http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language Wikio - Fine Arts - Books - Language http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=69483177 <p> I apologize in advance for the fact that this post will be totally uninteresting to the vast majority of my readers, but those few who are interested in reading Tolstoy in Russian or enjoy obscure historical Russian idioms will like it, and the rest can continue discussing names for <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Ireland" class="deep u">Ireland</A> or little words . So: in reading War and Peace (see here and here ), several times I've come across a tiny phrase...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:10:25 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=69483177 2008-08-30T01:10:25Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=69353553 <p> The Schøyen Collection is "a means to preserve and protect for posterity a wide range of written expressions of belief, knowledge and understanding from many different cultures throughout the ages"; from the Introduction : The Schøyen Collection comprises most types of manuscripts from the whole world spanning over 5000 years. It is the largest private manuscript collection formed in the 20th century....</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:45:20 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=69353553 2008-08-29T01:45:20Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=69167605 <p> The eudæmonist is studying Armenian, and has a typically irresistible entry about the "little words, of clear and unclear meaning, these adverbs, these prepositions, these postpositions, these nebulous, numinous specks upon the (in)certitude of syntax" that "trip you up in supposed subtleties." This is exemplified by the word "էլի ( eli ), which one dictionary helpfully glosses as ‘adv. 1) again....</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:40:53 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=69167605 2008-08-27T15:40:53Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=69096163 <p> <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Ellen+Barry" class="deep u">Ellen Barry</A> has a surprisingly good article in Sunday's NY Times that starts by talking about the difficulties of Georgian—"its ridiculous consonant clusters ('gvprtskvni' ['you peel us'–LH]); its diabolical irregular verbs" (having studied Georgian, I was able to assure my appalled wife that the description was, if anything, understated)—and goes on to describe the rest of the region: Some 40 indigenous...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p><p>Explore : <a href="http://www.wikio.com/world/asia/caucasus" target="_blank">Caucasus</a>, <a href="http://www.wikio.com/world/asia/georgia" target="_blank">Georgia</a></p> Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:59:18 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=69096163 2008-08-27T03:59:18Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68937810 <p> Some kind and anonymous reader has sent me a copy of The <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Early+Slavs" class="deep u">Early Slavs</A> : Culture and Society in Early Medieval <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Eastern+Europe" class="deep u">Eastern Europe</A> , by P.M. Barford, via the Amazon wish-list link. I can't even remember where I found out about it (Renee's long-gone and much-lamented blog?), but it looks great (lots of maps!) and I'm really looking forward to plunging in. So thanks, kind anonymous person! </p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:58:44 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68937810 2008-08-25T20:58:44Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68900021 <p> A comment by marie-lucie in this thread (which has now reached the hundred-comment mark thanks to the usual digressions, in this case involving edibles) is so interesting I thought I'd give it its own post: At a time when I was required to read 19th-century French novels, I was struck by a number of occasions in which a young man from the provincial bourgeoisie, sent to Paris as a student but preferring...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:56:42 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68900021 2008-08-25T13:56:42Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68757452 <p> The delightfully named Fuchsia Dunlop , an an East Asian specialist at the BBC World Service who writes about Chinese food (she has a book Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper ), has a column in the Financial Times about one of the many efforts <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/China" class="deep u">China</A> has made in preparing for the Olympics: As the 2008 Olympic Games approached, the Beijing government embarked on a gargantuan task: to provide approved translations...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p><p>Explore : <a href="http://www.wikio.com/business/media/financial_times" target="_blank">Financial Times</a></p> Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:56:59 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68757452 2008-08-24T00:56:59Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68666600 <p> An article by linguist <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Laurie+Bauer" class="deep u">Laurie Bauer</A> discusses the strange fate of the phoneme /r/ in <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/New+Zealand" class="deep u">New Zealand</A>: When <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/North+America" class="deep u">North America</A> was settled, many of the early settlers came from the west or still pronounced "r", with the result that standard <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/North+America" class="deep u">North America</A>n varieties still have an "r" sound in words like "far" and "farm" (such accents are called "r"-ful or, more technically, "rhotic"). By the time Australia and...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p><p>Explore : <a href="http://www.wikio.com/world/oceania/new_zealand" target="_blank">New Zealand</a>, <a href="http://www.wikio.com/world/americas/north_america" target="_blank">North America</a></p> Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:18:12 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68666600 2008-08-22T23:18:12Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68548289 <p> The July 19 LRB , on page 20, had a box entitled "Two Poems by <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Jean+Sprackland" class="deep u">Jean Sprackland</A>." The first, "The Source," begins: Want to learn the source, the cool under the surface fire? Watch the heron: he snatches the silver voice from the throat of the river and swallows it live. The second is called "In the Afternoon" and begins: The devil likes the chicken coop. He lies on a bed of straw Watching the snow...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:57:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68548289 2008-08-21T22:57:00Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68648721 <p>I was greeted in the letters to the editor section of my morning paper the other day with a note damning the use of "retard" as a put down. The writer was responding specifically to its frequent use in a new, highly rated movie, "Tropic Thunder, a <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Ben+Stiller" class="deep u">Ben Stiller</A> movie. Of course, it couldn't be used in that way if it weren't negative. On the other hand this is a comedy and comedy and comedians have usually...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://thelanguageguy.blogspot.com" target="_blank">The Language Guy</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://thelanguageguy.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:54:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68648721 noreply@blogger.com (Thr Language Guy) 2008-08-21T10:54:00Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68371741 <p> Thanks to Wordorigins.org , I've learned one of those useless bits of information I love: <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Andr%C3%A9+Citro%C3%ABn" class="deep u">André Citroën</A> , founder of the eponymous auto company, was of Dutch origin, and, as the linked Wikipedia article says, "The <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Citroen" class="deep u">Citroen</A> family moved to Paris from Amsterdam in 1873 [five years before André's birth]. Upon arrival, the diaeresis was added to the name, changing <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Citroen" class="deep u">Citroen</A> to Citroën (a grandfather had...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p><p>Explore : <a href="http://www.wikio.com/world/europe/netherlands/amsterdam" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a></p> Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:00:05 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68371741 2008-08-20T15:00:05Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68232175 <p> I don't think I've seen languages interwoven in quite this way; if you know both French and English, it's a very enjoyable read: To answer the question I'm always asked [voyons réfléchissons] No I do not feel that there is a space between the two tongues that talk in me [oui peut-être un tout petit espace] On the contrary [plus ou moins si on veut] For me the one and the other seem to overlap [et...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:57:54 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68232175 2008-08-19T13:57:54Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68149431 <p> <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/David+Shulman" class="deep u">David Shulman</A> in The New Republic discusses the sad state of awareness of Sanskrit literature: "The astonishing fact is that cultivated readers of [European] tongues may have never heard of Kalidasa, or of the no less important Bhavabhuti, Bharavi, Magha, and Sriharsha." Happily, help has now arrived. In the last decade, a new library of translations from Sanskrit has begun to appear. It is called...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:58:39 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68149431 2008-08-18T19:58:39Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68054594 <p> My pal Paul has sent me a link to an essay by <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Lucy+Kellaway" class="deep u">Lucy Kellaway</A> that struck me with its pure essence of language lunacy. It's basically your standard purist rant, and is nicely summed up by its first sentence: "For the last few months I've been on a mission to rid the world of the phrase 'going forward'." You get the picture: I hate this newfangled phrase, I hear it all the time, I can't make it stop...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:32:46 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=68054594 2008-08-18T01:32:46Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67984810 <p> Courtesy of LH reader Trevor, here 's a ditty by <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Flann+O%27Brien" class="deep u">Flann O'Brien</A> (remembered here and elsewhere) which will delight anyone who's ever studied Old Irish; it begins: My song is concernin' Three sons of great learnin' Binchy and Bergin and Best . They worked out that riddle Old Irish and Middle, Binchy and Bergin and Best. They studied far higher Than ould Kuno Meyer And fanned up the glimmer Bequeathed...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:40:43 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67984810 2008-08-17T01:40:43Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67889173 <p> These limericks take advantage of especially odd mismatches between spelling and pronunciation, usually involving family names like St. John "SIN-jǝn" and <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Menzies" class="deep u">Menzies</A> "MING-eez" (not the only pronunciation, but the one used here). A sample: There was a young fellow named Cholmondeley, Whose bride was so mellow and colmondeley That the best man, Colquhoun, An inane young bolqufoun, Could only stand still...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:44:33 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67889173 2008-08-15T19:44:33Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67783612 <p> When we last saw our heroes in the "war" part of War and Peace , they were hightailing it east, away from the victorious French, in the autumn of 1805, hoping to meet up with the reinforcements coming from <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Russia" class="deep u">Russia</A> before Napoleon could trap and destroy them as he had the hapless Austrians. As the Battle of Austerlitz approached, I decided I wanted to know more about the history, so I sent off for 1805:...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:16:52 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67783612 2008-08-14T20:16:52Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67684345 <p> Ever wonder who writes the subtitles and how it works? Guy La Roche is happy to tell you : First of all, people process spoken information faster than written information. Subtitles follow the pace of spoken language. The amount of text used in subtitles therefore needs to be reduced so that the reading speed matches the speed of the dialogue. The faster a character speaks, the more the translator...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:24:47 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67684345 2008-08-14T01:24:47Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67632435 <p>NBC is declaring that <A HREF="http://www.wikio.com/tag/Michael+Phelps" class="deep u">Michael Phelps</A> is the Greatest Olympian ever. They are doing it not because it is true but because NBC is shilling its product -- TV coverage of the Olympics. They want you (if you are in the US) to watch all of his upcoming races and, while you are at it, all the rest of the coverage of the Beijing Olympics. No one at NBC has asked the question, "What does "Greatest Olympian...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://thelanguageguy.blogspot.com" target="_blank">The Language Guy</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://thelanguageguy.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:12:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67632435 noreply@blogger.com (Thr Language Guy) 2008-08-13T11:12:00Z http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67533089 <p> Reading Troyat's biography of Tolstoy can be trying, although it's very well written and illuminating, simply because Tolstoy was such a jerk. A common phenomenon, of course, but still, it's a relief when I run across something that makes me feel closer to him, like this passage (on p. 323) about Tolstoy's sudden decision to learn Greek: He sent for a theological student from Moscow to teach him the...</p><p>Source : <a href="http://www.languagehat.com" target="_blank">Languagehat.com</a> (<a href="http://www.wikio.com/subscribe?url=http://www.languagehat.com/index.rdf" target="_blank">subscribe</a>)</p> Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:32:52 GMT http://www.wikio.com/fine_arts/books/language?rinfoid=67533089 2008-08-12T19:32:52Z