't end a sentence with a preposition!!!'' - There ain't much good about our writing system in English irregardless of how you look at it. - 'Ain't isn't a real word, and OMG IRREGARDLESS IS BAD!!!' - **These are what we call 'prescriptive grammar' rules** --- ### Prescriptive Grammar rules are social rules - These 'Incorrect' sentences are still understandable - People make these 'mistakes' all the time - Some come from older versions of the language or blind adherence to the writing system - Some are arbitrary decisions by those in power as to what is 'correct' - Try asking 'How do you know that's the correct form?' - **Linguists don't worry much about this kind of grammar!** --- ### Linguists care about 'descriptive' grammar - What rules do speakers of this dialect *tend to follow* when speaking? - What makes language use *hard to understand* or *ambiguous*? - How can we describe the *patterns that people tend to follow when using language*? - How do speakers of different dialects *vary* in terms of the rules they follow? - **These rules describe how people *actually communicate*, and what makes communication *break down*** --- ### Speakers have unconscious intuitions about what's 'grammatical' and not - Is what you're hearing or reading English? - Do you understand what it's saying? - Can those words 'go together' like that? - Does this usage feel 'illegal' or 'not right' somehow? - **Let's try it!** --- ### Sample Sentences - I'm honored to present to you today. - Jessica succulent porch obsession on growing the has an. - Somebody stole my lamp, I'm delighted. - All your base are belong to us. - Saw the car red - This would be perfectly fine in Spanish! --- ### We don't always 'know the rules' of our grammar - ... but we follow them, even when they're strange --- ### English past tense forms are weird! - sing -> sang - ring -> rang - bring -> brought - sting -> stung - ding -> dinged --- ### English plurals are weird too! - Cats, Mutts, and laughs (ends with /s/) - Dogs, Professors, and Nerds (ends with /z/) - Dishes, washes, and plusses (ends with /ɪz/) - **How do we know which form works with which words?** --- ### This is a Wug <img class="r-stretch" src="img/wug.png" alt="wug.png The image displays a simple, hand-drawn style illustration set against a solid black background. The central figure is a light blue shape that resembles a bird, specifically looking like a rough sketch of the Twitter logo bird character often known as Larry. The blue figure has an irregular, rounded body shape. It is outlined with a thick, uneven black line that suggests it was drawn by hand. On the upper right side of the head area, there is a small, curved protrusion pointing upward and to the right, representing the bird's beak or crest. A single solid black circle serves as an eye, positioned in the upper middle section of the blue body. At the bottom left of the figure, there is a small triangular protrusion that looks like a tail or wing feather sticking out to the side. Extending from the bottom center are two thin, stick-like legs. The leg on the left goes straight down with a simple foot at the end, while the leg on the right angles slightly outward before ending in a similar simple foot shape. There is no text or other imagery present in the picture. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- ### Now there is another one. There are two of them. <img class="r-stretch" src="img/wug.png" alt="wug.png The image displays a simple, hand-drawn style illustration set against a solid black background. The central figure is a light blue shape that resembles a bird, specifically looking like a rough sketch of the Twitter logo bird character often known as Larry. The blue figure has an irregular, rounded body shape. It is outlined with a thick, uneven black line that suggests it was drawn by hand. On the upper right side of the head area, there is a small, curved protrusion pointing upward and to the right, representing the bird's beak or crest. A single solid black circle serves as an eye, positioned in the upper middle section of the blue body. At the bottom left of the figure, there is a small triangular protrusion that looks like a tail or wing feather sticking out to the side. Extending from the bottom center are two thin, stick-like legs. The leg on the left goes straight down with a simple foot at the end, while the leg on the right angles slightly outward before ending in a similar simple foot shape. There is no text or other imagery present in the picture. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."><img class="r-stretch" src="img/wug.png" alt="wug.png The image displays a simple, hand-drawn style illustration set against a solid black background. The central figure is a light blue shape that resembles a bird, specifically looking like a rough sketch of the Twitter logo bird character often known as Larry. The blue figure has an irregular, rounded body shape. It is outlined with a thick, uneven black line that suggests it was drawn by hand. On the upper right side of the head area, there is a small, curved protrusion pointing upward and to the right, representing the bird's beak or crest. A single solid black circle serves as an eye, positioned in the upper middle section of the blue body. At the bottom left of the figure, there is a small triangular protrusion that looks like a tail or wing feather sticking out to the side. Extending from the bottom center are two thin, stick-like legs. The leg on the left goes straight down with a simple foot at the end, while the leg on the right angles slightly outward before ending in a similar simple foot shape. There is no text or other imagery present in the picture. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- ### There are two... <img class="r-stretch" src="img/wug.png" alt="wug.png The image displays a simple, hand-drawn style illustration set against a solid black background. The central figure is a light blue shape that resembles a bird, specifically looking like a rough sketch of the Twitter logo bird character often known as Larry. The blue figure has an irregular, rounded body shape. It is outlined with a thick, uneven black line that suggests it was drawn by hand. On the upper right side of the head area, there is a small, curved protrusion pointing upward and to the right, representing the bird's beak or crest. A single solid black circle serves as an eye, positioned in the upper middle section of the blue body. At the bottom left of the figure, there is a small triangular protrusion that looks like a tail or wing feather sticking out to the side. Extending from the bottom center are two thin, stick-like legs. The leg on the left goes straight down with a simple foot at the end, while the leg on the right angles slightly outward before ending in a similar simple foot shape. There is no text or other imagery present in the picture. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."><img class="r-stretch" src="img/wug.png" alt="wug.png The image displays a simple, hand-drawn style illustration set against a solid black background. The central figure is a light blue shape that resembles a bird, specifically looking like a rough sketch of the Twitter logo bird character often known as Larry. The blue figure has an irregular, rounded body shape. It is outlined with a thick, uneven black line that suggests it was drawn by hand. On the upper right side of the head area, there is a small, curved protrusion pointing upward and to the right, representing the bird's beak or crest. A single solid black circle serves as an eye, positioned in the upper middle section of the blue body. At the bottom left of the figure, there is a small triangular protrusion that looks like a tail or wing feather sticking out to the side. Extending from the bottom center are two thin, stick-like legs. The leg on the left goes straight down with a simple foot at the end, while the leg on the right angles slightly outward before ending in a similar simple foot shape. There is no text or other imagery present in the picture. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- ### The Wug Test - Developed by Jean Berko Gleason in 1958 - Designed to show that young children (and adults!) have intuitions about grammatical rules - ... and those intuitions can apply to words they've never heard before! - **Let's see what else you know about creating words in English!** --- ### Are these words 'OK' or 'well formed' English words? - Quieter - Weobleing - slowest - Ari won the 2021 track meet, but Juan had a faster time when he won in 2022. - **I guess Juan was fastester.** --- ### Let's try again - Lecture - Breaking - Shockingly - I was given this honor by teaching. - **This is the teachingliest honor I've ever been given.** --- ### We can understand a word without it feeling 'right' - 'fasterer' is better than 'unblueringlyer' - ... but it's much worse than 'unlockable' - So, 'grammatical' isn't just 'yes' or 'no' --- ### We have similar intuitions about sentences - Will and Jessica went out for Krispy Kreme. - Please to be no eatings I are not tasty or nutritious. - I talked to more people than I recognized them. - I saw the cute black three cats. --- ### Let's build another sentence gradually and see how it goes --- ### The --- ### The boat --- ### The boat floated --- ### The boat floated down --- ### The boat floated down the --- ### The boat floated down the river --- ### The boat floated down the river sank. --- ### This is a 'Garden path' sentence - Your brain commits to one potential 'reading' of the sentence - Then, when you get that last word, your brain crashes - You have back up and analyze it differently to be able to understand it - The right pitch, timing, and intonation can make it feel OK - "The boat, floated down the river, sank!" --- ### How we say the sentences matters in other places! - Run to the store and grab... - Cheese - M&Ms - Tea - Some avocados - Pine nuts --- ### Let's try one more set of sentences! - Lightning round! --- ### More than cats attacked the new sofa than dogs. --- ### Most people call their friends more than I do. --- ### Pedro more went the car parking lot to in the. --- ### More of my plants are succulents than not. --- ### More people have been to Mexico than I have. --- ### Chantel saw more squirrels than Charlie and Mei. --- ### Jessica has more been to Tijuana than students. --- ### More UCSD students post raccoon memes than I do. --- ### Will makes more puns than most professors. --- ### Wait a second... - "More people have been to Mexico than I have" - "More UCSD students post raccoon memes than I do." - **These make zero sense!** - These are called 'Comparative Illusions', and come from blending two common expressions - "More people have been to Mexico than Bhutan" and "She's been there more than I have" - These *feel* grammatical at first - ... but we crash when we try to evaluate the meaning! --- ### Grammar is incredible - It's so much more than silly 'grammar rules' from pedants - We have strong knowledge of what forms should be used when - We understand that although we have lots of options, we can't always use all of them - Some of our judgments about language forms are strong and 'black and white' - ... but lots of forms can fall into 'gray areas' - ### We have strong and gradient instincts about how language works, even when we're not aware of it --- ### Yet, when meaning gets weird, those can break down - Which brings us to our next topic... --- ## Meaning is incredible --- ### You understand what words mean, right? - # "Truck" --- ### Let's ask a very common question in 2022 - # Are you a robot? --- ### Click on all slides containing a Truck --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_base.jpg" alt="truckbase.jpg The image displays a vintage flatbed truck parked on the grassy bank of a river or lake. The truck is painted a teal or seafoam green color and is positioned facing toward the left side of the frame. It has a boxy cab with a large windshield and round headlights set into the front fenders. A black grille is centered on the front, featuring an emblem in the middle. Below the grille is a heavy black bumper holding a white license plate that reads B 1394 KM. The truck rests on black tires with rusty orange wheel hubs. The metal frame of the undercarriage visible between the wheels appears rusty brown. The flatbed behind the cab is long and empty, featuring green side panels constructed with horizontal slats. Near the rear corner of the bed, there is a small red reflector. Inside the bed, near the cab, sits a dark object that resembles a bag or piece of equipment. The truck is parked on a bank covered in short grass mixed with dry leaves and twigs. Behind the vehicle is a calm body of water that reflects the sky and the trees on the opposite shore. In the background, across the water, there is a dense line of bare trees with brownish-orange foliage, indicating it is likely late autumn or winter. To the far left, partially visible in the water, are several small boats docked together. The lighting is warm and soft, suggesting late afternoon sunlight, which casts long shadows and highlights the rust on the truck's frame. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_penguin.jpg" alt="truckpenguin.jpg This is a black-and-white photograph featuring a single penguin standing upright in the center of the frame. The image is a medium shot, capturing the bird from the upper chest upwards against a blurred background. The penguin has distinct black and white plumage. Its head features a black cap that covers the top and back of its head, extending down to form a mask around its eyes and beak. There is a prominent white patch above each eye, curving slightly backward toward the back of the head. The beak is dark, relatively short, and pointed with a slight hook at the tip. The bird's chest and belly are primarily white but are speckled with numerous small, distinct black spots scattered across the feathers. A thin, curved black line separates the white chest from the black neck and back area. Its wings, or flippers, are extended outwards to either side of its body in a wing-spread posture. The upper surface of the wings is visible; they are dark with lighter, mottled patterns running along them, giving a textured appearance. The tips of the wings curve slightly downward and outward. The background is completely out of focus, appearing as a smooth gradient of light greys and whites. This lack of detail in the background suggests a shallow depth of field, likely placing the penguin on a beach or near water, but no specific features of the environment are visible. There is no text or other objects in the image. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_semi.jpg" alt="trucksemi.jpg This image depicts a scenic landscape featuring a highway running through a mountainous region. In the foreground at the bottom of the image, there is a paved asphalt road. It has a yellow center line and white edge lines. On the immediate left edge of the frame, there is a patch of green grass. On the right side of the road, driving towards the right edge of the frame, is a large white semi-truck. The truck consists of a white cab at the front and a long, plain white trailer attached behind it. You can see chrome details on the truck, such as the fuel tank and bumper. There are small red reflectors running along the bottom edge of the trailer. Behind the road and the truck, a dense forest of dark green evergreen trees covers the lower slopes. The trees are tall and conical, typical of pine or fir trees. They form a thick barrier between the road and the mountains behind them. Dominating the background are massive, rugged mountains. The peaks are jagged and rocky, colored in shades of grey. There is significant snow cover on the upper parts of the mountains, filling crevices and covering the highest points. The sunlight appears to be coming from the left, illuminating the tops and left faces of the mountains with bright light, while casting deep shadows in the valleys and on the right-facing slopes. Above the mountain range is a blue sky filled with thin, wispy white clouds that stretch horizontally across the top of the image. There are no people visible in the scene, and there is no text or diagrams present. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_pickup.jpg" alt="truckpickup.jpg This image shows a bright blue Ford Ranger pickup truck parked in a wooded area that appears to be a logging site or forest clearing. The truck is the central focus, positioned at an angle facing slightly toward the right side of the frame. The vehicle is a double-cab model with four doors. It has been driven through muddy terrain, as evidenced by the significant amount of dried brown mud splattered across the lower panels of the doors, the wheel arches, and the tires. The truck features silver alloy wheels with rugged off-road tires, chrome door handles, and silver running boards along the side. On the rear quarter panel behind the front door, there is a silver fuel cap cover. In the bed of the truck, a white rack or cover structure is visible. The front grille displays the blue oval Ford logo in the center. In the immediate foreground, lying horizontally across the bottom of the image, are several cut tree trunks. These logs have rough brown bark and light-colored, circular cut ends that reveal the wood grain. Green vegetation, including ferns and small leafy plants, grows around these logs and underneath the truck on the dirt ground. To the right of the truck, there is a pile of stacked cut logs. The background consists of a dense forest. On the left side, tall dark green coniferous trees rise up, while further back behind the truck, there are leafy deciduous trees. The sky above is overcast with layers of grey and white clouds, providing soft, diffused lighting to the scene. There is no visible text or diagrams in the image other than the manufacturer's logo on the grille. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_schoolbus.jpg" alt="truckschoolbus.jpg The image displays a large yellow school bus driving along a paved road, angled slightly toward the right side of the frame. The bus is an older model with a rounded roof and a boxy body. Across the top panel above the windshield, the word ECOLIERS is written in black capital letters. Flanking this text are two red marker lights on either side. The front of the bus features a large black grill with horizontal slats. Below the grill is a heavy black bumper which holds a license plate that appears to be blue and white, though the specific characters are illegible. The headlights are rectangular and positioned on either side of the grill near the bottom corners. Round side mirrors extend outward from the sides of the bus near the windshield. Through the large front windshield, you can see the silhouette of a driver sitting behind the wheel. The driver appears to be wearing an orange or reddish shirt. The bus is traveling on a grey asphalt road that stretches into the distance. In the immediate foreground on the left, there is a shoulder of brown dirt and dry grass. Behind the bus, the background is filled with lush green vegetation. This includes several tall palm trees with thin trunks rising high up, as well as other dense leafy trees and bushes. The sky above is a pale, overcast white or light grey. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_suv.jpg" alt="trucksuv.jpg This image depicts a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser, specifically an FJ40 model, driving across a dry, sandy landscape. The vehicle is positioned in the center of the frame, angled slightly towards the left as if turning or navigating a curve. The car features a two-tone paint job with a tan or beige body and a white roof. It has been modified for off-road use, featuring large, knobby tires with Hankook written in raised white lettering on the sidewalls. The wheels are black rims. At the front, there is a heavy-duty black bumper guard (bull bar) attached below the standard bumper. The grille is black with the word TOYOTA displayed in silver block letters across the center. Two round headlights flank the grille. On the windshield, there is a dark sun strip at the top with white text that reads Zivanna. Through the open driver's side window, a person is visible inside the vehicle. They appear to be holding up a camera or phone, possibly taking a photo. The driver seems to be wearing sunglasses. In the rear passenger area, through the side window, there appears to be another person, though they are shadowed and less distinct. There is also a small white sticker on the rear side window glass. The ground beneath the vehicle is dry, packed dirt or sand, marked with various tire tracks indicating previous vehicle movement. The background consists of an arid, hilly terrain covered in dry, brownish-yellow grass and scrub brush. In the distance, large mountains rise up, their slopes textured with shadows and vegetation. The lighting suggests a sunny day, casting distinct shadows from the car onto the ground to its right. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_hamster.jpg" alt="truckhamster.jpg This image is a close-up photograph of a small dwarf hamster sitting on a carpeted floor. The hamster is the central focus and is facing directly toward the camera. It has very fluffy fur that is primarily white or cream-colored on its face, chest, and belly. There is a distinct patch of grey or silver fur running along the top of its head and back. Its eyes are small, round, and black with a shiny reflection in them. The nose is tiny and pink. Two small, rounded ears sit on top of its head, appearing slightly translucent and pinkish inside. Several long, thin white whiskers extend outward from its snout. The hamster is resting on a beige or light tan carpet that has a visible looped texture. The bottom portion of the image shows the carpet out of focus, creating a soft, blurry foreground. Behind the hamster, there is a horizontal white surface, possibly a baseboard or the edge of a table. The background beyond that is heavily blurred due to a shallow depth of field. In the upper right corner, there is a large, out-of-focus This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_realtoy.jpg" alt="truckrealtoy.jpg The image displays a close-up side profile of a toy pickup truck positioned horizontally across the center of the frame. The truck is facing towards the left. It appears to be a die-cast model, likely from the Hot Wheels brand given the style and markings. The body of the truck is painted a muted teal or seafoam green color. Running along the side of the truck is a thick black stripe that extends from the front fender area back towards the tailgate. On the driver's side door, there is a large white circle containing the number 73 printed in bold black font. Just behind the cab window, near the top edge of the stripe, is a small logo that resembles the Hot Wheels flame logo. Further back on the rear quarter panel, above the wheel well, the text HW-620 is printed in black. Below this text is a small rectangular decal with a graphic inside it. The truck has four visible wheels which are solid black with small silver or gold centers. The front of the truck features a chrome-colored bumper and grille area. Through the side window, you can see a glimpse of the interior, which appears to have dark seats. The toy truck is resting on a rough, textured surface that looks like a piece of weathered wood or stone. This surface occupies the bottom portion of the image and is brown with darker cracks and crevices. The background behind the truck is completely out of focus, creating a soft blur of colors primarily in shades of light green and yellow, suggesting an outdoor setting with foliage or sunlight filtering through leaves. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_skateboard.jpg" alt="truckskateboard.jpg This image is a low-angle, close-up photograph of an electric skateboard resting on a paved surface. The perspective is very low to the ground, making the skateboard appear large and emphasizing the texture of the road beneath it. The main subject is a longboard-style electric skateboard. It features a light-colored wooden deck with a distinct upward curve at both ends (a rocker or camber shape). Underneath the wood deck, there are black mechanical components, including trucks and what appears to be a motor housing or battery pack area. On the front truck assembly, near the wheel axle, there is a small, bright green circular component visible. The skateboard has large, thick black tires. The tire closest to the camera, on the left side of the image, is in sharp focus. White text is printed clearly around the sidewall of this tire. Reading from the bottom up and around the curve, it says ONEBOARD, followed by specifications: 90MM 52MM 85A. This indicates the wheel diameter is 90 This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_firetruck.jpg" alt="truckfiretruck.jpg The image displays a side profile view of a large, bright red fire truck from the Beverly Hills Fire Department traveling along a paved city street. The vehicle is a heavy-duty apparatus, likely an aerial ladder truck, characterized by its long body and a complex white mechanical structure mounted on top that extends toward the rear. The truck features prominent white striping running horizontally along its side panels and silver trim around the wheel wells. Gold lettering on the upper red panel clearly reads BEVERLY HILLS FIRE DEPT. Near the front cab door, the number 4 is painted in white. Just behind the front wheel well, smaller text identifies the vehicle class as CLASS 4. Amber warning lights are illuminated on the truck; one is visible near the rear axle and another near the front bumper. Inside the driver's cab, two figures wearing helmets are visible seated in the front seats. At the very rear of the truck, standing on the platform where the ladder controls are located, a person appears to be wearing high-visibility yellow or green gear. The setting is an urban intersection during the daytime under a blue sky with wispy white clouds. In the immediate foreground, there is a concrete sidewalk featuring a square yellow tactile paving pad, which indicates a curb cut for pedestrians. A circular metal manhole cover is visible on the sidewalk to the left. The street surface is dark asphalt marked with solid and dashed white lines. In the background behind the fire truck stands a large building made of reddish-brown brick with long horizontal bands of windows. To the right side of the image, there is a structure resembling a gas station canopy with a white roof and red trim. Several tall metal poles support traffic lights and street signs. One traffic light displays a red signal. A circular sign mounted on a pole features a blue shield shape containing the number 5, indicating Interstate 5. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/truck_elcamino.jpg" alt="truckelcamino.jpg The image displays a side profile view of a vintage automobile parked on an asphalt street. The car is the central subject, positioned horizontally across the middle of the frame. It appears to be a late 1970s Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Gran Coupe. The body of the car is a pale, metallic color, likely silver or light gold, though the lighting gives it a slightly greenish-grey appearance. The vehicle features a black vinyl roof and chrome bumpers on both the front and rear ends. On the front fender, just behind the wheel well, there is a chrome emblem with script text that reads Gran Coupe. The car has two doors and a side-view mirror attached to the driver's side door. The wheels are covered by hubcaps with a simple circular design. At the rear of the vehicle, rectangular taillights are visible, along with a fuel filler door on the quarter panel. Behind the car is a tall wooden fence made of vertical planks painted or stained a light brown or tan color. The fence runs the entire width of the image behind the vehicle. Above and behind the fence, parts of a brick building are visible. On the left side, a metal fire escape ladder with rungs is attached to the dark brick wall. To the right, there are windows on an upper level protected by white railings or balconies. In the immediate foreground, the ground is paved with grey asphalt that has a rough texture. Along the base of the fence, just behind the car's tires, there is a scattering of brown leaves and debris, suggesting it might be autumn. The lighting appears to be natural daylight, casting soft shadows beneath the car. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- ### Words have a 'core meaning' - We call this a 'semantic prototype' - Yet, many things which aren't quite that still feel like 'truck' - Word meanings are *gradient*, rather than 'all or nothing' - ... or maybe you're all just robots --- ### ... but sometimes, word meanings can shift some - Is one 'many'? - Is five 'many'? - Is twenty 'many'? - To answer this, we must answer a different question --- ### Did you hear about the bug that listens to you talk before biting you? - Yeah, they're called **linguist-ticks!** --- ### Let's say twenty people laughed at that - Did 'many people' laugh? - Did 'many people' laugh if there were 22 people in the room? - Did 'many people' laugh if there were 40 people in the room? - Did 'many people' laugh if there were 5000 people in the room? --- ### We understand the intention of every sentence - "Never enroll in Will's classes if you don't like puns" - "Gonna come visit next week?" - "Give me the enchiladas!" - "You should really declare a linguistics major." - "Up in the back row, students cringed in anticipation." --- ### Some sentence meanings are hard to understand without world knowledge - "I saw the Chancellor of UCSD's Office" - "Will brought the Chancellor up during his talk." - "I went to the store" - "Oh I saw him!" - "I feel you." --- ### How about a sentence you can understand but don't know the meaning of? --- <img class="r-stretch" src="img/meet_me_here.jpg" alt="meetmehere.jpg The image displays a small, rectangular piece of white lined paper lying on a rough, grey surface that appears to be concrete or pavement. The paper is positioned diagonally across the frame, tilted slightly so that its top left corner is higher than its bottom right corner. It looks like it was torn from a notebook, as indicated by its uneven, jagged edges and faint blue horizontal lines running parallel to the text. Written on the paper in black ink is a handwritten message in cursive script. The text reads: Meet me here, tomorrow! The exclamation point at the end of the sentence is clearly visible. The handwriting is somewhat casual but legible. The background consists entirely of the speckled grey texture of the ground, with small stones and grains visible throughout. There are no other objects or people in the image. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- ### We also think about *why* people say things - "Will, who is definitely not Batman, gave a lecture." - "Dalen sure has been hanging out with Helen a lot lately." - "I ate some of your donuts" - "Your watch is gone? I wonder if Ryan's back in town." - **We understand what's implied without even thinking about it!** --- ### Meaning is incredible - Even single words' meanings can be tricky to pin down - Sentence meaning is easy to understand - Except when it isn't - Our knowledge about the world is crucial for understanding - ... and getting some meaning requires us to make assumptions about the world - ### We understand language's meaning with incredible nuance, using our knowledge of the world! --- ### I know what you're thinking... - # bruh - ... and that word is incredible, too! --- ## All Language is incredible --- ### *Everybody's* language is amazing to linguists - There's no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' language - Although social situations can dictate 'proper' language use, that's social! - Nobody speaks 'incorrectly', just differently - Speakers of different dialects don't have 'bad grammar', they just use a different grammar - **We believe that all language is valid and fundamentally worthy of study** --- ### We also care about lots of kinds of language use! --- ### Slang is incredible! - If somebody's using a word and somebody else is understanding it, it's worthy of study - You may have strong instincts about the meaning of 'yassification', 'based', 'mid', and 'simp' - It's quite simp to accidentally use words incorrectly - (Yes, that usage was cringe) - We understand slang and find it just as useful as any other language! - Swearing is amazing, and has fascinating linguistic features worthy of study --- ### Internet Language is incredible! - Emoji use is 100% linguistic (🎉) - Internet-first linguistic forms are fascinating! (e.g. lol, smdh, dni, brb, thx) - Keysmashing (e.g. alkjhsasdklj) is language, with meaning and social implications - uwu is a vawid fowm of winguwistic expweshun ＼(＾▽＾)／ --- ### Memes are incredible (and they're language!) --- <p>(This audiovisual content has been removed for compliance with recent federal accessibility guidelines. <a href="https://accessibility.ucsd.edu/policies-standards/ucsd-accessibility-guidelines.html">Please see this site for details.</a>)</p> --- ### We have linguistic intuitions about memes - We understand the meaning of meme templates - We are able to move elements of memes around like affixes on words - The methods we use to describe word formation work here too! - Memes have and change meanings like any other linguistic construct --- <img class="r-stretch" src="memes/memesarelanguage.jpg" alt="memesarelanguage.jpg The image shows a man sitting at an outdoor table on what appears to be a college campus. The setting includes brick pathways, greenery, and part of a building in the background. The man is wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt with a logo on it that resembles a stylized M or W. He has short dark hair and is smiling while gesturing with his right hand as if he's speaking. His left arm rests on the table, which holds various items including papers, a mug, and what looks like a microphone stand. In front of him, there’s a large sign that reads: - Memes are language - CHANGE MY MIND The background includes trees, benches, and part of a building with arched windows. The overall atmosphere suggests an outdoor setting on a university campus during the daytime. This description was generated automatically from image files by a local LLM, and thus, may not be fully accurate. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> --- ### Code Switching is incredible! - 'Code Switching' is the seamless blending of two languages within a sentence or utterance by multilingual folks - "Mañana me voy al Price Center to order mis textbooks for next quarter" - Speakers are simultaneously using elements of both languages' grammars - We can find fine-grained details from *both* languages in code-switching! - We also code switch among our many dialects! - *Code switching is fascinating, and should be a matter of pride, not shame!* --- ### Speaking of different languages... --- ### Signed Languages are language! - Sign is not just 'miming' or 'spelling out another language with the hands' - If it were just miming, you could understand all the signs! --- ### Which is 'father' and which is 'mother'? <img class="r-stretch small" src="img/asl_mom.gif" alt="aslmom.gif The image displays a medium shot of a man standing against a plain white background. The man appears to be the actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He has a bald head and light skin. On his face, he sports a goatee, which includes a mustache and a beard on his chin; the hair is dark with visible grey strands mixed in. He is wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt or sweater with a crew neck. His right arm is raised, bringing his hand up to the level of his upper chest and lower neck. His fingers are extended and spread apart, with the palm facing somewhat towards the left side of the image. He is looking directly forward at the camera with a neutral facial expression. There is no text or other objects visible in the frame. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."><img class="r-stretch small" src="img/asl_dad.gif" alt="asldad.gif This image features a medium shot of a man standing against a plain white background. The lighting is bright and even, casting soft shadows behind him. The man appears to be the late British actor John Hurt. He has a shaved head and a dark goatee beard that includes some grey hairs around the chin and jawline. His skin tone is fair. He is wearing a black, long-sleeved button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows on his right arm. He appears to be wearing dark trousers or jeans, visible only at the waistline where a belt loop might be seen. His pose is distinct: he is facing forward and looking directly at the camera with a serious, intense expression. His right hand is raised vertically in front of his face, positioned near his forehead and eye level. His palm is facing outward toward the viewer, and his fingers are held straight together in an upright position, resembling a stop gesture or perhaps a framing motion. His left arm is down by his side and mostly out of view. There is no text, diagrams, or other objects visible in the image. The focus is entirely on the man and his hand gesture. Based on his appearance—specifically the shaved head and goatee—he resembles his portrayal of the War Doctor from the television series Doctor Who. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> - ### MOTHER - FATHER <small>ASL GIFs courtesy of Dr. Bill Vicars at <a href="http://www.lifeprint.com">http://www.lifeprint.com</a> </small> --- ### Which is 'white' and which is 'like/enjoy'? <img class="r-stretch small" src="img/asl_white.gif" alt="aslwhite.gif The image shows a medium shot of a light-skinned man standing against a plain, off-white background. He has a shaved head and facial hair consisting of a mustache and a goatee on his chin; the hair is dark with some grey mixed in. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral to slight smile expression. He is dressed formally in a black long-sleeved button-down shirt and a dark tie that appears to be a deep purple or charcoal color. At his waist, a black belt with a rectangular silver buckle is visible. His right arm is bent at the elbow, and his open right hand is placed flat against his upper chest, directly over his heart area. His fingers are held together, and his thumb is slightly separated from the palm. His left arm hangs by his side, mostly out of the frame. There is no text or diagrams visible in the image. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."><img class="r-stretch small" src="img/asl_like.gif" alt="asllike.gif This image features a medium shot of a light-skinned adult male positioned centrally against a plain white background. He has a shaved head and facial hair consisting of a mustache and a goatee on his chin; the facial hair is graying or salt-and-pepper in color. He is looking directly forward at the camera with a calm, neutral expression. He is dressed in a black long-sleeved collared shirt and appears to be wearing a black tie underneath, though it blends in with the shirt. His right hand is raised to his chest level. The palm of his hand is facing inward toward his body, resting against his upper chest or heart area. His fingers are extended straight and held together relatively parallel to one another. The lighting is bright and studio-like, illuminating his face evenly while casting subtle shadows on the left side of his neck and under his chin. There is no text, diagrams, or other objects visible in the frame. The man in the image is Tony Burrello, an American Sign Language (ASL) instructor. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> - ### WHITE - LIKE --- ### Which is 'paper' and which is 'cheese'? <img class="r-stretch small" src="img/asl_paper.gif" alt="aslpaper.gif The image shows a man standing against a plain white background. The man appears to be Tony Buzan, known for developing the concept of mind mapping. He has a bald head and facial hair consisting of a mustache and a goatee on his chin; the hair is dark with some grey mixed in. He is wearing a black long-sleeved button-down shirt and a black necktie. His arms are extended forward, bent at the elbows so that his hands are positioned in front of his chest. His right hand is held horizontally with the palm facing downward, hovering just above his left hand. His left hand is also horizontal but with the palm facing upward, creating a gap between the two palms as if he is holding an invisible object or balancing one hand over the other. He is looking directly forward at the viewer with a neutral facial expression. There are no other people, objects, text, or diagrams visible in the image. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."><img class="r-stretch small" src="img/asl_cheese.gif" alt="aslcheese.gif The user wants a detailed description of the provided image for a blind student. I need to describe: - The person in the image (appearance, clothing). - Their pose and hand gestures. - The background. - Any text or diagrams (none present). - Identify the person if possible. Visual Analysis: - Person: A middle-aged man with a bald head. He has facial hair: a mustache and a goatee (beard on chin), which appears to be graying/brown. His skin is fair. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. - Clothing: He is wearing a black, long-sleeved button-down shirt. The sleeves are rolled up slightly or just loose around the wrists. It looks like a standard collared shirt. - Pose/Gesture: His arms are crossed in front of his chest. Specifically, his forearms are horizontal. His left hand is resting on top of his right wrist/forearm area, and his right hand is underneath, supporting or clasping the left forearm. It looks like a specific sign language gesture or perhaps a martial arts stance, but most likely a sign. Let's look closer. The hands are flat. The fingers are extended. This looks like the ASL sign for NO (crossing arms) or perhaps a variation of it, or maybe just crossing arms. Wait, looking closely at the hand position: - Left arm is on top, forearm horizontal. Hand is open, fingers together, pointing right. - Right arm is underneath, forearm horizontal. Hand is open, fingers together, pointing left? No, let's re-evaluate. - Actually, it looks like he is crossing his forearms. The left hand is resting on the back of the right wrist/forearm area. Wait, no. - Let's look at the hands again. - Left arm: Forearm extends from left to right across the chest. Hand is open, palm facing somewhat down/inward, fingers pointing right. - Right arm: Forearm extends from right to left across the chest (underneath). Hand is open, palm facing up/inward, fingers pointing left. - Actually, looking very closely at the hands: The left hand is resting on top of the right wrist/forearm area. The fingers are extended. It looks like a specific sign. - Let's reconsider the No sign. In ASL, NO involves crossing the forearms and tapping wrists or just holding them crossed. This looks like a static hold of crossed arms. - Wait, let me look at the hands again. The left hand is flat, fingers extended to the right. The right hand is underneath, palm up, fingers curled slightly? No, the right hand is also visible. It looks like he is making a specific sign. - Let's identify the person first. This looks like Tony Kaye, the director of American History X. Or maybe someone else. - Actually, looking at the face, it resembles Tony Kaye. He is a film director known for American History X. - Let's look at the gesture again. It looks like the ASL sign for NO or perhaps STOP. But wait, in ASL, NO is usually crossing forearms and tapping wrists. This is just holding them crossed. - Is it possible he is signing something else? The hands are flat. - Let's look at the specific hand configuration. Left hand on top of right wrist. Fingers extended. Right hand underneath. - Actually, looking really closely at the hands: The left hand is resting on the back of the right hand/wrist area. It looks like he might be signing NO but holding it statically. Or perhaps he is just crossing his arms in a specific way for a photo. - Let's look at the person again. Bald head, goatee. This is definitely Tony Kaye. - What is the context? He directed American History X. The movie deals with racism and hate groups. The No sign might be relevant to the themes (e.g., No more hate). Or maybe it's just a pose. - Wait, let me look at the hands one more time. The left hand is flat, fingers pointing right. The right hand is underneath, palm up, fingers pointing left. This looks like the sign for NO in some contexts or perhaps a variation. Actually, looking at ASL dictionaries, crossing forearms with palms facing each other or one on top of the other can be part of signs. - Let's just describe the physical position accurately without over-interpreting the linguistic meaning unless I'm sure. - Position: His arms are crossed in front of his chest. The left forearm is horizontal, extending to the right. The right forearm is horizontal, extending to the left, underneath the left one. His hands are open and flat. The left hand rests on top of the right wrist/forearm area. The fingers are extended straight out. Refining the description: - Subject: A bald man with a goatee (mustache and chin beard). He has light skin. - Clothing: Black long-sleeved shirt, buttoned up to the collar. - Pose: Standing against a plain white background. Facing forward. - Hands/Arms: His arms are crossed in front of his chest. The left arm is on top, extending horizontally to the right side of the image. The right arm is underneath, extending horizontally to the left side. His hands are open and flat. The fingers are extended straight out. It looks like a deliberate pose or sign. - Identity: This appears to be Tony Kaye, an American film director and photographer. Final check of details: - Is it definitely Tony Kaye? Yes, the facial features match (bald head, goatee shape, eyes). - Is there text? No. - Are there diagrams? No. - Background: Plain white/light gray gradient, very clean studio look. Drafting the response: Start with the person's identity if recognized. Then describe physical appearance. Then clothing. Then the specific hand gesture. Finally the background. The image shows a medium shot of a man standing against a plain, light-colored background. The man appears to be Tony Kaye, an American film director known for directing the movie 'American History X'. He is bald and has a goatee—a mustache connected to a beard on his chin—which is dark with some gray hairs. He is wearing a black, long-sleeved button-down shirt that is fully buttoned up to the neck. His arms are crossed in front of his chest. His left forearm is positioned horizontally across his body, extending towards the right side of the frame. His right forearm is underneath it, extending towards the left side. His hands are open and flat with fingers extended straight out. The back of his left hand rests on top of his right wrist area. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Wait, let me look at the hands again very carefully. Left hand: Palm facing somewhat down/inward. Fingers pointing right. Right hand: Palm facing up/inward. Fingers pointing left. Actually, it looks like he is making the sign for NO in ASL but holding it. Or maybe STOP. Let's just describe the physical position of the hands to be safe and accurate. The man's arms are crossed at the forearms. The left arm is on top, running horizontally from his right shoulder towards the left side of the image (wait, no). Let's trace the arms. His body is facing forward. Left arm: Comes from his left shoulder, goes across his chest to the right. So the forearm extends to the viewer's right. Right arm: Comes from his right shoulder, goes across his chest to the left. So the forearm extends to the viewer's left. So they are crossed like an 'X'. Left hand is on top of the right wrist/forearm junction. Fingers are extended straight out to the sides (left fingers point left, right fingers point right? No). Let's look at the hands in the image. The hand on top (left hand) has fingers pointing to the RIGHT. The hand underneath (right hand) has fingers pointing to the LEFT. Wait, looking at the image... The arm coming from the left side of the screen (his right arm? No, his right arm is on the viewer's left). Let's orient myself. Viewer's Left = Person's Right side. Viewer's Right = Person's Left side. So, the arm on the Viewer's Left is his Right Arm. The arm on the Viewer's Right is his Left Arm. In the image: The arm on the Viewer's Left (his Right Arm) is going across to the Viewer's Right. The arm on the Viewer's Right (his Left Arm) is going across to the Viewer's Left. So they are crossed. Which one is on top? The hand that is higher up in the image belongs to the arm coming from the Viewer's Left side (his Right Arm). Wait, no. Let's look at the shoulders. His left shoulder (Viewer's right) has a sleeve going down. His right shoulder (Viewer's left) has a sleeve going down. The arm crossing from Viewer's Left to Viewer's Right is his RIGHT arm? No, that would be unnatural if he's facing forward and crossing arms like that unless he's twisting. Actually, looking at the shoulders: The arm on the Viewer's Left (his Right side) seems to be the one going under or over? Let's look at the hands again. There is a hand with fingers pointing RIGHT. This hand is attached to an arm coming from the LEFT side of the image (Viewer's left). So this is his RIGHT arm. There is a hand underneath. It looks like it belongs to the arm coming from the RIGHT side of the image (Viewer's right). So this is his LEFT arm. So: His Right arm crosses over his Left arm? Let's re-examine. The arm on the Viewer's Left (his Right side) extends across his chest towards the Viewer's Right. The hand at the end has fingers pointing RIGHT. This hand is ON TOP. The arm on the Viewer's Right (his Left side) extends across his chest towards the Viewer's Left. The hand at the end is UNDERNEATH. Wait, looking at the image again... The arm coming from the Viewer's Left (his Right shoulder) goes to the center. The arm coming from the Viewer's Right (his Left shoulder) goes to the center. Actually, it looks like: His LEFT arm (Viewer's right side of body) is crossing over his RIGHT arm (Viewer's left side of body). Let's trace the sleeves. Sleeve on Viewer's Left: Goes down the arm which extends across the chest to the RIGHT. This is his RIGHT arm? No, if he crosses arms, usually the left goes over right or vice versa. If his Right arm extends to the Viewer's Right, that means it crosses his body. If his Left arm extends to the Viewer's Left, that means it crosses his body. So both arms are crossing. Which is on top? The hand with fingers pointing RIGHT (Viewer's right) is ON TOP. This hand is attached to the arm coming from the Viewer's LEFT side of the image. So this is his RIGHT arm. Wait, if his Right arm extends to the Viewer's Right, that means it crosses his body. Yes. So his Right arm is on top. The hand underneath has fingers pointing LEFT (Viewer's left). This hand is attached to the arm coming from the Viewer's RIGHT side of the image. So this is his LEFT arm. So: His Right arm is crossed over his Left arm. Wait, let me look at the hands again. Top hand: Fingers point RIGHT. Attached to arm on Viewer's Left? No. Let's look at the wrist. The wrist of the top hand is near the center-left. The fingers extend right. This arm comes from the Viewer's LEFT side (his Right shoulder). So his Right arm is crossing over. The bottom hand: Fingers point LEFT. Attached to arm on Viewer's Right? No, the fingers are pointing left, towards the viewer's left. Wait. Let's look at the image very carefully. There are two hands. Hand 1 (Top): Fingers are extended straight out to the RIGHT side of the image. The palm is facing somewhat down/inward. This hand is resting on top of the other wrist/forearm area. Hand 2 (Bottom): Fingers are extended straight out to the LEFT side of the image? No, looking closely at the bottom hand... the fingers are curled slightly or just visible underneath. Actually, it looks like the bottom hand's fingers are pointing LEFT. Let's re-evaluate the arms. Arm A: Comes from Viewer's Left (his Right shoulder). Goes across to Viewer's Right. Hand is ON TOP. Fingers point RIGHT. Arm B: Comes from Viewer's Right (his Left shoulder). Goes across to Viewer's Left. Hand is UNDERNEATH. Fingers point LEFT. This creates an X shape with the forearms. Wait, looking at the image again... The arm on the Viewer's Left (his Right side) seems to be the one going under? Let's look at the shoulder muscle. The shoulder on the Viewer's Left (his Right shoulder) has a sleeve that goes down and then the forearm comes out towards the center/right. The shoulder on the Viewer's Right (his Left shoulder) has a sleeve that goes down and then the forearm comes out towards the center/left. Actually, looking at the hands... The hand with fingers pointing RIGHT is clearly visible on top. It belongs to the arm coming from the Viewer's LEFT side? No, if the fingers point right, the arm must come from the left. Yes. So his Right arm is crossing over to the right. The hand underneath... where are its fingers? They seem to be pointing LEFT. So it comes from the Viewer's RIGHT side (his Left shoulder). So: His Right arm crosses OVER his Left arm. Wait, let me look at the image one more time. The lighting and folds might be tricky. Actually, looking at the hands... The hand on TOP has fingers pointing RIGHT. The hand underneath has fingers pointing LEFT. This implies: Top hand (Right hand) comes from Viewer's Left side? No. If I am facing you, my Right hand is on your Left. If my Right hand crosses to your Right, it goes over my body. Yes. Bottom hand (Left hand) comes from Viewer's Right side. If my Left hand crosses to your Left, it goes over my body. Yes. So he has crossed his arms: Right arm over Left arm? Or Left over Right? Let's look at the wrists. The wrist of the top hand is on the left side of the crossing point. The fingers go right. This is his RIGHT hand. The wrist of the bottom hand is on the right side of the crossing point. The fingers go left. This is his LEFT hand. So: His Right arm crosses over his Left arm. Wait, looking at the image... The arm coming from the Viewer's Left (his Right shoulder) goes to the center. The arm coming from the Viewer's Right (his Left shoulder) goes to the center. Actually, it looks like his LEFT arm is on top. Let's trace the sleeve on the Viewer's Right side (his Left shoulder). The sleeve goes down the arm which extends across to the Viewer's Left. Wait, no. Let's look at the hands again. The hand with fingers pointing RIGHT is clearly the one on TOP. Which arm does it belong to? It looks like it belongs to the arm coming from the Viewer This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> - ### PAPER - CHEESE --- ### Some signs are 'iconic' and related to what they represent <img class="r-stretch" src="img/asl_die.gif" alt="asldie.gif The image features a man, who appears to be the actor Jon Hamm, standing against a plain, light blue wall. He has a receding hairline with short dark hair on the sides and back of his head, and he is wearing a dark goatee. He is dressed in a long-sleeved, light grey crewneck sweatshirt. His arms are extended out to his sides at roughly shoulder height, bent slightly at the elbows. Both of his hands are open with palms facing upward in a shrugging gesture. He is looking directly forward at the viewer with a neutral expression. There is no text or other objects visible in the image. This description was generated automatically. Please feel free to ask questions if you have further questions about the nature of the image or its meaning within the presentation."> - ... but so are some words in English! <h1>'Whoosh!'</h1> --- ### Signed languages are Language! - Their grammars can differ *vastly* from nearby spoken languages - American Sign Language isn't even *related* to English - The same linguistic theories used for spoken languages are useful and used for signed language - **Signed languages are just as valid and interesting to study as spoken languages!** --- ### ... and the rest of the world's languages are amazing too! - Different sounds! - Different word structures! - Different ways to build sentences! - Different ways to talk about reality, time, space, and events! - **Every language is just as capable of describing reality as any other language, but every language does it differently!** --- ### All human languages can teach us *something* - Every language community can teach us something about how Language works - No language is 'boring' or 'basic' or 'primitive' - ... and we as linguists can collaborate with communities to help folks to document, teach, and preserve their linguistic heritage --- ### So, all language is incredible - Whether formal or informal, prestigious or unrecognized - Whether new or old, from Dickens or Discord - Whether acknowledged as language or not - Signed or Spoken - Here or anywhere else - ### Language is Language, no matter the form, and it's all worth celebrating! --- ### One last question... --- ### How is a legacy lecture like an extension cord? - It has a plug at the end! --- ### You should declare a Linguistics Major or Minor! - You'll learn how we can make sense of this madness - ... and find even more madness! - LIGN 101 is a great place to start (offered every quarter and over the summer) - More info at <https://savethevowels.org/lingmajor> - OK, OK, back to the actual point --- ### Using language is the most incredible and complex thing you will ever do - Speech is shockingly complex, and we don't care - We're barely aware of our grammar, yet we use it constantly to make fine-grained decisions - We understand nuanced meanings, informed by our understanding of the world - Everybody languages, in different, worthwhile, and valid ways, all of which can teach us about Humanity - Language is worth studying, and a life in language is a life well spent - ... because ... --- # Language is Incredible - ### ... and I hope you all can lega-see that now! --- <huge>Thank you!</huge> <http://savethevowels.org/legacy> has the slides and, eventually, a recording!