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Meta
Category Archives: language
mihi est igpe atinle
The romanceconlang list (dedicated to the design of fictional descendants of Latin, spoken presumably by people of other timelines) has lately discussed expressions parallel to “It’s Greek to me” in other languages. So far: Danes: Hebrew, Volapük Italians: Turkish French: … Continue reading
prosody never travels well
Geoffrey Nunberg alerts us that in Arabic both Iraq and Qatar are accented on the first syllable. I wonder why we got it wrong. (Link from languagehat)
Posted in language
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a marriage of words
Do be-all and end-all always go together? Can something be a be-all but not an end-all, or vice versa?
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the language barrier
Leaving the house today, I heard a neighbor mention to a visitor that he had taken Russian in hi-skool. “So did I!” said I. So he asked: “Kogdá idú?” I remember just enough to know that this means When am … Continue reading
Posted in California, language, me!me!me!
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my favorite example of funny-foreigner-talk
Achille Talon: Le Roi des Zôtres ZOTRTRUPPEN! Mitt eine grosse Köningsdeklaraverdung, ich kanonnert vertradukverlang: Grenadiersoldaat Prumpf nicht mehr mit militär obligazionen verankikineerd ist, und Kolonel der zpezial personnäl Achille I.er Royalenkommando vernommert immediääterdung ist und vier semänen kongépayé kan mitt … Continue reading
Rock Names
Yesterday I picked up a remainder copy of Rock Names from ABBA to ZZ Top: How Rock Bands Got Their Names, by Adam Dolgins. Looking through such a reference, naturally one thinks about what to call one’s own hypothetical band; … Continue reading
Posted in language, music+verse
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it’s right there in black and white
Found in the archives — on 1999 May 20 I wrote: The Examiner today used the phrase “one-month anniversary” at least three times on the front page alone. What’s next? Will monthly magazines be described as “one-month annual”? (What happened … Continue reading
Posted in California, language
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