Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics

105: Linguistics of TikTok - Interview with Adam Aleksic aka EtymologyNerd

Jun 20, 2025

In this discussion, Adam Aleksic, also known as Etymology Nerd, shares his journey from etymology to creating engaging content on TikTok and other platforms. He dives into how algorithms shape modern communication, specifically through short-form videos. Adam explores the evolution of digital slang and the differences in audience engagement between video formats and podcasts. Additionally, he discusses the challenges of writing a book in a rapidly changing linguistic landscape and the implications of censorship on language adaptation.

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ANECDOTE

Etymology Sparked A Career

Adam Aleksic got into linguistics through etymology after reading Mark Forsyth in 10th grade and started a blog called etymologynerd.com.
He studied linguistics in college and later transitioned to short-form video after asking himself what to do next.

INSIGHT

Vertical Video Changes Perception

Vertical short-form video dominates the screen and can absorb a viewer's attention so they forget they're watching a video.
That total immersion changes perception and makes short-form different from horizontal long-form video.

ADVICE

Invest Time To Win Attention

Spend hours researching and scripting short videos to make them maximally attention-grabbing and accurate.
Film and edit tightly to retain viewers so the algorithm will push your video further.

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TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are an evolving genre of media: short-form, vertical videos that take up your whole screen and are served to you from an algorithm rather than who you follow. This changes how people talk in them compared to earlier forms of video, and linguists are on it! In this episode, your host Gretchen McCulloch gets enthusiastic about the linguistics of tiktok with Adam Aleksic, better known on social media as etymologynerd. We talk about how Adam got his start into linguistics via etymology, the process that he goes through to make his current videos get the attention of people and algorithms, and how different forms of media (like podcasts vs shortform video) relate differently to their audiences. We also talk about the challenges of writing a book about language on the internet when it changes so fast, comparing the writing process for Adam's upcoming book Algospeak with Gretchen's book Because Internet. Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice: https://episodes.fm/1186056137/episode/dGFnOnNvdW5kY2xvdWQsMjAxMDp0cmFja3MvMjExNjQ1NTgxMA Read the transcript here: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/786832938503405568/transcript-episode-105-linguistics-of-tiktok Announcements: In celebration of our 100th bonus episode we've decided to go back into the vault and revisit our very first bonus episode - with updated sweary commentary! We've made this extra bonus bonus version available to all patrons, free and paid, so feel free to send it to your friends: https://www.patreon.com/posts/131301144 In this month’s bonus episode we get enthusiastic about your linguistics questions! In honour of our 100th bonus episode of Lingthusiasm, and because our first advice episode was so popular, here's another episode answering your advice questions, from the serious to the silly! Join us on Patreon now to get access to this and 90+ other bonus episodes. You’ll also get access to the Lingthusiasm Discord server where you can chat with other language nerds: https://www.patreon.com/posts/125727177 For links to things mentioned in this episode: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/786832701937303552/lingthusiasm-episode-105-linguistics-of-tiktok