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

Language Log » Rōmaji dialog between "bread" and "tea"

Sunday 9 August 15:54:57 UTC 2015

The following photograph shows a chalkboard sign inside of a Kobe cafe that is entirely written in rōmaji (Roman letters), with superscript 2s representing reduplication: From a learned, senior scholar of Japanese literature: This is a very informal, vernacular sign. The speakers are "bread" and "tea." So I find it difficult. You have to change them into young people's everyday … [Link]

Language Log » Ootori

Sunday 9 August 15:48:50 UTC 2015

Calvin Ho sent in the following photograph: He asked an interesting question: Are there any other places in East Asia where a place name can consist of a single Chinese character? Granted, Otori is three syllables. No other contemporary East Asian city whose name consists of a single Chinese character leaps to mind, and I didn't spot any among the … [Link]

Language Log » How can you (not) help but (not) __?

Sunday 9 August 10:19:25 UTC 2015

Here's another example of the power of negation to confuse us –Jonathan Capehart, "Marco Rubio’s powerful American story", WaPo 4/14/2015: Rubio’s up-from-nothing life story is inspiring. “I live in an exceptional country where even the son of a bartender and a maid can have the same dreams and the same future as those who come from power and privilege,” he … [Link]

Omniglot blog » Language quiz

Sunday 9 August 10:04:53 UTC 2015

Here’s a recording in a mystery language. Can you identify the language, and do you know where it’s spoken? By the way, I couldn’t find a recording of this language without the background music, unfortunately. [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » stall brother

Sunday 9 August 7:00:00 UTC 2015

A person who enters and occupies a public restroom stall adjacent to a stall that is already occupied despite the fact that there were other stalls available that would have allowed a buffer, negatively affecting the enjoyment of your activity. An offense similar to occupying the middle urinal. I went to take a dump at the mall and had the … [Link]

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