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The 100 Most Beautiful Words in the English LanguageAs a sort of follow-up to Stephen Fry’s entreaty for more people to appreciate the loveliness of language, here’s a list of the 100 most beautiful words in the English language. While the English word I consider to be the most beautiful — “murmur” — wasn’t included, I was reminded of some other lovely words (“inglenook” and “mondegreen”) that I hope to surreptitiously work into conversation as much as is humanly possible. See what I did there? (SUZANNE) Tags: English
GlobishThe BBC reports that a new brand of English is emerging, a neo-language of international communication called “Globish” that — despite technically being English — leaves many English speakers out of the communication puzzle. In a meeting with colleagues from around the world, including an Englishman, a Korean and a Brazilian, he noticed that he and the other non-native English speakers were communicating in a form of English that was completely comprehensible to them, but which left the Englishman nonplussed. He, Jean-Paul Nerriere, could talk to the Korean and the Brazilian in this neo-language, and they could understand each other perfectly. But the Englishman was left out because his language was too subtle, too full of meaning that could not be grasped by the others. In other words, Monsieur Nerriere concluded, a new form of English is developing around the world, used by people for whom it is their second language.Defining traits of Globish: a vocabulary of no more than 1500 words, restricted use of abbreviations, humor, and metaphor that might confuse any non-native speaker of English. (SUZANNE) Tags: English, Globish
Stephen Fry on LanguageThis is already a month old, and chances are you’ve come across it many times over, but I’ll point you to it anyway: Stephen Fry offers us his thoughts on language in podcast form (as opposed to his mockery of discussions on language, which he acknowledges in this podcast). There’s nothing inherently new in what he’s saying, but it’s the most interesting essay on language I’ve heard in a long time. Alternatively, if you’re a visual learner, you can read the text of the post on his blog, though I’d recommend the podcast for the pure joy of hearing such passages as Let there be textural delight, let there be silken words and flinty words and sodden speeches and soaking speeches and crackling utterance and utterance that quivers and wobbles like rennet. Let there be rapid firecracker phrases and language that oozes like a lake of lava.That Stephen Fry can articulate a cardboard box. (SUZANNE) Tags: linguistics
A Good Month to Cut Wood?Since it’s the beginning of a New Year, it’s as good a time as any to talk about the names of months in various languages. Most European languages use the same Latin roots for the names of months, which is why it’s usually pretty easy to learn them. January, for example, is janvier in French, Januar in German, enero in Spanish, gennaio in Italian, januari in Dutch, as well as in Swedish. Even Hungarian, which is not an Indo-European language, calls the month január.... More Tags: foreign language, January, months
No official languageThe United States has always been a multilingual society. Not surprisingly, English (82.10% of the population) is the most widely spoken language, with Spanish (10.71%) a significant second.... More Tags: newsletter, official language, population, United States, widely spoken languages
Watch TV: the things you must do to learn a foreign language …If you have access to a foreign language TV station, take advantage of it! It’s an easy (and often cheap) way to experience the intricacies of a foreign culture and improve your foreign language abilities. Whatever your interest, there’s bound to be something out there in your chosen language.... More Tags: foreign language channel, newsletter, television
There’s no such thing as a free roomI had come to the U.S. for the first time and was trying to check into my hotel. “Do you have a room free?” I asked the person at the front desk. She looked at me in total surprise and replied, haltingly, “Sorry, sir … we don’t have free rooms here.” Needless to say, I was puzzled in return.... More Tags: checking into a hotel, English, French, newsletter
Language Acceptance and Social AcceptanceLiving in New York, we see a vast array of languages everywhere on public announcements on a daily basis. On the subway alone, there are at times a dozen languages in view. I’ve always considered this both a necessity and a courtesy, a sign that New York City is fairly accepting of its multilingualism as well as its multiculturalism. This past summer, I spent a week in Ireland, where in the past few years, as a result of Eastern Europe’s entry into the European Union, the newest immigrant culture has been predominantly Polish. I heard from many Irish - on the radio, in cabs, in pubs - that they’re happy and welcoming of their new Polish neighbors. I didn’t completely understand how predominant the new immigrant culture is, and how welcoming the Irish are of it until the other day when I finally decided to hang my Irish Writers 2009 calendar in my office, and noticed that the months and days are written in six languages: English, Irish, German, French, Chinese, and - imagine that - Polish. I may be naive in thinking that language acceptance can be equated with social acceptance, but I have to say I think it’s a pretty fantastic start. (SUZANNE) Tags: Ireland, Irish, multilingualism, Polish
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