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)
Russia
The languages of Asia’s easternmost frontier (Pt 1)
The Bering Strait forms the maritime boundary between two continents, Asia and North America. Not only does the International Date Line run through it, separating the easternmost part of Russia and the westernmost part of Alaska by at least an entire day, but it also once formed the land bridge that humans theoretically used to … Continue reading The languages of Asia’s easternmost frontier (Pt 1)
The language in the coldest city in the world
When we talk about very cold places, there are four primary regions that come to mind. Antarctica, Siberia, Northern Canada, and Greenland. After all, they are places commonly associated with being very close to the poles, and have rather harsh winters. But for the coldest city in the world, we might look towards the depths … Continue reading The language in the coldest city in the world
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 Caucasus have so many languages?
Sandwiched between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, Caucasia is home to the Caucasus Mountains, separating Eastern Europe and West Asia. Encompassing mainly Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and some parts of Southern Russia, the Caucasus may seem geographically small. But make no mistake, this region is among the most linguistically and culturally diverse regions on … Continue reading Why does the Caucasus have so many languages?
3 languages that I’ve wanted to learn
Sometimes, I would ask myself this question -- given the time, resources and opportunity, which languages would I have got to learning? Recent events have provided opportunities to get started on some of these languages, but for the most part, I felt that I had accumulated quite a bit of backlog on language learning. Here, … Continue reading 3 languages that I’ve wanted to learn
The Language Closet 