John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Language Stuff

Almost everyone uses language, so inevitably almost everyone thinks they are an expert in it. I don’t consider myself an expert, though most of my work requires at least language competence and sometimes actual skill, but I do follow the blogs featured on this feeds page.

(If you are wondering where the translation-related feeds have all gone, I have put them on their own page.)

Most of the blogs represented here are in English, most of the time, but don’t be surprised to find other languages used. Go with the flow – I occasionally find myself pleasantly surprised at how much I can grasp in languages I have never seen before.

Language On the Net

the world in words » The English language: a hodgepodge from the start

Monday 11 August 17:57:33 UTC 2014

At Bede's World in Jarrow, UK, a staff member dressed as a monk poses in front of a recreation of an Anglo-Saxon animal shelter. (Photo: Patrick Cox)At Bede’s World in Jarrow, UK, a staff member dressed as a monk poses in front of a recreation of an Anglo-Saxon animal shelter. (Photo: Patrick Cox) Set among the call centers and storage facilities of Jarrow in the northeast of England is a farm, of sorts. There are pigs, sheep and goats here. Some are ancient varieties, more popular 1,400 … [Link]

Language Log » Newspaper alleges passive voice correctly!

Monday 11 August 16:17:55 UTC 2014

Today I came upon something truly rare: a newspaper article about a passive-voice apology that (i) is correct about the apology containing a passive clause, but (ii) stresses that the oft-misdiagnosed passive should not be the thing we focus on and attempt to discourage, and (iii) cites actual linguists in support of the latter view! What's going on? Is Language … [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » Elbow Porn

Monday 11 August 7:00:00 UTC 2014

Pornography depicting various elbows in various poses. Dude, what you are looking at…Porn?!?! Not just any porn… Elbow Porn! 😉 [Link]

languagehat.com » New Dialects.

Monday 11 August 0:02:48 UTC 2014

1) Of Welsh. The Economist writes about efforts to revive the Welsh language: But the Welsh that can be heard in schools and that is spoken by the sports commentators on the Blue Boar’s small television set is different from the kind that many native speakers grew up with. A standardisation centre at Bangor University has added new words, such … [Link]

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