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 » Incrimination by presupposition? The Goldstone e-mail

Sunday 16 July 17:56:51 UTC 2017

Paul Kay offered the following item for discussion around the water cooler at Language Log central: Here's an excerpt from the initial email from Rob Goldstone to Donald Trump, Jr.: ​"This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump – helped along by Aras and Emin."​ Is it … [Link]

Omniglot blog » Turrys foddey / Turas fada / A Long Journey

Sunday 16 July 11:20:25 UTC 2017

Last night I arrived safely in Glencolmcille in Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. I left Peel at 8am, went by bus to Ronaldsway airport, flew to Dublin, then took buses all the way to Glencolmcille, arriving just before 8pm, so it took nearly 12 hours. I met people I know from previous visits to Ireland along the way – … [Link]

Language Log » North America on the Belt and Road?

Sunday 16 July 9:09:46 UTC 2017

I've spent the past couple of days at the "Belt and Road Forum for Language Resources", organized by the "Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Language Resources". There are other recently-founded Beijing Advanced Innovation Centers for "Future Education", "Genomics", "Soft Matter Science and Engineering", "Intelligent Robots and Systems", "Big Data and Brain Computing", "Future Visual Entertainment", and no doubt many others. … [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » Verbal Handcuffs

Sunday 16 July 8:00:00 UTC 2017

When someone won't stop talking (usually about a subject you have no interest in). The talker has verbally forced you to stand there there and listen, even though you have given many clues that you have checked out. Examples: vacant stares, looking at your watch, checking your phone, answering in short one word phrases. Girl 1 :So then I realized … [Link]

Omniglot blog » Language quiz

Sunday 16 July 5:00:11 UTC 2017

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

languagehat.com » Iconicity.

Sunday 16 July 2:00:11 UTC 2017

Helen DeWitt at paperpools posts a quote from Pharaoh’s Land and Beyond, ed. Pearce Paul Creasman and Richard H. Wilkinson (Oxford University Press, 2017) posted in turn by Rolf Degen (@DegenRolf) on Twitter (where he “performed various arcane manipulations to come up with a quotation that blithely bypasses the 140-character limit”). I can’t copy and paste from the image at … [Link]

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