𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 🔉
@ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk
Audio modelling of sound change; computer simulations of speech from old languages. Account of retired Prof. John Coleman. Also wildlife, personal opinions etc. #phonetics #speech #linguistics #etymology #ProtoIndoEuropean #Dorset #wildflowers #orchids #justified #ancient #nobridge
mastodonapp.uk
𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 🔉
@ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk
Audio modelling of sound change; computer simulations of speech from old languages. Account of retired Prof. John Coleman. Also wildlife, personal opinions etc. #phonetics #speech #linguistics #etymology #ProtoIndoEuropean #Dorset #wildflowers #orchids #justified #ancient #nobridge
mastodonapp.uk
@ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk
·
Apr 17, 2026
𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
English "bellows" and "belly" come via Anglo-Saxon beliġ and Proto-Germanic *balgi- from Proto-Indo-European *bʰólǵʰ- "bag", perhaps something like this (listen):
🔊 bellows-from-PIE-bholgh.wav
This simulation of *bʰólǵʰ- has initial [b], not [bʱ], as it's computed from recordings of Irish bolg, "bag", also a cognate.
The same PIE root developed into Persian بالش bālish "pillow", like this:
🔊 PIE-bholgh-to-Persian-balesh.wav
Related words are found in other Iranian languages, e.g. Pashto بالښت balacht, Ossetian baʒ/baz, as well as in Slavic, e.g. Slovenian blazina.
When I originally posted about this in November 2021, the linguist Magnus Pharao @magnuspharao.bsky.social pointed out that Danish bælg (seed pod of legumes and bellows) is also a cognate!
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian
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𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 🔉
@ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk
Audio modelling of sound change; computer simulations of speech from old languages. Account of retired Prof. John Coleman. Also wildlife, personal opinions etc. #phonetics #speech #linguistics #etymology #ProtoIndoEuropean #Dorset #wildflowers #orchids #justified #ancient #nobridge
mastodonapp.uk
𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 🔉
@ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk
Audio modelling of sound change; computer simulations of speech from old languages. Account of retired Prof. John Coleman. Also wildlife, personal opinions etc. #phonetics #speech #linguistics #etymology #ProtoIndoEuropean #Dorset #wildflowers #orchids #justified #ancient #nobridge
mastodonapp.uk
@ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk
·
Apr 14, 2026
𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
The English word "ankle" comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eng-ul- [aŋgʊl], the stem *h₂eng- meaning perhaps "joint". Listen:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/ankle-from-PIE-h2eng.wav
In Persian *h₂eng- developed into انگشت angusht, "digit" i.e. finger or toe:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-h2eng-to-Persian-angusht.wav
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #englishlanguage #acousticphonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian
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I Write Like
@iwritelike@mastodon.social
I'm Alexandra, a writer of fiction and non-fiction. I help build I Write Like, a markdown text editor. I share news about it, although most of the time I talk about writing, science, and other things that catch my attention. I'm a person of the mountains, meaning -- I spend a lot of time there, bringing back photos, thoughts, poetry and fairy tales. All of those I also intend to share here. I'm new. I'm excited. I'm still learning. #markdown #writing #fiction #poetry #software #outdoors
mastodon.social
I Write Like
@iwritelike@mastodon.social
I'm Alexandra, a writer of fiction and non-fiction. I help build I Write Like, a markdown text editor. I share news about it, although most of the time I talk about writing, science, and other things that catch my attention. I'm a person of the mountains, meaning -- I spend a lot of time there, bringing back photos, thoughts, poetry and fairy tales. All of those I also intend to share here. I'm new. I'm excited. I'm still learning. #markdown #writing #fiction #poetry #software #outdoors
mastodon.social
@iwritelike@mastodon.social
·
Apr 12, 2026
I always wondered what happened to "thee". Also, I absolutely love the concept of "wit".
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260408-the-extinct-english-words-for-just-the-two-of-us
#Linguistics #EnglishLanguage #history
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