Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor vvia #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own
From linguist Adam Aleksic, known as @etymologynerd on social media, comes a captivating exploration of how internet algorithms are transforming language and communication in unprecedented ways.
“Packed with fascinating facts, of-the-moment observations, and a sparkling voice, Algospeak is a gift to any word nerd. Deftly covering everything from emoji etymologies and trendbait to Taylor Swift fanilects... Adam Aleksic is the wise, yet accessible internet linguistics oracle we need.”—Amanda Montell, author of The Age of Magical Overthinking and Cultish
Synopsis:
From “brainrot” memes and incel slang to the trend of adding “-core” to different influencer aesthetics, the internet has ushered in an unprecedented linguistic upheaval. We’re entering an entirely new era of etymology, heralded by the invisible forces driving social media algorithms. Thankfully, Algospeak is here to explain. As a professional linguist, Adam Aleksic understands the gravity of language and the way we use it: he knows the ways it has morphed and changed, how it reflects society, and how, in its everyday usage, we carry centuries of human history on our tongues. As a social media influencer, Aleksic is also intimately familiar with the internet’s reach and how social media impacts the way we engage with one another. New slang emerges and goes viral overnight. Accents are shaped or erased on YouTube. Grammatical rules, loopholes, and patterns surface and transform language as we know it. Our interactions, social norms, and habits—both online and in person—shift into something completely different.
Review:
Have you ever really stopped and thought about how our English language has evolved? How it took so long for what we deem 'modern' English to get here, but now the post modern English literally evolves on a weekly basis? The cause- the internet, obviously, and more specifically the way we interact ON it, that changes the slang we use, the vernacular and the trends that somehow are in our modern dictionary within weeks of going global. I just finished binge watching the tv show Younger as I was reading this book, and I was struck by the analogies, of how the Millennial overtake of TikTok spurred the end of publishing as it had been known, and how that was mirrored in everything the book was discussing about how our language changed because of the app and its widespread use (highly recommending reading/watching both at same time!). While most of us have given a passing thought to how our language had become global vs secular, most of us haven't really pinpointed the how and why, and this book does just that. An interesting, easy to read history of our language and modern culture, put this one on the must read list!
About the Author:
ADAM ALEKSIC is a linguist and content creator posting educational videos as the “Etymology Nerd” to an audience of more than three million. As a linguistics student at Harvard College, he founded and served as president of the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society. He’s discussed online language on NPR and repeatedly contributed to The Washington Post, and his work has been mentioned in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian. He’s lectured on language and social media at Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, and other top universities, including a TEDx talk at the University of Pennsylvania. Aleksic is based in New York City, where he spends a lot of time scrolling TikTok for “research.”
Comments
Post a Comment