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 » Lepus oryzinus

Saturday 10 February 22:12:12 UTC 2018

Why would "rice rabbit" become a buzzword in China? The answer is simple: it's one of the ways that Chinese netizens try to get around the banning of #MeToo by government censors. The CCP doesn't like #MeToo because it enables women to organize and speak out against harassment and repression. "China Is Attempting To Muzzle #MeToo", by Leta Hong Fincher, … [Link]

languagehat.com » Languages of Persia, 500 B.C.

Saturday 10 February 15:25:38 UTC 2018

Via Joel at Far Outliers, this quote from A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind , by Michael Axworthy: Although Darius established a standard gold coinage, and some payments were made in silver, much of the system operated by payments in kind. These were assessed, allocated, and receipted from the center. […] Couriers were given tablets to produce at post … [Link]

Language Log » Y'allization

Saturday 10 February 15:22:36 UTC 2018

One of the linguistically interesting aspects of Jason Kelce's victory-parade speech was his pronoun usage: Your browser does not support the audio element. And you know who the biggest underdog is? It's y'all, Philadelphia! For fifty two years, y'all have been waitin' for this. Although this is a perfectly idiomatic use of y'all, one thing about it is unexpected — … [Link]

Omniglot blog » Different ways of knowing

Saturday 10 February 12:14:54 UTC 2018

In English you could say that you know a person, a place, a language or a fact. You could also talking about knowing about things, knowing of people, knowing how to do things, knowing hardship, knowing what’s what, knowing the ropes, and so on. In Welsh to say you know a person or place you use adnabod or nabod. For … [Link]