A couple of years ago on Twitter, there was a post from the official account of a seal shop called Nagae Insyoudou, or 永江印祥堂. Simply put, in Japan as well as the Sinosphere, seals or stamps are often used as signatures on documents to confer personal identity. For individuals, this typically would use the family … Continue reading That hilariously long Japanese name
languages
How do you write this letter?
I want to start today's dive with a little poll. I want to ask, how do you write the letter 'z'? Observing how people write this letter, I cannot help but to dig into why three such forms predominantly exist in our handwriting. Personally, I write my z's like 𝔷, while many others I know … Continue reading How do you write this letter?
Moin — Low German (Plattdeutsch, Niederdeutsch, Plattdütsch)
In the German-speaking countries, there are several greetings one would tend to encounter depending on where one is. Sure there is the ubiquitous Hallo, but there are also regional ones from Grüezi in Switzerland and Servus in Bavaria and Austria, to Moin the further up north you go in Germany. One of the languages in … Continue reading Moin — Low German (Plattdeutsch, Niederdeutsch, Plattdütsch)
An introduction to the “Khoisan” languages
Click consonants are perhaps among the most unique sounds to have ever been used in languages, especially in word formation and beyond. After all, they use a particular type of airstream mechanism, which we have mentioned before when covering how we talk. The mention of click consonants has appeared a couple of times before on … Continue reading An introduction to the “Khoisan” languages
Why we don’t play “toe-tac-tic” — Ablaut Reduplications
The English language is filled with many subtle rules many of us do not tend to pay attention to. From frozen binomials and the order of adjectives, these grammatical rules are often long fixed in the noggins of English speakers, often realised by surprise, revelation or curiosity. Previously, we have covered why "bread and butter" … Continue reading Why we don’t play “toe-tac-tic” — Ablaut Reduplications
The languages that mark case using tone
When we want to express how a certain noun or noun phrase is related to another noun or noun phrase in a sentence, perhaps even with the involvement of an action, we use different methods to express such a relationship in our languages. Some languages do not modify the arguments, instead using a more rigid … Continue reading The languages that mark case using tone
Finding my way in the Austronesian languages
The Austronesian peoples are traditionally known for their seafaring cultures and practices, and their expansion into the islands of the vast Pacific. With ocean currents, winds, ship building, and their knowledge of navigating using the stars, these practices particularly well documented amongst the Polynesian cultures have helped them make contact with almost every island in … Continue reading Finding my way in the Austronesian languages
The Language Closet turns 9 today!
It's crazy to think my website has turned 9 years old, isn't it? Looking back, it is pretty humbling to see how The Language Closet has grown. From being reached out to do reviews for language learning methods and materials, to crossing readership milestones, we have a lot of reasons to celebrate. We talked about … Continue reading The Language Closet turns 9 today!
A book that lets you learn… 4 languages at once?
Learning a language is by no means an easy thing to do. Quite often, you will experience words, sounds, grammars, and nuances that are different from what you are normally used to in your native languages. And so, there is a split opinion on whether or not it is advisable to learn multiple languages at … Continue reading A book that lets you learn… 4 languages at once?
Talking about the split-intransitivity alignment
Previously, we have taken a look at the systems of morphosyntactic alignment that are commonly seen in the world's languages, as well as some of their rarer counterparts. From alignments like nominative-accusative and ergative-absolutive to rarer ones like symmetrical voice, we have seen how different languages have taken different approaches to express the relationship between … Continue reading Talking about the split-intransitivity alignment
Introduction to the tonal Austronesian languages
When we compare the sounds of the various Austronesian languages from Taiwan to Rapa Nui, there are several distinct patterns we can draw. Usually, we would find anywhere from 15-20 consonants, and perhaps 4-6 vowels which may or may not be distinguished by length. Some languages take this to the extreme, with Polynesian languages like … Continue reading Introduction to the tonal Austronesian languages
How do we talk? — Articulation
In the last part in the series about the physiological part of speech production, we now have the process that involves the speech organs in the mouth, such as the hard palate, tongue, and lips. This is where one would encounter terms such as "labial", "velar", and "coronal". This process of speech production seems to … Continue reading How do we talk? — Articulation
Languages with case prefixes? (Australia Pt 1)
In some of the world's languages, one would be no stranger to the concept of grammatical case. Briefly put, it is the word or word modifier that reflects one or more grammatical functions the modified word plays in a given sentence or clause. Sometimes these case systems are rather elaborate, often taking up the functions … Continue reading Languages with case prefixes? (Australia Pt 1)
I’ve apparently been made aware of this grammatical feature (Mirativity)
In February, I made a little post reaching out to the Langsky community on Bluesky to ask for some ideas I could read up and talk about in a monthly stream series that I have been doing. One of the responses I got was the concept of mirativity, something that I have not really heard … Continue reading I’ve apparently been made aware of this grammatical feature (Mirativity)
Is this a distinct language or a Finnish dialect group? (Meänkieli)
Remember that sign that I came across in Umeå, for which I wrote an introduction to Ume Sámi? I raised the question over where the word Tehkheilä could have come from, and posted it to the languages and linguistics community over in Bluesky, and received a rather compelling answer. It is perhaps a Finnic language … Continue reading Is this a distinct language or a Finnish dialect group? (Meänkieli)
Nominative-accusative? Ergative-absolutive? What do these mean?
In language introduction essays done on this website, you might see these kinds of terminology thrown about without further elaboration given to them. For example, in some languages of Australia, you might have seen ergativity being used, as with the essay on Naukan Yupik and Chukchi. But what are these systems, and what kinds of … Continue reading Nominative-accusative? Ergative-absolutive? What do these mean?
The number systems of hunter-gatherer languages
Continuing from the deep investigation of unconventional number systems around the world, there seems to be an interesting pattern that is worth addressing. Many number systems we are familiar with tend to be in base 5, 10 or 20, with some of them having terms for higher numerals well into the thousands or millions and … Continue reading The number systems of hunter-gatherer languages
Exploring the other languages of Japan (Pt 1)
We often like to think of Japanese as a language isolate. After all, it is the language we most often associate with being predominantly spoken in Japan. But as travelers to prefectures like Hokkaido and Okinawa would see, this is not quite the case. After all, Ainu is a language, and a language isolate, mainly … Continue reading Exploring the other languages of Japan (Pt 1)
The language in the United States’ most remote community*
Picture this. You are in a village where goods and mail enter and exit by mule. There are no cars, for the nearest road that reaches this village is around 13 km away. Apart from hiking and mules, the only other way in and out of this village is by helicopter. Judging by this description, … Continue reading The language in the United States’ most remote community*
The language that gave Melbourne’s river its name
Melbourne is one of Australia's largest cities, alongside Sydney and Brisbane. Located in the very south of the state of Victoria, Melbourne is located along Port Philip, with a population of close to 5 million people. The Yarra River runs through this city, emptying into Hobsons Bay in Port Philip Bay. As one might suspect, … Continue reading The language that gave Melbourne’s river its name
Vanuatu’s other writing system
When it comes to hotspots of linguistic diversity, we tend to gravitate towards regions like New Guinea, Nigeria, and the Caucuses. But in the region of Melanesia, there are a group of 82 islands forming the nation of Vanuatu, which boasts the highest linguistic diversity per capita in the world. With a population of around … Continue reading Vanuatu’s other writing system
What is the Ecological Risk Hypothesis?
When we explore the greatest factors influencing biodiversity, we often see factors like ecological niches, geographical barriers to migration, and various ecological and environmental factors come to mind. As researchers prescribe ecological means to explain linguistic diversity, drawing the parallels biodiversity shares with linguistic diversity, similar theories to linguistic diversification also arise. Mountains and large … Continue reading What is the Ecological Risk Hypothesis?
Deciphering fictional languages, the game!
Disclaimer -- This essay might contain spoilers for a singleplayer language puzzle game. The Rosetta Stone is without doubt, one of the most iconic historical artifacts, due to its role in aiding decipherment of the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, as well as the Demotic script. This provided us great insight in how the Ancient Egyptian language … Continue reading Deciphering fictional languages, the game!
The languages in the world’s largest shire
There are many names given to administrative divisions around the world. We are familiar with states, counties, provinces, parishes, prefectures, arrondissements, boroughs, districts and so on, but today, we will look at the administrative division called a shire. We are generally familiar with the regions associated with this word, most likely as a suffix, and … Continue reading The languages in the world’s largest shire
How do we assess language vitality?
When we talk about the languages of the world, you will almost always come across the fact that most of the world's languages are spoken by a small fraction of the world's population, while a large proportion of the world's population are speakers of a small fraction of the world's languages. Across the world, you … Continue reading How do we assess language vitality?
The Australian languages with fricatives
The indigenous languages of Australia are particularly remarkable for their rather shared pattern of sounds. With generally not more than three or five vowels which may or may not be contrasted by length, and sharing many places of articulation for their consonants, these sounds have come to generally define what the indigenous languages of Australia … Continue reading The Australian languages with fricatives
Why are there so many German names for this?
Let's start with a little question. What do you call this? If you are an English speaker, you might call this a jelly-filled donut or a jam doughnut. After all, these are doughnuts with a sweet filling, usually strawberry jam. Some Portuguese speakers might call this a malassada (a portmanteau of mal assada "badly baked"). … Continue reading Why are there so many German names for this?
The language of … yes?
When we talk about the languages of France, we would most likely tend to gravitate towards the French language. But in the southern parts of France, Monaco, and some regions in Italy and Spain, there is another language not as known as its French counterpart. Like the major languages spoken in the region (except Basque), … Continue reading The language of … yes?
The languages once spoken in the Caribbean
The Caribbean is known for their tropical islands and beautiful beaches. That is, if you ask anyone what comes to their mind first when the Caribbean is mentioned. But explore the right places and you just would be right. The main languages we see spoken in the Caribbean Islands today are pretty much one of … Continue reading The languages once spoken in the Caribbean
Who influences who? Exploring linguistic influences in Melanesia through the numeral lens
When doing my research and reading up for this essay published some time ago, I came across this article that particularly caught my attention. You might have noticed it in the Further Reading section at the end of the essay as well. And so, I decided to take a thorough read of the article, and … Continue reading Who influences who? Exploring linguistic influences in Melanesia through the numeral lens
Evaluating linguistic diversity using a different approach
Previously, and by that we mean about 6 months ago, we covered the various methods where one could use to assess linguistic diversity, which are extensions of biodiversity evaluation methods contextualised in linguistics. We have covered anything from richness to the Greenberg index, and looked at the downsides of evaluating linguistic diversity using these indices. … Continue reading Evaluating linguistic diversity using a different approach
The languages of Asia’s easternmost frontier (Pt 2)
Previously, we have looked at the language predominantly used in the settlement of Uelen, where most of its population being Chukchi. Today, we will look at the language used by its other indigenous people group, the Yupik. We commonly associate the Yupik with Alaska and Yukon, but there are a few hundred Yupik living in … Continue reading The languages of Asia’s easternmost frontier (Pt 2)
I tried Lingopie, and this is how it went
The idea of consuming various kinds of media to learn languages is not new. After all, classroom lessons are generally insufficient in teaching us about how a language is used in the real world, particularly in more colloquial speech. While they do provide a physical platform to practice, and understand grammatical patterns and usage, in … Continue reading I tried Lingopie, and this is how it went
A brief introduction to avoidance speech
When we talk about avoidance speech, the first thing that comes to mind is the language one might use when referring to the deceased, or things related to the deceased. After all, in some cultures, they might believe that a deceased person's soul would become a malevolent entity, and death is perhaps the greatest misfortune … Continue reading A brief introduction to avoidance speech
When English had its ge- prefix gelost
English is a Germanic language. So too is German and Dutch. While geographically separated by the English Channel, these languages generally have rather similar histories, up until several centuries ago. If you have learned these languages before, you would find that many German and Dutch participles contain the prefix ge-, while English participles lack this … Continue reading When English had its ge- prefix gelost
An exploration on some unusual counting systems
When we compare numbers across various languages, there are perhaps two dominant counting systems we can identify. Intuitively, these rely on counting the number of digits on two hands, or perhaps including the toes as well. Many languages across the world use the former, hence having a decimal (base-10) counting system like Japanese, while some … Continue reading An exploration on some unusual counting systems
Does this language really have only 3 verbs?
Verbs are pretty much a universal occurrence in natural languages across the world. After all, their main function in a clause or sentence is to express a certain action, a certain state, or a certain occurrence in relation to other constituent parts of a sentence. But languages treat verbs differently from other languages, with some … Continue reading Does this language really have only 3 verbs?
Trying to understand Māori months
Recently, I have found myself back in the mood of learning te reo Māori more seriously, as I take larger strides in learning and familiarising myself with the words of the language. While some words sound like loanwords that have entered Māori, some others remind me of languages like Malay or Indonesian. But there is … Continue reading Trying to understand Māori months
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
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
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
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?
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)
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)
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
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
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
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
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’
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?
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.
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
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
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)
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
The Language Closet 