The hottest Language Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Sweety Darling

Mister Slang • 78 implied HN points • 10 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Language
  1. Slang vocabulary is rich in terms related to sex, but lacks words for love
  2. Slang terms for genitals and sexual activity are abundant and creative
  3. Slang expressions for lovers, mistresses, and promiscuous individuals reveal the language's colorful and sometimes derogatory nature

Why Learning the Piano is Hard

Daniel Golliher • 78 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🚌 Education Language
  1. Learning to play the piano is difficult because it involves multiple sub-skills that many people overlook.
  2. Composite skills, like playing the piano or learning languages, are made up of several components that must be understood and developed.
  3. Recognizing composite skills and breaking them down into manageable parts can help improve one's learning and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Heroes of Slang: Billy Rowe

Mister Slang • 78 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Language
  1. Billy Rowe was an African-American columnist in the mid-1900s known for his showbiz focus and advocacy against racism.
  2. Rowe coined numerous slang terms in his columns, some of which predated similar terms by his peers.
  3. Rowe's slang terms reflected the world of big bands, clubs, and societal issues of his time, showcasing his unique contribution to language.

Why You Should Write

salondao • 178 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
📚 Literature Language
  1. Regularly writing is essential for a healthy life, regardless of the genre.
  2. Some modes of writing can be harmful, like short-form rapid communication that discourages nuance.
  3. Writing regularly not only changes our minds but also enhances our experience of life and improves our oral communication skills.
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Gửi các anh kỹ sư Việt Kiều

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 299 implied HN points • 07 May 22
🎭️ Culture Language
  1. In the US, the term 'senior' can refer to a high school senior, not just a high-ranking engineer. Don't get lost in translation!
  2. At Google, a team typically consists of 6 members with one manager - a lower-level leadership role. In different contexts like Vietnam, this might be seen as a much higher position.
  3. Job titles don't always reflect actual skills or contributions. Don't get caught up in inflated titles - focus on your work instead.

From the archives: The strain of civilisation

The Strategy Toolkit • 372 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🔬 Science Language
  1. Technology has significant effects on language evolution and communication, impacting knowledge transmission and cultural dynamics.
  2. The adaptability and flexibility of languages like Chinese and English contribute to their success and widespread adoption.
  3. Understanding the power dynamics of language, literacy, and communication is crucial for effective negotiation and societal progress.

More Words About Words

Desk Notes by Charles Schifano • 109 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
📚 Literature Language
  1. The word 'factoid' has changed meaning over time. It originally referred to a made-up truth, but now it often means just an interesting fact.
  2. Language changes naturally, like how 'literally' now sometimes means 'figuratively'. These shifts can be surprising because they flip the original meanings.
  3. As new forms of misleading information arise, we create new terms, like 'spin' and 'alternative facts', to describe them. It's a way for us to keep up with the blurred lines between truth and falsehood.

A 600-Year-Old Scientific Mystery and a Never Ending Battle of Egos

Pryor Questions • 336 implied HN points • 25 Oct 23
📚 Literature Language
  1. The Voynich Manuscript is a 600-year-old mysterious book with unknown language and unique illustrations.
  2. Researchers have been unable to decipher the manuscript or reach a consensus on its origin or purpose.
  3. The never-ending battle of egos among scientists persists in trying to unlock the secrets of the manuscript, with various theories and attempts ultimately proving inconclusive.

Twenty-five ideas about Love's Labour's Lost

The Common Reader • 248 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
📚 Literature Language
  1. Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost explores themes of war, death, wit, festivity, Arcadia, lyricism, and satire, offering a darker ending that symbolizes the passing of old generations.
  2. The play remains relevant today as it touches on issues like the delay of marriage and children, and the struggle between speaking about creating a better world versus actually doing it.
  3. Love's Labour's Lost engages with the debate on language by contrasting post-modernist views with the idea of fixed meanings, tied to a concrete reality, which is portrayed through the characters' speech patterns.

Sayings That Piss Me Off

American Dreaming • 92 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
😂 Humor Language
  1. Some common phrases can be confusing or just plain wrong. For example, saying 'I could care less' means you actually care, which is the opposite of what you might want to say.
  2. Many sayings are often used without understanding their true meaning. 'It begs the question' should indicate a follow-up question, not just a topic you'd like to discuss.
  3. There's a misconception about democracy and republics. The United States is both, and the terms shouldn't be used to support undemocratic ideas.

Abused Words

David Friedman’s Substack • 260 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🚌 Education Language
  1. Words like 'exponential' and 'organic' are commonly misused with meanings different from their actual definitions.
  2. Terms like 'guarantee' and 'literally' are often used incorrectly causing confusion in communication.
  3. Understanding technical terms like 'statistically significant' is crucial to avoid misinterpretation in discussions.

Grammar as metadata

Telescopic Turnip • 24 implied HN points • 17 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Language
  1. Languages often have gendered grammar, which can seem confusing and random. This happens because assigning genders to objects helps in communication by reducing ambiguity.
  2. As societies evolve, grammar and language can change to reflect new ways of thinking. This includes making language more inclusive for everyone, but that can lead to disagreement and conflict.
  3. Language isn't just about rules; it's a social tool shaped by culture over time. This means that changes in language reflect deeper social attitudes and divisions.

Language is a SimCity

Cybernetic Forests • 59 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🔬 Science Language
  1. Language can be seen as a dynamic city, shaped by collective contributions that form its intricate structure.
  2. Generative AI models, like GPT4, rely on statistics and random selection to produce text, often betraying a lack of true understanding.
  3. Human communication involves a choice between shallow, statistically-driven speech, like that of machines, and deeper, intent-driven speech that seeks to convey personal truths.

Links to Consider, 1/30

In My Tribe • 227 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Language
  1. Morality is about getting everyone on the same side, not achieving good consequences.
  2. Written language played a crucial role in the development of human civilization.
  3. There is a significant gender divide on political views among young people globally.

I am an LLM and I am writing this a word at a time

70 Years Old. WTF! • 58 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Language
  1. The author explains what an LLM, or Large Language Model, is - a system that predicts the next word in a sequence.
  2. The author discusses the process of writing and editing as an LLM, revealing similarities with ChatGPT and human writers.
  3. The author reflects on the collaboration between themselves and technology like ChatGPT in the writing process, highlighting the potential of human-machine partnerships in creativity.

What's cooking (Q2'23 edition)

Dubverse Black • 58 implied HN points • 03 May 23
🕹 Technology Language
  1. Generative AI technology is advancing rapidly and impacting the development of products.
  2. Dubverse tools focus on converting communication artifacts across languages using various modalities.
  3. Challenges in language translation can be addressed through emerging Generative AI techniques.

Moving the goal posts

Sunday Letters • 79 implied HN points • 29 May 23
📖 Philosophy Language
  1. People often change the rules of a debate when they don't like the outcome. This is called 'moving the goalposts' and it can be tricky.
  2. Arguments about concepts like 'understanding' or 'identity' can become confusing if everyone doesn't agree on what those terms mean.
  3. Instead of arguing over vague definitions, it's better to focus on how we use those terms in real situations and have clear discussions when definitions are necessary.

Individual Lies

Desk Notes by Charles Schifano • 315 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
📚 Literature Language
  1. Small lies can compound into something greater over time.
  2. Orwell emphasized the importance of telling the truth, even when it is uncomfortable.
  3. Avoiding expedient shortcuts in writing helps maintain integrity and clarity in communication.

BharatGPT’s Hanooman Coming Soon

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 19 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Language
  1. The new AI model, Hanooman, aims to promote ethical use of technology, inspired by the character Hanuman, known for using his power responsibly.
  2. Hanooman will have four different versions with various sizes and will support conversations in 11 Indian languages at launch.
  3. Future plans include expanding language support to cover all 22 official languages of India, enhancing accessibility for many users.

Podcast Episode + Other Stuff

Some Unpleasant Arithmetic • 4 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
🎙 Podcasts Language
  1. Posting is paused for about two weeks because of master’s exams and family commitments for a birthday.
  2. A previous piece was translated and expanded for Revista Supernova so Spanish readers can read a version with new material.
  3. A Millennial Dream podcast episode features a conversation about starting on Substack, Argentina’s economic history and politics, digital nomads, and urban topics like walkability and transit.

The Struggle for Survival, Information, and Immortality

Ulysses • 59 implied HN points • 13 Mar 23
🔬 Science Language
  1. Living beings navigate the world by ingesting information to survive and evolve, as genes constantly adapt and species evolve through the exchange of genetic material.
  2. Human survival relies heavily on memetic information stored in our minds, with language playing a crucial role in passing on knowledge and shaping societies.
  3. Writing is a powerful tool for achieving a form of immortality by transferring ideas and knowledge across generations, transcending biological limitations.

Dishonest Words

David Friedman’s Substack • 170 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Language
  1. Labeling someone as 'homophobic' for having negative views of homosexuality can falsely imply a single cause for their opinion and stigmatize them without considering other reasons.
  2. Using terms like 'racism' and 'denier' to label those with differing views can be a dishonest tactic to imply that their opinions are unreasonable without proper argumentation.
  3. Words like 'thermal pollution' and 'CO2 emission as pollution' can carry hidden value judgments, implying negativity without explicitly stating the values being used.

Heroic Appearances

Painful Signs, Or, Joel's Substack • 39 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
🚌 Education Language
  1. The ethnicity and appearance of ancient heroes, like Helen, may not align with modern concepts of race and beauty. Ancient depictions and concepts of color and appearance were likely different.
  2. Descriptions of heroes in ancient Greek literature, such as Helen, were often open to interpretation and projection by the audience, allowing for individualized ideals of beauty.
  3. Homeric poetry intentionally left physical descriptions of figures like Helen vague, encouraging audience engagement and diverse interpretations rather than prescribing fixed appearances.

The Mystic and the Poet

Carefree Sketches • 39 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
📚 Literature Language
  1. The mystic and the poet both relate to language in unique ways, with the mystic going deeper into questioning conventional language while the poet focuses on capturing fleeting moments.
  2. The mystic wants a total overhaul of language usage to communicate reality accurately, whereas the poet prefers creating sensory impressions with language.
  3. Prose can act as a mediator between the poet and the mystic, balancing between capturing moments and expressing eternal truths.

New words #5

Mutual Information • 39 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🚌 Education Language
  1. Discover new words by looking them up when encountered in podcasts or readings.
  2. Some new words include pluriennial, isoprene, trammel, polysemy, coruscate, mezuzot, kasher, sheikha, and more.
  3. Words like xenotime, mountebank, salubrious, and antepenultimate highlight the vast diversity in the English language.

Tech Mahindra Finally Takes on OpenAI

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 39 implied HN points • 28 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Language
  1. Tech Mahindra is developing a new language model called Project Indus to improve communication in various Indian languages, starting with Hindi. This is a big step for Indian IT companies in the AI field.
  2. The project aims to cover 40 different Hindi dialects initially and later expand to other Indian languages. They plan to reach a significant portion of the world's population with this technology.
  3. Led by CP Gurnani, this initiative is part of Tech Mahindra's Makers Lab, showcasing their commitment to innovation and challenging existing AI leaders like OpenAI.

The Coming of Enki III

Confections & Reputations • 39 implied HN points • 05 Apr 23
📚 Literature Language
  1. The story discusses the challenges of ascertaining truth from falsehood in a futuristic setting.
  2. It explores the idea of language diversification and how a universal translator struggles to keep up.
  3. There is a theme of surveillance and control in a society where rebellious acts are met with consequences.

Words, Words, Words

Let's Get Psychophysical ! • 39 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Language
  1. Arguments online often center around words, their definitions, and emotional reactions they provoke, rather than the actual content being discussed.
  2. Our brains are wired to react emotionally to words, and it's important to understand and control these reactions.
  3. To escape the power words hold over us, it's essential to use words purposefully as tools for action, rather than letting them control our thoughts and movements.

Why are Dakotans Not Like Scandinavians?

Erik Examines • 44 implied HN points • 25 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Language
  1. Culture is shaped more by the society we live in than by our genetic background. People can look similar but behave very differently based on their cultural experiences.
  2. Understanding comes from shared culture and language rather than just appearance. Having common experiences and cultural references can create deeper connections than shared heritage alone.
  3. In America, there's a strong focus on race in discussions about behavior and culture, which can be different from European perspectives that emphasize cultural variety across different countries.

Words Washed Clean

David Friedman’s Substack • 143 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Language
  1. Words can change in meaning over time due to overuse or intentional group efforts.
  2. Pejoratives like 'fascist' or 'socialist' may lose their original meaning through political shifts and overuse.
  3. Words like 'geek' and 'hacker' have evolved from negative connotations to positive interpretations over time.

Short Thoughts on Desire

Autoscriptorium • 39 implied HN points • 05 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Language
  1. There is a human compulsion to organize and categorize information to make sense of the world.
  2. Rating everything one encounters is a common habit to communicate feelings in a quantified manner.
  3. The concept of 'love' has evolved over time, from acts of ostenstion to self-oriented positive feelings.

Fragmentation of the self.

Default Wisdom • 236 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Language
  1. Fragmentation of self is influenced by historical shifts like the intensification of division of labor starting in the 17th century.
  2. Language, communication, and individualism are interconnected as seen through McLuhan's views on the power of language in shaping individuality.
  3. Material advancements like the printing press and the telegraph have played a significant role in shaping societal fragmentation and the way we perceive the world.