John Gordon Ross

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 » Wilson on Homeric Wordplay.

Sunday 7 January 22:54:44 UTC 2018

Emily Wilson, whose translation of the Odyssey I posted about here, has a Twitter thread beginning: Here’s another major issues for all translators, not just of ancient Greek: what to do about wordplay, including puns. Take these lines from the Odyssey: ἀλλ᾽ ἑλέτω σε καὶ ὕπνος: ἀνίη καὶ τὸ φυλάσσειν πάννυχον ἐγρήσσοντα, κακῶν δ᾽ ὑποδύσεαι ἤδη. (20. 52-53) The penultimate … [Link]

Wordorigins.org » ADS Word of the Year: fake news

Sunday 7 January 14:53:00 UTC 2018

On 5 January, the American Dialect Society chose fake news as its 2017 Word of the Year. The ADS defined fake news as either “disinformation or falsehoods presented as real news” or “actual news that is claimed to be untrue.” The phrase was considered during the organization’s deliberations for the 2016 Word of the Year (WOTY), but in that year … [Link]

Omniglot blog » Language quiz

Sunday 7 January 10:22:01 UTC 2018

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 » The 11th Hour

Sunday 7 January 8:30:00 UTC 2018

Used to describe the final moments of a given event, or situation where change is still a possibility. Right before a deadline. I procrastinated all night and now, in the 11th hour, I need to work my ass off to finish this report moments before it is due. [Link]

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