May 2011
28 posts
3 tags
May 30th
3,089 notes
4 tags
Indigenous Immigrants Stumped By Both Spanish &... →
Imagine not being able to speak the predominant language of your native land. For many Latin Americans this is a huge problem. djturtlep: http://mobile.chron.com/chron/db_271449/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=mCw7iOVA&src=cat She is one of a sizable number of Latin American immigrants who have settled in New York in recent years and speak only indigenous languages — ancient tongues that...
May 29th
34 notes
4 tags
May 29th
9 notes
4 tags
May 28th
20 notes
hanminah-deactivated20110731 asked: Also, jung isn't just about romantic love; Koreans often use it to describe the relationship they have with all others in the world, or specifically all Koreans. It's a strong connection; a mix of love, willingness to help in any time of need... It's really hard to explain. It's like they're family, and you'd never think of betraying or hurting them.
May 28th
1 note
4 tags
Awesome Foreign Word of the Day: Wanktok
Wanktok (Tok Pisin): a word in the Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin creole that refers to people who speak the same language as you do and have some form of claim on you.  Pronounced:  Wahn-tok  This word usually refers only to a people within families, villages, clans and slightly larger areas due to the generally small size of Papua New Guinea and its clans. Wanktok expresses the idea that people who...
May 28th
16 notes
3 tags
May 27th
22 notes
4 tags
May 27th
691 notes
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Awesome Foreign Word of the Day: Jung
Jung (Korean): a feeling that is stronger than love and can only be proved when surviving a difficult argument. Prononciation: Jung  This word should come with confetti and sparklers and a parade. Let me explain. I feel this word portrays something so epic in the love category that at the end of the argument, when you have achieved the highest love-honor of ‘jung’, a banner should...
May 27th
30 notes
3 tags
May 26th
13 notes
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May 26th
27 notes
4 tags
Awesome Foreign Word of the Day: Mono No Aware
Mono no aware 物の哀れ  (Japanese): literally meaning ‘the pathos of things’, mono no aware is a term used to describe the awareness of the impermanence of all things and the gentles sadness one feels at their passing.   Prononciation: moh-no no ah-wah-ray  Imagine if ‘mono-no-aware’ and Ya’aburnee had a linguistic love child. Imagine it. It would be the most beautiful...
May 26th
26 notes
3 tags
May 26th
4 tags
“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their...”
– Edgar Allan Poe
May 26th
17 notes
4 tags
May 25th
13 notes
4 tags
May 25th
14 notes
3 tags
How Does Language Shape How We Think?
How Does Language Shape How We Think? by Lera Boroditsky “The normal greeting in Kuuk Thaayorre is “Where are you going?” and the answer should be something like ” Southsoutheast, in the middle distance.” If you don’t know which way you’re facing, you can’t even get past “Hello.” An amazingly well written and insightful article that...
May 25th
36 notes
4 tags
Awesome Foreign Word of the Day: Jayus
Jayus (Indonesian):  a joke so poorly told and so unfunny that one cannot help but laugh. Prononciation: Jai-us This word explains about 50% of my joke choices and my general joke telling ability. Some days I just hit it; I stun the crowd with my wit and they carry me out of the room, cheering as I nobly pump my fists in glorious success from atop their shoulders. Other days I am the epitome of a...
May 25th
32 notes
4 tags
Dies und das...: Least favourite German words →
Time for some awesome-sauce from FuckYeahDeutsch. I personally love gedownloadet, just rolls off the tongue. fuckyeahdeutsch: I’ve already done a post on my favourite German words, and reading your replies has been immensely interesting, so I thought, why not a post on my least favourite German words? Well, here we go. kidnappen Do I really need to explain? It sounds terrible, it looks...
May 25th
31 notes
5 tags
Ridiculously Long Word: λοπαδο τεμαχο ...
λοπαδο τεμαχο σελαχο γαλεο κρανιο­λειψανο δριμ υπο τριμματο σιλφιο καραβο μελιτο κατακεχυ μενο κιχλ επι κοσσυφο φαττο περιστερ αλεκτρυον οπτο­κεφαλλιο κιγκλο πελειο λαγῳο σιραιο βαφη τραγανο πτερύγων (Greek) So, Aristophanes was clearly feeling smarmy and might have been on some sort of linguistic high when he coined this term in his comedy Assemblywomen (circa 392 BC). Not only is it the longest...
May 24th
19 notes
3 tags
May 24th
188 notes
church-mouth asked: Okay, the last post.
Whoever wrote that.
We are friends.

And thank you for this blog.
May 24th
4 tags
May 24th
33 notes
inthemindofsitu asked: OMG! Just saw your email address! Agaetis byjrn! Are you a fellow sigur ros fan then? Also, I miss your blog. :/
May 24th
5 tags
May 24th
19 notes
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Awesome Foreign Word of the Day: Ya'aburnee
Ya’aburnee (Arabic): literally meaning ‘you bury me’, this is the hope that a person or loved one will outlive you as to spare yourself the pain of living life beyond that person. Pronounced: Ya-ah-boor-nay يقبرني  Look at that. Just LOOK at that. Not only is the meaning of the word and general pronunciation like some sort of linguistic explosion of awesome, Arabic just has...
May 24th
122 notes
3 tags
CONTEST INFORMATION
See that little link to the right? The one about the contest? If you are interested, go on and give it a click, otherwise, please enjoy your regularly scheduled linguistic material!       
May 23rd
5 notes
4 tags
May 21st
April 2011
130 posts
4 tags
Apr 13th
30 notes
2 tags
“Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but...”
– Avram Noam Chomsky
Apr 13th
7 notes
5 tags
Apr 12th
4 tags
Apr 12th
69 notes
5 tags
Apr 12th
48 notes
3 tags
Apr 12th
9 notes
4 tags
Awesome Foreign Word of the Day: Gotong
Gotong (Indonesian): to carry a heavy burden together; the relationship between two people who carry a burden Prononciation: Goy-tong I have included a song for you to listen to to bring the essence of this word to life and to help you get your morning jive on. Click here for the optimal AFWD experience. This gorgeous Indonesian word refers to that heavy life burden we carry with another....
Apr 12th
18 notes
3 tags
Apr 12th
14 notes
2 tags
“Our native language is like a second skin, so much a part of us we resist the...”
– Casey Miller
Apr 12th
11 notes
4 tags
Apr 12th
42 notes
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Ridiculously Long Word in: Maori
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikomaungahoronukupokaiwhe- nuakitanatahu (Maori) This Maori word is 85-letters long and is the name of a town. A TOWN. I appreciate the ability of language to create such monstrous words but who, WHO, thought this would be a good name for a town? What about the poor tourists who are unfortunate enough to be lost and looking for this place? What...
Apr 11th
12 notes
3 tags
Apr 11th
14 notes
2 tags
Apr 11th
4 tags
Awesome Foreign Word of the Day: Uitwaaien
Uitwaaien (Dutch): to take a brief break in the countryside to clear one’s head. Prononciation: Out-vye-in  After yesterday’s somewhat depressing AFWD I thought we’d lighten it up with something beautiful. Uitwaaien literally means ‘to walk in the wind’ and I’ll be damned if that doesn’t tickle my adventure bone. This word embodies what it means to...
Apr 11th
23 notes
dislikesocialnetworking asked: I found out about this tumblr by you reblogging one of my posts (about how to say telephone) and I must say I LOVE YOU! This is awesome! Thank you for making it! ^_^ I can't believe I didn't know about this 'til now...

What made you feel like creating Languages, Hell Yeah?
Apr 11th
1 note
2 tags
“Learning a second language is not just a verbal accomplishment; it is as near to...”
– Unknown
Apr 11th
41 notes
3 tags
Apr 11th
19 notes
4 tags
Foreign Tongue Twisters: Khadak Singh ...
खड्गसिंह के खडकने से खडकती है खिडकीयाँ  खिडकीयो के खडकऩे से खडकता है खड्गसिंह। (Hindi): Khadak Singh ke khadakane se khadakati hain khidkiyan, khidkiyon ke khadakane se khadakata hai Khadak Singh. What the heck does that mean?: When Khadak Singh shakes, the windows shake; when the windows shake, Khadak Singh shakes. Not only awesome to say, but extremely useful, too! 
Apr 10th
23 notes
3 tags
Apr 10th
9 notes
3 tags
Apr 10th
3 tags
Apr 10th
737 notes
4 tags
Apr 10th