January 30, 2026
When adjectives go missing
Detecting Dementia Using Lexical Analysis: Terry Pratchett's Discworld
Fans split: touching tribute or creepy autopsy of Pratchett’s words
TLDR: Researchers say Pratchett’s later books show fewer varied words, hinting at early dementia years before diagnosis. Fans are divided between celebrating a helpful early-warning idea and calling it invasive, with jokes, tributes, and debates over youth-targeted books mixing science with emotion—and raising real questions about ethics.
A new study claims Terry Pratchett’s later Discworld books quietly signaled the onset of dementia—less varied words, simpler sentences, and a noticeable dip in adjective diversity nearly a decade before his diagnosis. Researchers measured “lexical diversity” (how many different words you use) using a type‑token ratio, and found a turning point in the flow of nouns and adjectives, even as wordcount went up. Cue the internet’s emotional meltdown.
The top mood: torn. One fan sighed that it’s “useful for humanity” but feels “overly invasive,” asking if Sir Terry would have approved. Skeptics jumped in with plot twists of their own: what if some later books were aimed at younger readers—did that naturally make the language simpler? Others went full meme mode—“just write 40 fantasy novels as your health check,” joked one commenter—while another suggested stress-testing the method on “political leadership,” and the crowd gasped. Through it all, the Discworld faithful rallied with GNU Terry Pratchett, the classic tribute line that keeps his name alive.
Whether this is compassionate science or creepy forensic linguistics is the hot debate, but the idea that our words can whisper health warnings has people linking the study, arguing ethics, and cracking dark jokes—exactly the kind of chaotic chorus Sir Terry would’ve written into the Ankh‑Morpork Times.
Key Points
- •The study analyzed 33 Discworld novels by Sir Terry Pratchett to assess linguistic indicators of dementia.
- •A turning point was identified using adjective type-token ratio (TTR), marking a shift in lexical patterns.
- •Later works showed significant decreases in noun and adjective lexical diversity (TTR).
- •Total wordcount increased while lexical diversity decreased, indicating simpler language use over time.
- •The linguistic shift appeared about ten years before Pratchett’s formal diagnosis, suggesting early detectability.