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Category Archives: Language
Surprising Things about American English
Here’s a collection of things I find surprising about American English as a British linguist living in Southern California. I look at vowel mergers in US English, vocabulary and grammar features, surprising pronunciations and hypercorrections. This is the first time … Continue reading
How to find a strange solace in the indifference of the universe | Aeon Essays
ape St Vincent, Portugal, 2012. Photo by Alfredo D’Amato/Panos In the face of an inscrutable, indifferent universe, Pessoa suggests we cultivate a certain longing for the elusive horizon An elusive point sits on the horizon. A deep yearning stirs within … Continue reading
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Tagged 2012. Photo by Alfredo D’Amato/Panos, ape St Vincent, Culture, Life, Portugal, Translation
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What makes some languages sound HORRIBLE?
[…] Is 🇮🇹Italian delightful and 🇩🇪German disgusting? Is 🇨🇳Mandarin a melodic mess? In this episode, Rob meets the linguists who’ve tried to work out which are the prettiest and ugliest languages. The results are sure to surprise you. ==LINKS== Niklas … Continue reading
Hear the Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ Sung in the Indigenous Mi’kmaq Language | Open Culture
in Language, Music | July 6th, 2023 To raise awareness of her native language, 16-year-old Emma Stevens sang a version of The Beatles’ 1968 classic “Blackbird” in the Mi’kmaq language, an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 11,000 in Canada … Continue reading
Susie Dent’s Foreign Words of The Week – The ‘Untranslatables’
Are there words that can’t be translated into English? Countdown star Susie Dent takes us through her top ‘Untranslatables’. Ever wanted a word for the friend that is always late despite saying they’ll be on time… Swedish is your language. … Continue reading
ox | Sesquiotica
“Why is it called oxtail if it’s from a cow?” I’m glad you oxed. It’s not just a load of bull. Ox is a word that, for many of us, is both familiar and strange. I grew up in ranch country in Alberta … Continue reading
The Vocal Fries: The People’s Tongue on Apple Podcasts
Show The Vocal Fries, Ep The People’s Tongue – Feb 13, 2023 Carrie and Megan talk to Dr Ilan Stavans about his new book, The People’s Tongue: Americans and the English Language.[…] Source: The Vocal Fries: The People’s Tongue on … Continue reading
A dictionary writer explains all
had a fascinating conversation with Merriam-Webster lexicographer Peter Sokolowski and now you get to watch it! Find out… 📕 A dictionary writer’s favourite word 🦨 What a “skunked” word is 💃🏼 What FABULOUS actually means 👩💻 How ChatGPT could change … Continue reading
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