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 » Of castrated cows and Three Finger Brown
New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom, who got the win in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the L.A. Dodgers, received a glowing profile in The New York Times: "Straight Out of Hollywood: The New Guy Outpitches the Ace." When the article first appeared online this morning, it included this line, in the middle of a description … [Link]
languagehat.com » A Survey of Spoken Irish in the Aran Islands.
Project Description: This Survey constitutes a highly detailed micro-dialectological study of spoken Irish in the Aran Islands, focusing on geographical and social variation linked to generations (older and younger age-groups), genders (male and female), and level of education. It provides for the first time ever for any language anywhere in the world an extensive analysis of a wide range of … [Link]
Language Log » Please forgive to be incontinent
I forget who sent this photograph to me, but it is a prime specimen of first-class Chinglish: 
The Chinese reads: nèibù zhuāngxiū zhōng 内部装修中 ("under renovation") gěi nín dài lái bùbiàn 给您带来不便 ("for the inconvenience it brings you [honorific]") jìng qǐng liàngjiě 敬请谅解 ("please excuse") There are two especially humorous aspects to the main translation error: the biàn 便 here … [Link]
Language Log » Outlawed Uyghur names
The Chinese government is troubled by the ongoing unrest in Xinjiang, the westernmost region of the country. The authorities attribute the turmoil to what they refer to as religious extremism, which, they believe, leads to terrorism. Moreover, religious extremism also foments separatism, which the government is dead set against. In an effort to reduce the impact of religious extremism, the … [Link]
Language Log » Global imaginary Chinese
Two or three days ago, I received the following call for papers: "CFP The Chinese Script and its Global Imaginary" (H-Asia 10/7/15) This is for a conference that will be held in New Zealand on April 1, 2016. Perhaps they do not celebrate April Fools' Day in New Zealand. Otherwise, I would have wondered whether this were some sort of … [Link]
Urban Word of the Day » pet parents
A couple who treat their dogs, cats or other animals as if they were children. Many of these couples are childless and the animals provide a substitute for babies. My neighbors are constantly fussing over their two golden retrievers. They always talk about how they must take them on play dates with other dogs and feed them special dog food … [Link]
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