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

languagehat.com » Languages of London.

Sunday 17 May 12:46:42 UTC 2015

18 Beautiful And Weird Maps That Will Change How You Think About London has a lot of interesting stuff (I love the first one, showing London around the turn of the first millennium: “Hamor Smydde, Fulanham, Brixges Tane: Sound familiar?”), but the one of LH relevance is 10, showing the non-English languages most commonly spoken in different parts of the … [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » unring the bell

Sunday 17 May 7:00:00 UTC 2015

The unfortunate realization that any given time sensitive condition cannot be undone. I so wish that I didn't run over the kid while I was texting while driving. its just too late for that; can't unring the bell. [Link]

Omniglot blog » Language quiz

Sunday 17 May 5:19:16 UTC 2015

Here’s a recording in a mystery language. Can you identify the language, and do you know where it’s spoken? [Link]

Language Log » Token Cantonese

Sunday 17 May 4:26:19 UTC 2015

Guy Freeman sent in this photograph of a beer advertisement in Hong Kong: I took one look at the ad and thought to myself, "Hmmmm. This is phony Cantonese. It's basically just Mandarin with a couple of token Cantonese markers." This is how I read it in my head: kěnéng HAI6 shìjiè shàng zuì hǎo GE3 píjiǔ 可能係世界上最好嘅啤酒 "Perhaps the … [Link]

Language Log » Kein Durchgang

Sunday 17 May 4:23:49 UTC 2015

Multilingual sign near the entrance to a toilet at the Cologne Main train station, posted by Simon on douban, via Joel Martinsen: I trust that the Germans who posted this sign knew very well what they wanted to communicate. It seems to me that the other three languages all fail to convey the intended meaning. The German equivalent of "No … [Link]

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