In Thurlow's (2022) paper in this journal, he offers an innovative approach to combining discard studies and sociolinguistics. Many of the examples are about language creating waste in different ways. In this response, I explore the opposite possibility—that is, how waste could be said to create language in turn. I do so with specific attention to how sociolinguistics can be approached through what cannot be said (taboo) and who cannot speak. As examples, I compare two seemingly unrelated yet similarly controversial and important scandals in late 20th century New York State: the pollution caused by the closed yet undisclosed landfill in Love Canal and the abuse and neglect of disabled persons at Willowbrook State School. These are not normal subjects for sociolinguistics, and the latter is not a normal one in discard studies either. Yet I argue that taking them together helps create unexpected linkages between these fields. In doing so, I argue that taking into account what goes unsaid and who cannot speak also helps reveal some of the undiscussed politics in both discard studies and sociolinguistics alike.

中文翻译：

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浪费会产生语言吗？

在 Thurlow (2022) 在本期刊上发表的论文中，他提供了一种将丢弃物研究与社会语言学相结合的创新方法。许多例子都是关于语言以不同方式造成浪费的。在这个回应中，我探索了相反的可能性——也就是说，如何可以说浪费反过来创造了语言。我这样做特别关注如何通过不能说（禁忌）和谁不能说话来接近社会语言学。作为例子，我比较了 20 世纪后期纽约州发生的两起看似无关但同样有争议的重要丑闻：Love Canal 关闭但未公开的垃圾填埋场造成的污染，以及 Willowbrook 州立学校对残疾人的虐待和忽视。这些不是社会语言学的正常主题，后者在丢弃研究中也不是正常主题。然而，我认为将它们放在一起有助于在这些领域之间建立意想不到的联系。在这样做的过程中，我认为考虑到未说的内容和无法说话的人也有助于揭示丢弃研究和社会语言学等领域中一些未讨论的政治。