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 » Pronouncing "Daesh"
In the comments on yesterday's post, the question arose about how the Arabic-based acronym "Daesh" (from al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham, "the islamic state of Iraq and the Levant", maybe better rendered as "Da’ish") would be pronounced in English. We now know what Barack Obama's choice is — [dæʃ], as in "dash": Turkey's been a strong partner with the … [Link]
Language Log » I.SEOUL.U
The city of Seoul, South Korea, has a new slogan. This is what it looks like: 
In some versions (e.g., see the illustration in the Quartz article cited below), the "U" of "SEOUL" has a horizontal bar running across the center of the letter, but not extending beyond its edges. This barred "U" is usually not present in images of … [Link]
Language Log » Weasels
According to Merriam-Webster, a weasel is : a small animal that has a thin body and brown fur and that eats small birds and other animals : a dishonest person who cannot be trusted It's the second sense — and the alliteration with winner — that leads a local sports talk radio show to offer "winner of the week and weasel … [Link]
Language Log » C'est la vie ～
Chris P sent in the following emojis from WeChat: 
Chris comments: I've recently de-expatriated back to the US after a decade and change in China/Taiwan/HK. During that time I've really enjoyed and learned a lot from reading your posts on Language Log. I notice you respond to a lot of reader questions, so I thought I'd finally pose one. By … [Link]
Omniglot blog » Language quiz
Here’s a recording in a mystery language. Can you identify the language, and do you know where it’s spoken? [Link]
Urban Word of the Day » SFTC
A more discrete, faster way of saying "Straight For the Cock" Paige: Sarah, Did you go SFTC? Sarah: You know it!
[Link]
Language Log » Bakugai ("explosive buying"): Japanese word of the year nominee
The tension is building. On Tuesday, December 1, the Japanese Word of the Year for 2015 (Nippon.com) will be chosen from among a list of 50 nominees. It's a good group, with each of the nominees having intrinsic character and worthy credentials. In this post, however, the focus is on just one of the more interesting candidates: bakugai 爆買い ("explosive … [Link]
languagehat.com » Lyrics and Language Preservation.
A fascinating Jabal al-Lughat post by Dr. Lameen Souag starts off with lyrics from the Berber-speaking oasis of Siwa in western Egypt, which turn out to have been “passed on orally for more than 120 years, with only minor changes”; it continues: There are many ways in which Siwa is different from Tabelbala, the Algerian oasis where I did the … [Link]
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