A conference on the linguistics of Pokémon? Is this for real?

It sure is. Looking at the names of Pokémon across different languages is showing linguists more about how language operates. And it could show us how children learn language — and how we perceive it.

We’re talking to Pokémon researcher Stephanie Shih on this episode of Talk the Talk.


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Promo

Promo with Rewi Lyall, 2018-06-12: Pokémon

Daniel chats with Rewi ahead of the show. Can you tell which Pokémon are more evolved, just from the name?

Also at https://www.patreon.com/posts/19419515


Full interview

Interview with Stephanie Shih (complete)

Here’s the complete audio of Daniel chatting with Pokémon researcher Stephanie Shih about the 1st International Pokémonastics Conference.

Just what are we supposed to learn by studying Pokémon names? Quite a lot, really. Researchers are finding patterns that also hold up across lots of other languages and lots of other domains. Along the way, they’re finding support for sound symbolism as a method of word creation — and maybe even how children learn language.

Thanks to Stephanie, and to all our patrons.

Also at https://www.patreon.com/posts/19360778


Animation

Pokemonikers by @mysteryanimator

Also at https://www.instagram.com/p/BnTKVq7hU1A/


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Show notes

NORMAN: World’s first psychopath AI.
http://norman-ai.mit.edu

MIT scientists created a “psychopath” AI by feeding it violent content from Reddit
https://news.avclub.com/mit-scientists-created-a-psychopath-ai-by-feeding-it-1826623094

MIT fed an AI data from Reddit, and now it only thinks about murder
https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/7/17437454/mit-ai-psychopathic-reddit-data-algorithmic-bias

@talkpod hey – totally love your podcast – thank you!

I have a linguistic HELP to ask please 🙂

I saw this paper on indigenous languages in Africa and labor-force participation of women – should I believe it? https://t.co/GQNahIk7Rw

— Peter Fremlin (@desibility) 6 June 2018

Jakiela and Ozier: Gendered Language (PDF)
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/405621528167411253/pdf/WPS8464.pdf

Sean Roberts: Whorfian economics reconsidered: Why future tense?
http://www.replicatedtypo.com/whorfian-economics-reconsidered-why-future-tense/5988.html

The 1st Conference on Pokémonastics
https://1stpokemonastics.wordpress.com

Kawahara et al: Sound (Symbolic) Patterns in Pokemon Names: Focusing on Voiced Obstruents and Mora Counts
http://ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/003196

Shih et al: Pokémonikers: A study of sound symbolism and Pokémon names (PDF)
http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~inkelas/Papers/ShihAckermanHermalinInkelasKavitskaya2018LSA.pdf

Feist: “Sound symbolism” in English
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378216612002652

Superlinguo: When does maluma/takete fail? Two key failures and a meta-analysis suggest that phonology and phonotactics matter: New article in i-Perception
https://www.superlinguo.com/post/164947297693/when-does-malumatakete-fail-two-key-failures-and

List of Pokémon
https://pokemondb.net/pokedex/national

List of Japanese Pokémon names
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_Japanese_Pokémon_names

Is the spoon-wielding “Kadabra” #Pokemon (known as “Yungerer” in Japan) modeled on me?

— Uri Geller (@TheUriGeller) July 26, 2016

‘Swatting’ Prank Sends Police to Home of David Hogg, Parkland Survivor
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/us/david-hogg-swatting.html

‘Swatting’ David Hogg wasn’t a ‘prank,’ it was attempted murder
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-ol-enter-the-fray-swatting-david-hogg-wasn-t-a-prank-1528224230-htmlstory.html

Wichita cop won’t face charges for fatally shooting innocent man in swatting hoax
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/04/12/wichita-cop-swatting-no-charges/513129002/

For Chinese Pedestrians Glued to Their Phones, a Middle Path Emerges
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/world/asia/china-pedestrians-smartphones-path.html

Distracted Walking a Major Pedestrian Safety Concern
https://www.safety.com/distracted-walking-a-major-pedestrian-safety-concern/

This Causes 11,000 Injuries a Year—and You’re Probably Doing it Every Day
https://www.rd.com/culture/texting-and-walking-injuries/

Distracted walking: Examining the extent to pedestrian safety problems
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095756415000689

Urban Dictionary: mandle
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Mandle


Image credit: https://1stpokemonastics.wordpress.com


Transcript

We’re working our way back through the archives. If you think we should prioritise a transcript of this episode, let us know!