Kitty Dorkling

Probly haplogy

Probably is often pronounced /probly/. The syllable ba is deleted because it’s followed by another syllable starting with a b. This is called haplology – or haplogy if you will.

Some people have an issue with /probly/, but what they don’t know is that their beloved form probably is the result of haplology too: in Middle English, it was probablely: probable + ly. The part le was lost because it was followed by ly.

Haplology can be found in all ages and places. My new infographic shows cases from English, Latin, French, Greek, German, and Portuguese.

Come on [tumblr] where’s my Mars Bear fanart?

I collaborated with the Human Artistry Project to make this strip alongside other web cartoonists to make the point that “Stealing isn’t Innovation” when it comes to A.I. usage. It seems to be doing numbers on instagram and elsewhere, so you may also read it here, tumblr.

like if you’re literally magically mind controlled to be aware 24/7 that you’re ‘owned’ by another, combined with the other compulsions of Thou shalt obey me in all things and Thou shalt not leave my side unless directed, i don’t know how you could even begin to challenge that belief. could you even think your way around the idea that you’re Cazador’s property enough to not give into defeatism and maintain hope you might one day escape?

it seems like an insurmountable task, beyond normal psychology re: learned helplessness, and probably could’ve contributed to the spawns’ belief that this is all there will ever be for them.

i think acknowledging these three specific commands given to his spawn is critical to understand why Astarion believes defeating Cazador is such an insurmountable, impossible task. not only has he been magically brainwashed to believe it to be but in his case, it’s quite literally true — given the second rule of total obedience, even if Cazador doesn’t actively compel his spawn, they still are magically obligated to obey whatever he’s saying.

also while the fandom rightfully points out it took being infected by an illithid parasite for Astarion to break free of Cazador’s total control over him, i feel that this kinda glosses over the fact that the parasite is actually mutated, as it was exposed to both…

the remnant magic of a wizard so powerful his spell casting radically altered entire landscapes, civilizations, spellcasting in and of itself in Toril, as well as led to the murder of the literal goddess of magic; and

the divine wrath/curse of another incredibly powerful goddess, who was literally one of the first gods ever in the Forgotten Realms setting. (like it takes a century of research, an archdruid, + fey magic to undo the shadow-curse… it’s nothing to sneeze at!)