Let's start off today's essay with a little poll. How do you pronounce the word "three"? Is it closer to a "free", or is it closer to a "tree", or perhaps just a plain old "three"? As we covered really long ago, the 'th' sound is actually a pretty rare sound across the world, but … Continue reading When ‘th’ becomes an ‘f’
A look at Countdown Conundrum
Lately, I have been fascinated with the British game show Countdown, which features word-forming and arithmetic rounds between two contestants. Presented by Colin Murray, and co-presented by Rachel Riley and Susie Dent (in the Dictionary Corner) today, Countdown is one of the longest-running British game shows, and the British version of the French original Des … Continue reading A look at Countdown Conundrum
The Dutch that isn’t
The word Dutch today describes the people that live in the Netherlands, the official language of the Netherlands, and stuff that comes from the Netherlands. But there is one language that has the name Dutch, and yet is not really one. Sure, it is a Germanic language like Dutch is, but it is not intelligible … Continue reading The Dutch that isn’t
The birth of a toneme in Khmer
The languages of Southeast Asia are known for their tones. Sure, there are notable exceptions such as the Austronesian languages spoken in the Malayan Peninsula, but for the majority of languages, including the Kra-Dai languages spoken in Thailand, Laos, and northern Vietnam, Hmong-Mien languages spoken in northern Vietnam and Laos, and the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken … Continue reading The birth of a toneme in Khmer
A platform to learn the indigenous languages of Alaska
Picture a typical language learning application. Things like Duolingo, Babbel, and Memrise would come to mind. These would prominently feature the languages with the most number of learners, major languages like English, Spanish, German, and French. But dig below the surface, and you would find some indigenous languages covered in there as well. On Duolingo … Continue reading A platform to learn the indigenous languages of Alaska
How do you actually read Maya?
If you have visited Mayan ruins across Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, particularly in the Yucatan Peninsula, such as Chichen Itza, you might have encountered some stone walls or bricks with some graphic inscriptions on them. They may seem to blend in, or resemble the graphic carvings of figures, deities, or the like they are found … Continue reading How do you actually read Maya?
The flags in language selection menus
If we hover onto language selection menus in some websites, we would come across two distinct formats, an entirely text-based menu detailing the name of the language (in some cases, in that respective language), or languages as they are depicted using a country's flag. Examples of the former include Wikipedia and Windows language preferences, while … Continue reading The flags in language selection menus
A rant on a concerning phenomenon in academia
This is a subject that may seem out of the blue here on The Language Closet, but it is something I want to get off my chest. After all, having a background in science, and a particular enjoyment in reading up on topics in linguistics, it is inevitable for me to at the very least, … Continue reading A rant on a concerning phenomenon in academia
Simplifying some linguistics terminology
Whenever I am not practising the languages that I am currently learning, I would usually read up on the inner workings of various languages, or how certain writing systems work. In doing so, particularly the former, I would encounter certain linguistics jargon that might just confuse the average reader. I must admit that when I … Continue reading Simplifying some linguistics terminology
Are languages really louder in the tropics?
In December 2023, I came across several articles covering a journal publication with rather sensational titles. While some use more typical titles like "Climate Plays Role in Shaping Evolution of Human Languages, New Study Reveals", others went the sensational route, using titles like "Languages are louder in the tropics" or "Linguistics study claims that languages … Continue reading Are languages really louder in the tropics?
The handwriting that schools banned
While trawling the Internet for interesting phenomena in any topics in language and writing, I came across this post that was spread around various pages. This one talked about the time when a certain handwriting was banned in schools across Japan. The reason for the banning was it being "too illegible". In fact, some sites … Continue reading The handwriting that schools banned
India’s only true indigenous alphabet (recognised as an official script)
With over 1.4 billion people, and being the most populous country in the world, India is an incredibly diverse place. With its diversity, also comes many languages, and writing systems used to write them. However, most of these writing systems have a similar pattern. Each consonant letter carries its own inherent vowel, and its vowel … Continue reading India’s only true indigenous alphabet (recognised as an official script)
How do we measure linguistic diversity?
Earth is a diverse place, with millions of species, and thousands of languages. Yet, when we think about diversity, our minds gravitate towards biodiversity, or the variety of life (usually plant and animal) in a particular area. But the same applies to linguistic diversity, or the diversity of languages in a particular area. On The … Continue reading How do we measure linguistic diversity?
Talking about four-character idioms
Today, I want to talk about a certain type of idiomatic expression so ubiquitous in both vernacular Chinese speech and writing, yet, only using a limited number of characters to do so. Almost all of them use just 4 characters, leading to one term called four-character idioms. The Chinese term is called 成語 or chengyu, … Continue reading Talking about four-character idioms
The writing systems that resemble comics (Pt 2)
Previously, we have looked at the Naxi Dongba script, one of the few writing systems in the world where manuscripts sort of looked like comics. But within a similar region of China, is another writing system that resembled comics, and it managed to incorporate colour into meaning. We have briefly given this writing system a … Continue reading The writing systems that resemble comics (Pt 2)
A new Duolingo review
Previously, I have asked you readers if it is time for an updated Duolingo review, and you have responded resoundingly in favour of one. So, after some months of getting back on the Duolingo grind, I am back here, in 2024, to do an updated review of this language learning application giant. Firstly, I want … Continue reading A new Duolingo review
The writing systems that resemble comics (Pt 1)
In southern China, is a writing system that is referred to as the 'wood records' or the 'stone records'. But most people who speak the language it represents do not really know how to read it. Taking a manuscript from this writing system, it would appear very much like a page from a comic book. … Continue reading The writing systems that resemble comics (Pt 1)
Exploring Haitian Creole (Kreyòl)
On Duolingo's language menu, there is an interesting language added rather recently. It is perhaps the only creole to have ever been added to the platform, and with a background in French, I decided to explore this creole further, out of pure curiosity. This creole is known as Haitian Creole, or Kreyòl, spoken by at … Continue reading Exploring Haitian Creole (Kreyòl)
‘Nuclear’, but why do some say ‘Nucular’?
Let us start this week's exploration with a little question. How do you pronounce the word 'nuclear', as in, a 'nuclear reactor' or 'nuclear fission'? As I become more interested in languages, I have become more attentive to the patterns people pronounce certain words. There are two distinct patterns people tend to say the word … Continue reading ‘Nuclear’, but why do some say ‘Nucular’?
It’s time for a new review (Clozemaster)
It is 2024, and some of you might still have "learning a new language" as a resolution for this year. You might have poured through the conventional mobile applications dedicated to serve this purpose. Duolingo, Memrise, perhaps you might have taken up Babbel through some of their sponsored marketing through some YouTube channels. Today, I … Continue reading It’s time for a new review (Clozemaster)
Where did these new words come from?
If you have been anywhere on social media lately, or chatting with your friends, you might have come across some words that just sound, well, new. Words like 'rizz', or 'rizzler', or even 'gyatt' have started to enter popular colloquial use, ushering in a new wave of slang terms used amongst English speakers, typically skewed … Continue reading Where did these new words come from?
The language on the highest mountain of an island
When we talk about the highest points on Earth, we only ever talk about Mt Everest. It is no doubt the top of the world, but its status as the tallest mountain is under debate, since Hawai'i's Mauna Kea, when measured from its underwater base to summit, stands at 9330m, around 500 metres taller than … Continue reading The language on the highest mountain of an island
Which language has the most tones?
This question sounds easy and simple, but the real answer has many more layers to it. Tonal languages are languages where words can differ in meaning in tone or tone changes, in addition to consonants and vowels. There are probably at least a couple thousand of tonal languages in the world, each with differing complexity, … Continue reading Which language has the most tones?
The Languages of North America
When this topic pops into mind, our first instinct may be to gravitate towards English, French, and Spanish, the dominant languages in this region. French and English are spoken in Canada, English and Spanish are spoken in the United States, and Spanish is spoken in Mexico (North America largely includes only the Northern Mexican states, … Continue reading The Languages of North America
A weird way to write Taiwanese Hokkien
Hokkien is perhaps one of the most recognisable languages spoken in Taiwan, Fujian, and Southeast Asia. With more than 13 million native speakers, the Taiwanese variety of Hokkien is spoken by a majority of the Taiwanese population. Tracing its roots to the Hoklo immigration from southern Fujian to Taiwan, this language finds itself mutually intelligible … Continue reading A weird way to write Taiwanese Hokkien
The rise and fall of the Tōyō kanji
To say that Japanese has a convoluted writing system is a rather huge understatement. More accurately described as three writing systems in an orthographical trenchcoat, filtering out which kanji to use, teach, and write in Japanese has posed as a persistent challenge since its first mention in the Meiji period. Previously, we have seen the … Continue reading The rise and fall of the Tōyō kanji
Learning Taiwanese Hokkien
Today, I want to share some bits and bobs about my experiences learning something that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I have been to Taiwan twice in my life, and had great memories from that country. With great food, interesting architecture, and an interesting spread of linguistic diversity, Taiwan is … Continue reading Learning Taiwanese Hokkien
The curious rise of the Antarctic accent
English is a weird language. It is globally known, and to various extents, are spoken to varying proficiencies. With it, also comes its mingling with other languages, and more interestingly, geographical isolation. English has become an ubiquitous language -- spoken almost everywhere on Earth, probably except the uninhabited islands that dot the Earth's crust. The … Continue reading The curious rise of the Antarctic accent
Classical (or Literary) Chinese is … weird
Even as a native Mandarin Chinese speaker, I find some aspects of Chinese literature particularly difficult to understand or interpret. And no, I do not mean the 4 Great Classical Novels or the 四大名著 which are Water Margin or 水滸傳, Romance of the Three Kingdoms or 三國演義, Journey to the West or 西游記, and Dream … Continue reading Classical (or Literary) Chinese is … weird
A brief look into Bernese German (Bärndütsch)
Today, let us look into the book in the middle, the Bernese German translation of The Little Prince. Previously, we have looked at a variety of Swiss German called Züritüütsch, or Zurich German. Among my souvenirs from Switzerland, I did mention that I have a copy of The Little Prince in another Swiss German variety. … Continue reading A brief look into Bernese German (Bärndütsch)
A deeper dive into Swiss German
The Little Prince in Standard High German (left), Bernese German (center), and Zurich German (right) Recently, I went on a trip to Zurich for a convention, and decided to stay a day longer to explore as much of the Altstadt and the Limmat as I could. Naturally, I explored the local bookstores in search of … Continue reading A deeper dive into Swiss German
The simplified Chinese characters you probably have never heard about
For the past month or so, we have been on quite a streak with content surrounding Mandarin Chinese, but there are so many relatively obscure things about writing Chinese that many speakers, both native and non-native, often overlook. Today, we introduce the system of simplified Chinese characters that have dodged most people in the years … Continue reading The simplified Chinese characters you probably have never heard about
That time China tried to simplify characters… again
Simplified Chinese characters are probably what almost every learner of Mandarin Chinese would practice writing. Used predominantly in China, Singapore, and to a lesser extent, Malaysia, this writing system is used by more than a billion people, and does seem like a recent thing. But the history of simplified Chinese characters stretches way further than … Continue reading That time China tried to simplify characters… again
The Other Chinese Braille
Previously, we covered Mainland Chinese Braille, which works pretty similar to a syllabary, but interestingly lacked tone markers on a majority of cases. Today, we will look at another braille system used in China to read and write Mandarin Chinese. Designed and developed in the 1970s, and approved by the State Language Committee of the … Continue reading The Other Chinese Braille
So, how did California get its name?
This is probably the most well-known state in the United States, alongside Texas, New York, and Florida. Among the largest states in the country, with among the highest populations, California is perhaps the state that has exported quite a fair bit of cultural, economic, and technological influences globally, from Hollywood to Silicon Valley. Yet, there … Continue reading So, how did California get its name?
Exploring ‘character amnesia’
Here in the Language Closet, we cover a lot about writing systems, and some interesting bits surrounding the way we read and write. But there is one phenomenon I was introduced to back in high school regarding the loss of ability to write because one is too used to typing on text input media like … Continue reading Exploring ‘character amnesia’
How Chinese Braille works
In a previous post, we looked at the tactile writing systems that came before braille. Many braille systems today are functioning alphabets, with one cell representing one letter. These are variations of the original French braille alphabet, largely due to the goal of braille uniformity to unify the braille alphabets of the world as much … Continue reading How Chinese Braille works
The languages lacking the most common consonants
When we look at the sounds of the world's languages, there are some sounds that appear more often than others. The stop consonants /k/, /t/, /p/ (and their voiced counterparts) are among the most common sounds we hear, but some languages lack at least one of these consonants. One notable example is the lack of … Continue reading The languages lacking the most common consonants
Why does Australia not seem to have any indigenous writing system?
For most of us today, we read and write our languages in various writing systems -- some use alphabets, some use syllabaries, and some decide, why not, just use a bunch of them together. Despite the ubiquity and importance of writing in various societies today, most languages across the world are predominantly only spoken, with … Continue reading Why does Australia not seem to have any indigenous writing system?
How might a Japanese version of Wheel of Fortune work?
Today, I want to do a little thought experiment, one that is based on a televised gameshow. Wheel of Fortune is perhaps one of the most iconic televised gameshows in America, and perhaps, the world, with over 7000 episodes aired in its ~40 years of history. Currently hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White, Wheel … Continue reading How might a Japanese version of Wheel of Fortune work?
The tactile writing systems before Braille
Across all of the writing systems introduced on this website, there are several fundamentals that are universal among them. One of them is, it requires vision, or the sense of sight, to encode the intended message in writing, and to decode the text into the intended message in reading. But what happens when this sense … Continue reading The tactile writing systems before Braille
The languages with the rarest word order
The vast majority of languages have something in common with each other -- in their canonical word order, the subject always comes before the object. Such word order encompasses the subject-object-verb word order, the most common word order accounting for 45% of all the world's languages, subject-verb-object word order accounting for 42% of the world's … Continue reading The languages with the rarest word order
The largest syllabary to exist today
When we compare the number of characters in writing systems, we can see a rather distinct pattern. Alphabets and abjads generally have similar sizes, often numbering in the 20 to 30-odd letters. Coming in bigger than these are the syllabaries, which generally have anywhere from around 50 to 90 characters. And among the largest of … Continue reading The largest syllabary to exist today
The Language Closet turns 7 today. It is time to start something new.
So today, we celebrate the 7th birthday of The Language Closet, with something new! You may have noticed that for some posts where I introduced a writing system, the featured imaged would be a handwritten header in my own handwriting, or at least the best I could get on a computer mouse, since I do … Continue reading The Language Closet turns 7 today. It is time to start something new.
The language where verbs also conjugate… by case?
For a great many of us language learners, knowing when a particular case is used, and its associated endings are probably frustrating enough. Nouns and adjectives are probably the word categories where one would find these endings the most, while other languages might do things a bit differently and add case particles or markers instead. … Continue reading The language where verbs also conjugate… by case?
Which language has the most grammatical cases?
"It's Hungarian." It is probably the one answer you would come across the most, online and in person. After all, being part of the Uralic languages, members of this family are generally known for their extensive grammatical case system. Estonian has 14 or 15, Finnish has 15, and Hungarian has 18 of these. But there … Continue reading Which language has the most grammatical cases?
The Basque-based pidgins
Over the years of learning languages, and scrolling past language meme pages, I have come across certain posts regarding what sounded like ridiculous pidgins like Basque-Icelandic pidgin. There are perhaps at least a couple reasons behind this, like how Basque is a language isolate, and how it interacts with languages almost nobody thinks of right … Continue reading The Basque-based pidgins
The language on the highest settlement on Earth
Cities on mountains are not unusual. Looking across the mountain ranges of the world, we see settlements dotting everywhere, from the cities of the Alps, and towns in the Himalayas and the Andes. But there are some cities at altitudes that tower way above those we are accustomed to. Cities high enough such that anyone … Continue reading The language on the highest settlement on Earth
The breve — Beyond its use in Romanian
Saying that Romanian is a bit like French may be a bit of an understatement. They both share a common ancestor for their languages, being Vulgar Latin, and thus have rather similar words, and for some parts, grammar. But these similarities go a bit further than that. In orthography, both French and Romanian have their … Continue reading The breve — Beyond its use in Romanian
That time when a language was constructed based on music
Music is an interesting language. With various notation systems, and with or without vocal input, music has evolved to serve as a mode of expression. It has been used to construct settings, convey moods, and set an atmosphere for whichever scene the composer and musicians desire to create. The typical octave has a total of … Continue reading That time when a language was constructed based on music
A weird Chinese-looking writing system
To say the languages of what is today China, or the People's Republic of China, exert a strong influence on other languages in the region, is an understatement. Loanwords have entered languages such as Uyghur, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, and writing systems based on Chinese have entered use in Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and perhaps a … Continue reading A weird Chinese-looking writing system
The Languages Most Isolated from an Ocean
Many of the remotest places we have heard of are islands in the middle of some large ocean, particularly the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. So today, why not let us turn this around, and find out, where in the world is furthest away from any sea or ocean? This includes places like the Caspian … Continue reading The Languages Most Isolated from an Ocean
Diaresis, tréma, Umlaut. Which is it?
Sometimes you would see two dots above some vowels, like Joyeux Noël (French for Merry Christmas), or naïve in, curiously, English. This diacritic can be found in alphabets from Albanian to Swedish. Normally represented by two dots above the letter where the sound is modified, or some other things, we also find a similar-looking sort … Continue reading Diaresis, tréma, Umlaut. Which is it?
Why do these place names have prepositions in them?
Look around place names in the United Kingdom and you will find many places with three or more words in their names, often with a preposition somewhere in the middle. Consider cities like Stoke-on-Trent, Southend-on-Sea, Newcastle upon Tyne, Barton-upon-Humber, Barton on Sea, and perhaps more famously, Stratford-upon-Avon. Each of these places has either an "on", … Continue reading Why do these place names have prepositions in them?
Guinea — 4 Countries, 1 Former Currency
Guinea. Guinea-Bissau. Equatorial Guinea. Papua New Guinea. Other than the words "and", "the", "of", and "Islands", Guinea is one of the names more commonly shared among multiple nations. It definitely piques the curiosity of people, who might wonder, why are there so many countries with Guinea in its name? Are they all in the same … Continue reading Guinea — 4 Countries, 1 Former Currency
The Language in the Hottest Place on Earth
If I ask you what the hottest place on Earth is, your answer might probably be either Death Valley, or somewhere in the Middle East or North Africa. After all, these are the regions that have recorded the highest ever temperatures on the planet, with 56.7 degrees Celsius in Death Valley, and 54 degrees Celsius … Continue reading The Language in the Hottest Place on Earth
The English spoken in Earth’s most geographically isolated island
There are hundreds and thousands of islands, but not all of them are inhabited. Some are not large enough to support communities, while others are located in places that transport networks do not typically reach. Yet, in the South Pacific, there exists an island still inhabited by people. Located more than 5 000 kilometres from … Continue reading The English spoken in Earth’s most geographically isolated island
Is it time for a fresh new Duolingo review?
Back in 2020, I posted a review of what is probably the most well-known language learning applications, that of Duolingo. While I mentioned some advantages of Duolingo to grasp the fundamentals of a learner's target language, I did criticise it for its potentially weaker efficacy in the higher levels of a given target language. Well, … Continue reading Is it time for a fresh new Duolingo review?
The language in the United States’ northernmost city
Alaska, the last frontier. It is the largest state in the United States by land area, yet has among the smallest population sizes, and is the most sparsely populated state. Being the northernmost state, Alaska is, without a doubt, home to the northernmost city in the United States. This city is rather isolated -- there … Continue reading The language in the United States’ northernmost city
The languages that were once spoken on Tasmania
Tasmania, the southernmost state of the Australian Commonwealth. It has been inhabited by indigenous Australians since first arriving around 40 000 years ago, but it was not until the 18th century when first contact with European explorers was established. But less than a century later, every indigenous language once spoken on this island would go … Continue reading The languages that were once spoken on Tasmania
Exploring the languages at Earth’s extremities
The idea of geographical or social isolation and their immense scale amazes and intrigues me. From being miles away from the closest road or airstrip to the rest of the country, or part thereof, to being days of boat rides away from literally everyone else, it is unfathomable how there are people living and forming … Continue reading Exploring the languages at Earth’s extremities
The diminutive in Australian English
In language, we have different forms of expressing endearment or how small something is. For people, we often notice this in names. In Russian, for example, the diminutive for names is often suffixed with a "-nya", "-k", or "-ka". For instance, Alexander has Sashok or Shurochka, Fiodor has Fedyenka, and Danil (or Daniel) has Danya. … Continue reading The diminutive in Australian English
How did we get the word and place name Slough?
Slough. It is probably one of the words that somehow invoke negative connotations, even without actually being to that place itself. Located 32km west of Central London (defined as Charing Cross), this town in Berkshire has a population of more than 160 000, and is actually home to a lot of headquarters (or UK HQs, … Continue reading How did we get the word and place name Slough?
Who are the ‘wizards’ in our installation wizards?
From the surface, the mention of the word 'wizard' would conjure up connotations surrounding fantasy, magic, and spells. So often has that been portrayed in pop culture, from series such as Harry Potter, to the various isekai anime around here. But there is another place where we would find the word 'wizard'. One not so … Continue reading Who are the ‘wizards’ in our installation wizards?
The rise of Rōmaji in post-war Japan
Correlating what is spoken with what is written -- that is the long-standing challenge faced by many writing systems across the world. Some use the alphabet, and using certain letter combinations to represent more sounds, while others use logographic or ideographic writing systems to express more along the lines of ideas and things rather than … Continue reading The rise of Rōmaji in post-war Japan
The words we say but do not actually need — Tautology
We do say a bunch of unnecessary stuff in our everyday conversations and monologues. You know, the machine in ATM machine, the comics in DC comics (yes, DC technically stands for Detective Comics), and the display in LCD display. Many of these words are already incorporated in the abbreviations that contain them. Furthermore, when we … Continue reading The words we say but do not actually need — Tautology
Writing in Africa — Mwangwego
Our next writing system takes us to Southern Africa, particularly in a landlocked country called Malawi. Home to several Bantu languages, like Chichewa, Malawian Lomwe and Lambya, Malawi sure boasts a variety of languages in the Bantu language group. The origins of Mwangwego trace back to linguist Mr Nolence Moses Mwangwego, born in Zambia to … Continue reading Writing in Africa — Mwangwego
How do I even pronounce the Swedish “sj-“?
If you are learning the variants of Swedish in the northern parts of Sweden, or that spoken in Finland, then one sentence should be sufficient to explain it. It is best approximated as a "sh-" sound. But if you are learning Swedish as it is spoken in places like Stockholm or Malmö, strap in, because … Continue reading How do I even pronounce the Swedish “sj-“?
I asked ChatGPT to invent its own language (Pt 1)
The world of constructed languages is near limitless. From the days of Lingua Ignota, to more modern ones like Esperanto, constructed languages have pushed creativity to further heights in the linguistic fields. Such inventions have appeared in many pop culture scenes, aiding in world building, lore, and creating a more authentic-sounding fictional culture. Examples include … Continue reading I asked ChatGPT to invent its own language (Pt 1)
Why did we learn cursive?
If you grew up in the 20th century, or heck, even into the early 2000s, and you are a speaker of English, you might have gone through the ordeal of learning penmanship, and most particularly, the cursive script, at some point in either preschool, primary school, or elementary school depending on your education system. For … Continue reading Why did we learn cursive?
What is Cockfosters meant to mean?
Picture this. You just landed in London Heathrow Airport, made it through passport control, and collected your checked baggage, if you brought some along. You now needed to make your way towards the city center (or Zone 1) because that is where your hotel is. You decided to board the London Underground because that is … Continue reading What is Cockfosters meant to mean?
The “-sex” in some British place names
The United Kingdom has some interesting place names. From names that could sound rather vulgar, like Bitchfield in Lincolnshire, Penistone, and Scunthorpe in South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire respectively, to some outright ridiculous names like Braintree and Splatt. Many of these names are scattered throughout England, and to a smaller extent, Scotland. But today, we … Continue reading The “-sex” in some British place names
Writing in Africa — The Somalian Alphabets (Pt 2)
Previously, we covered the Osmanya alphabet created in the early 20th century meant to write and represent the Somali language. Its spread was unfortunately put to an end by the Italians, who suspected its proliferation to be part of a pro-independence movement. But this was not the only writing system to arise in that era, … Continue reading Writing in Africa — The Somalian Alphabets (Pt 2)
Writing in Africa — The Somalian Alphabets (Pt 1)
In the Horn of Africa, several languages are widely spoken. From Amharic and Tigrinya in Ethiopia to Afar in Djibouti, many languages of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family are spoken here. In Somalia, Somaliland and Djibouti, Somali has official language status in the former two, and national language status in the latter. … Continue reading Writing in Africa — The Somalian Alphabets (Pt 1)
How did we get tones in Mandarin Chinese?
There are a bunch of tonal languages spoken throughout the world, but by a large margin, Mandarin Chinese comes up at the top in terms of number of native speakers. But its size or scope of usage is not the focus of our discussion today. One thing that intrigues me is the history of the … Continue reading How did we get tones in Mandarin Chinese?
From politics to proverb
A proverb is meant to be simple, it is meant to be insightful, and it expresses a perceived truth based on common experiences. Often figurative or metaphorical, proverbs collectively form a sort of folklore passed down by oral traditions. You may have heard of "Your mileage may vary" or "ignorance is bliss", but how about … Continue reading From politics to proverb
Where did Idaho come from?
While browsing meme pages and terrible or not-so-terrible maps, I came across this one: Ignoring the notion of Proto-World, it appears that 48 of the 50 states plus Washington DC in the US of A have some sort of an etymology. After doing a bit of fact checking, that is correct. But now we come … Continue reading Where did Idaho come from?
Where did “pineapple” come from?
Ananas. That is the name of the fruit that contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. Known for its tropical and exotic feel, this fruit has also found itself deep in controversy over its status as a pizza topping, dividing gastronomic communities all over. Yet, there is also another thing this fruit has stirred, … Continue reading Where did “pineapple” come from?
When capitalisation actually makes a difference
There is a curious poem in the book titled The Word Circus, written by Richard Lederer, and published in 1998. Called "Job's Job", it goes something like: In August, an august patriarchWas reading an ad in Reading, Mass.Long-suffering Job secured a jobTo polish piles of Polish brass.Richard Lederer, in The Word Circus, 1998 While seeming like … Continue reading When capitalisation actually makes a difference
Yet another vertical writing system
In a previous post, we have introduced one of the writing systems that is written vertically, but read horizontally. But what if I told you that there are more writing systems that sort of use similar writing directions? That is right, because today, we will dive into yet another one of these writing systems, that … Continue reading Yet another vertical writing system
Swiss High German has one fewer letter than Standard High German. But why?
When prowling through various orthographies, and their changes throughout modernity, I came across a particularly interesting case study on the use of the letter "eszett" (or scharfes es) in relation to the surrounding vowels, the letter s, and the digraph ss. These changes somehow disproportionately applied to Standard German, particularly those used in Germany and … Continue reading Swiss High German has one fewer letter than Standard High German. But why?
The story of Eszett (ß)
You only see this letter being used in German today, but not just any German, more rather, the German typically spoken in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and parts of Belgium. You might see this on street signs, or basically everywhere. For learners, you might have first encountered it in the very first lesson of a beginner's … Continue reading The story of Eszett (ß)
A look at Australia’s unusual language — Kala Lagaw Ya
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of more than 270 islands straddling the Torres Strait, which separates Australia from the island of New Guinea. On them, live about 4 500 inhabitants, according to a 2016 census. Some of them speak a language indigenous to the central and western Torres Strait Islands, although it is … Continue reading A look at Australia’s unusual language — Kala Lagaw Ya
Putting a ring on it — The å’s diacritic
The letter 'å' (typed using Alt+0229) is perhaps one of the most recognisable letters in the languages of Scandinavia, as you may have recalled the last time you went strolling about in an Ikea store. It is even the entire name of certain places in Norway and Sweden. So too does it represent a unit … Continue reading Putting a ring on it — The å’s diacritic
Where can we find the letter Đ?
This letter has long been associated with the Vietnamese language, ever since it switched over to the chữ Quốc ngữ from the traditional Chữ Nôm. In addition to the amount of diacritics and tone marks, the letter Đ is perhaps one of the most iconic in the Vietnamese alphabet. Yet, it is not the only … Continue reading Where can we find the letter Đ?
Why does the Hawaiian language have so few sounds?
The Hawaiian alphabet is short. In comparison with the English set of 26 letters, Hawaiian has only 13. 5 vowels, 7 consonants, and the 'okina, written as '. There is the macron used to mark long vowels in the Hawaiian language, but these vowels carrying macrons are not considered separate letters. With such a short … Continue reading Why does the Hawaiian language have so few sounds?
Why does “ph” make an “f” sound?
Phone. Phase. Phoenix. These words start with a "ph", yet this digraph is pronounced with an "f". In some other languages, we see such a pattern as well. Take French, for example. The word for "the seal", le phoque, also has its "ph" pronounced as an "f". We also see such a pattern in Vietnamese, … Continue reading Why does “ph” make an “f” sound?
Going on a little break
I have a little announcement to make. I have decided to go on a little break over September, to refresh, read up, learn, and reflect on various aspects of language and language learning. I will be back in October to present to you more weekly content, so yeah, be patient with me, and stay tuned! … Continue reading Going on a little break
Language and Ecology — Island Biogeography of Languages
As someone who has a background in ecology and many things biology, there are often many times I have tried to observe parallels between biodiversity and linguistic diversity. In fact, I have written a couple of posts before about these topics, breaking down published academic or scientific papers that explore these concepts. We see that … Continue reading Language and Ecology — Island Biogeography of Languages
The languages where you greet like pirates?
Greetings. Probably the second thing you learn in a new languages just after the swear words and profanities. Across Europe, you would hear something along the lines of "hello", "hi", "good day", and the like. But there is this area in Europe that has a more, well, maritime-sounding greeting. Meet the languages of Czech, Slovak, … Continue reading The languages where you greet like pirates?
The language where the pronouns have tenses — Wolof
We have different ways of expressing the idea of something happening now, something happening in the past, and something that is going to happen at some point in the future. For languages like Mandarin Chinese, there are no conjugations -- as the way Mandarin Chinese works does not support conjugations for the most part. There … Continue reading The language where the pronouns have tenses — Wolof
The writing system written in one direction, but read in another
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7 400 islands, and home to dozens of languages, most of which belong to the Austronesian language family. While Tagalog, Filipino, Ilocano, and Cebuano stand out as some of the more spoken languages, or better known ones in the Philippines, there are many others with much fewer speakers, … Continue reading The writing system written in one direction, but read in another
The mystery of Maridi Arabic
Going down the list of notable and documented pidgins spoken all around the world, I came across a curious entry that, it verified legitimate, would be the oldest known pidgin in the world. The issue is, its existence was only known through 50 words in a single text, written some time in the 11th century. … Continue reading The mystery of Maridi Arabic
A sixth anniversary post
The sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. That is probably the most difficult tongue twister in English, owing to the tricky consonants and phonemes put together. But do you know which other sixth is happening? That's right, The Language Closet is celebrating their sixth anniversary today! We have been operating on a weekly post basis for the … Continue reading A sixth anniversary post
A look into the Dzongkha language
Mountainous. Isolated. Intriguing. This country is so isolated, it only allows visa-free access to citizens of Bangladesh and the Maldives, and freedom of movement with India. Straddling the Himalayas, its elevation can range from just under 200m to over 7000m, with climates ranging from sub-tropical, to alpine or even polar. Known as the Land of … Continue reading A look into the Dzongkha language
When English lost its grammatical genders
Er, sie, es. Hann, hún, það. He, she, it. One of these is not quite like the other. Spotted it? The odd one out is "he, she, it", the third person singular pronouns used in English (the other trios being German and Icelandic respectively). Why? This is because English lacks grammatical genders. But what do … Continue reading When English lost its grammatical genders
Probably the weirdest language crossover
What happens when a bunch of speakers with no common language come together and want to communicate? A simplified form of the languages involved starts to form, usually impromptu, or through social conventions. Pidgins are not considered a native language by any speech community, instead learned as a second language (L2). However, pidgins usually form … Continue reading Probably the weirdest language crossover
Where did the word ‘scam’ come from?
A web of deception. Lies. All resulting in the financial loss in the victim, with almost nothing good in return. It comes in many different forms, from the street, to your phone as robocalls, or to your emails in your spam folder. With it, comes many different terminologies specifying the type of deception, like the … Continue reading Where did the word ‘scam’ come from?
The differences between “genau”, “eben”, and “gerade”
In colloquial German, and perhaps online discourse, you would see one of these words used in conversations. Just like other expressions like the infamous bitte, these words have different meanings, and are used in slightly different contexts. Here, we will be looking at the differences between the words genau, eben, and gerade. Genau In German … Continue reading The differences between “genau”, “eben”, and “gerade”
A look back at Wordle
In January 2022, a game took the Internet by storm. In a burst of popularity, millions have taken to solve daily challenges, with a simple objective -- to guess the five letter word of the day within six guesses. Although originally released in English, this game has since been released in other languages, but ultimately … Continue reading A look back at Wordle
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