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

languagehat.com » Because!

Sunday 22 February 20:57:55 UTC 2015

Russian, like every language, has traditional bits of verbiage brought out to annoy one’s interlocutor, and one of my favorites is the response to an overly inquisitive or insistent “Почему?” ‘Why?’: “По кочану!” ‘[Knock you] on the head!’ ‘A head of cabbage each!’ Semantics are irrelevant; say /pəčə’mu pəkəča’nu/ a few times and you’ll get the idea. Other such are … [Link]

Language Log » "They called for more structure"

Sunday 22 February 16:41:27 UTC 2015

From Kevin Knight's home page: I think our approach to syntax in machine translation is best described in D. Barthelme's short story They called for more structure…. In case you didn't follow the link, and to guard against future link rot: They called for more structure, then, so we brought in some big hairy four-by-fours from the back shed and … [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » turn down for lunch

Sunday 22 February 8:58:51 UTC 2015

What you say under your breath when you do NOT want to eat someone's awful cooking. I puked when I saw my Aunt's atrocious black lasagna and muttered, "Turn down for lunch!" [Link]