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• Post #4199246

  Not a flower as such, but a rather nice Robin's Pincushion, a feathery gall caused by the reaction of its Rose host (Sweet Briar, in this case, I think) to the larvae of a gall wasp. #wildflowerHour #wildflowers #wasps

• Post #3768505

  A little Centaury on Hartland Way, an old medieval road - now just a track - across Hartland Moor, #Dorset #WildflowerHour

• Post #3765743

  From Tuesday: Common Dodder, a hemiparasitic plant (here on gorse). Upton Heath, #Dorset . Many times I have walked there. #WildflowerHour #BigBigTrain

• Post #1981329

  My audio etymology simulations are collected at http://ancientsounds.net I'm also compiling, correcting and extending past posts on 🐦 (I left there before X) and 🐘 about those audio etymologies into an alphabetically-ordered blog, so that we can look up examples: http://ancientsounds.net/blog.html #acoustics #phonetics #audio #etymology #philology #Proto-Indo-European #EnglishLanguage #linguistics

• Post #1841744

  May Morning, and Up The Workers! But I am shocked - SHOCKED, I tell you - that there seems to be no maypole dancing in Dorset! In Oxfordshire, where we used to live, May Morning was definitely A THING. On-line research reveals maypoles today in Devon and Somerset, but Warwickshire, which has the biggest maypoles, also seems to be letting the Old Ways fade. 🙄 https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101382856-the-maypole-welford-on-avon

• Post #1743434

  𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 English "cow" comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃-u-s [gwous], perhaps something like this (listen): 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/cow-from-PIE-gwous.wav which also developed into Dari گاو [gau] and Persian گاو [gov]: 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Persian-gov.wav and very many other Indo-European languages, such as Ancient Greek βοῦς [bous]:...

• Post #1702046

  Some variety of cornsalad, on a wall. Quite a lot of it, round and about, right now. One has appeared in our front garden as well. #WildflowerHour

• Post #1437699

  𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 The word "khaki" is a loan from Urdu خاکی‎ xākī, a loan from Persian, from خاک xâk "earth", from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂s [ħaχs], something like this (listen): 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/khaki-from-PIE-h2eh2s.wav English "ash" (the grey-coloured burnt substance) also descends from *h₂eh₂s: 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/easte...

• Post #1351167

  Went twitching for the Bluethroat at Swineham (edge of Wareham, Dorset) and we actually saw it. Saw it a lot! So lovely. Met a guy who'd driven down from Anglesey! No photos, but some from earlier in the week: https://jwallfeatherfurphoto.blogspot.com/2026/04/bluethroat-red-spotted-13042026.html?m=1

• Post #1274016

  In Wareham Forest this weekend: Lousewort and Heath Milkwort. Macro photographs, very close-up/magnified. #WildflowerHour

• Post #1274015

  In a wet field approaching that wood, Lady's Smocks. #WildFlowerHour #wildflowers #bloomscrolling

• Post #1274014

  It's that time of spring when suddenly so many wildflowers are taking off all at once. From an ancient wood in Purbeck, Wild Garlic, Wood Anemone, Greater Stitchwort, and Toothwort, a hemi-parasite on Hazel. #wildflowerHour #wildflowers #bloomscrolling

• Post #1247782

  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 بال...

• Post #1188089

  By the way, and for the avoidance of doubt/suspicion: none of the "audio etymology" sequences that I've created and am posting here involve any use of AI, LLM's, neural nets, none of that. All are made from original audio recordings of real people speaking words in their various languages, which are then subjected to good old-fashioned signal processing (speech coding and synthesis). The continua of change are made using straightforward linear interpolation over the space of ce...

• Post #1159788

  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 #lingu...

• Post #1105323

  Coltsfoots? Coltsfeet? growing out of the crack by an old wall. #SignsOfSpring #WildflowerHour #wildflowers

• Post #1100076

  On the very windy Purbeck hilltop above the wood, a number of Early Purple-orchids struggling to grow vertically. #WildFlowerHour #wildflowers #bloomscrolling #orchids #wildOrchids

• Post #916451

  @StefanMuelller@lingo.lol There's the one about the double positives?

• Post #900993

  Calling all fans of #BigBigTrain and #Dorset heaths: “Upton Heath” is not only a wonderful song, it's also a very special wild place. Rich in #wildflowers #moss #lichen #fungi #reptiles and #birds . But now an area of land at its centre is on sale for mineral extraction. Please consider helping Dorset Wildlife Trust raise funds to buy it this month (not much time!) For details of how to donate, go to https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/appeals/save-upton-heath #wildflowers #Mossto...

• Post #880292

  Persian and English etymologies of the day Nowruz is the Persian New Year festival at the Spring Equinox (20th March). Nowruz means "new light"; Persian now (pronounced like English "no") comes from Proto-Indo-European *neu-io, something like this: 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-neuio-to-Persian-noo.wav Tajik рӯз and Persian روز, ruz descends from Proto-Indo-European *leuk- [lɘʊk]: 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-leuk-to-Tajik-ruz.wa...

• Post #879573

  From 2021 to 2024 I had a research fellowship to work on a project in which I use audio simulations to show how English is related to various "Eastern" languages, including Persian. Many of the audio recordings and the graphics used to illustrate them were from Iranian websites, now silenced by the authorities. So I've decided to re-post here (correcting where necessary) a number of them to show how those Iranian voices were essential to my research. By way of thanks and memory. (O...

• Post #879277

  @dtl@8bitorbust.info wtf

• Post #814366

  @VeroniqueB99@mastodon.social “Routers for this purpose are defined as “consumer-grade networking devices that are primarily intended for residential use and can be installed by the customer,” and which “forward data packets, most commonly Internet Protocol (IP) packets, between networked systems.” Hmm. Sounds like that would include more than just routers, but also e.g. “smart speakers”. Whatevs

• Post #814024

  @elilla@transmom.love Speculations are the seeds of hypotheses

• Post #765006

  RE: https://mstdn.crmbl.uk/@dorset_echo_news/116287828329416155 Apparently, #Dorset has bards: “A bard is an honorary cultural role given to a local poet–storyteller who serves as a literary ambassador for the area. Rebecca Danicic was crowned the fourth Bard of Caer Dur [Dorchester] in 2025 after winning an open competition at Dorchester’s Corn Exchange with her own writing and performances inspired by the area’s rich literary history.” #Durotriges #welsh

• Post #726769

  Highlight of our #wildflower searching this week were a few of the first flowers of Early Spider-orchid on the Purbeck coast. Very many more rosettes, spikes and buds yet to open up, so it was exciting to finally find a few flowers. This time last week, we couldn't find any. Soon there will be thousands. #WildflowerHour #orchids