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

Language Log » Chinese Communist Party biscriptalism

Sunday 11 February 22:46:09 UTC 2018

Hard core communist journal for Party members gets hip with English in the title of an article: "@中共党员: 你该get的精神品质和追求!" (Qiúshì 求是 ["Seeking Truth"], 2018, #3) I will translate and explicate the title fully below. For the moment, it needs to be emphasized that this article was published in the CCP's leading theoretical journal, Qiúshì 求是 ("Seeking Truth"), which is said … [Link]

languagehat.com » Popularity, Grammar, and Vocabulary.

Sunday 11 February 22:13:05 UTC 2018

Veronique Greenwood writes for the Atlantic on an ever-interesting topic, A Language’s Popularity Could Influence Its Grammar and Vocabulary: It’s a peculiar observation that the more people speak a language, the simpler its grammar tends to be. English and Mandarin, for instance, have notably straightforward structures. On the other hand, languages spoken in just a single mountain valley or village … [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » Flanking

Sunday 11 February 8:00:00 UTC 2018

When you get to work before someone and leave after them. The only good thing about being on call for 36 hours is that I'm flanking the SHIT out of everyone. [Link]

Omniglot blog » Language quiz

Sunday 11 February 7:00:16 UTC 2018

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

Language Log » Korean editorial rumor, speculation, and innuendo

Sunday 11 February 2:53:37 UTC 2018

It all started with an English language South Korean newspaper making unsubstantiated claims that a staff member on President Trump's National Security Council was said to have mentioned that a limited strike against North Korea "might help in the midterm elections". "White House shoots down claim that a member of Trump's National Security Council implied that striking North Korea could … [Link]

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