Category: Music

Omniglot News (08/10/23)

By Simon

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Igala (Ígáláà), a Northern Vanuatu language spoken in Gaua, one of the Banks Islands in Torba Province in the north of Vanuatu.
  • Daasanach (Af Daasanach), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in the Meka area in the southeast of Cameroon.
  • Waata (Waatah), an East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan.
  • Hadiyya (Hadiyyisa) – a Highland East Cushitic language spoken in southwestern Ethiopia.

New numbers pages:

  • Igala (Ígáláà), a Northern Vanuatu language spoken in Gaua, one of the Banks Islands in Torba Province in the north of Vanuatu.
  • Iraqw (Kángw Iraqw), a Cushitic language spoken in northern Tanzania
  • Hän (Häł gołan), a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in Alaska in the USA, and the Yukon Territory in Canada.

There’s a new Omniglot blog post called Gaga, about the dialect of Saint-Étienne in the southeast of France, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is a Micronesian language.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Katcha, a variety of Kadugli (a Central Kadu language) spoken in southern Sudan.

There’s a new Celtiadur post entitled Rewarding Gifts and I improved the posts about words for Speckled and Spotted and Heavy.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology podcast, we’re wondering about the wandering origins of the word Extravagant.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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Omniglot News (01/10/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Nume, a Northern Vanuatu language spoken in Gaua, one of the Banks Islands in Torba Province in the north of Vanuatu.
  • Makaa (mǝ́kaá), a Bantu language spoken in the Meka area in the southeast of Cameroon.
  • Sidama (Sidaamu Afoo), a Cushitic language spoken in the Sidama Region in southern Ethiopia.

New numbers pages:

  • Mwotlap (M̄otlap), a Southern Oceanic language spoken mainly on Motolava island in Vanuatu.
  • Nume, a Northern Vanuatu language spoken in Gaua, one of the Banks Islands in Torba Province in the north of Vanuatu.
  • Eastern Tawbuid, a South Mangyan language spoken
    on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines.

New Tower of Babel translations: Basa, Northern Tepehuán, Sidama

There’s a new Omniglot blog post called Early Peaches, which unpeels the origins of the word apricot and related fruits, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken southern Sudan.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Itelmen (итэнмэн), a Chukotko-Kamchatkan language spoken on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Siberia in the Russian Far East region.

There’s a new Celtiadur post called Impeccable Peccadillos, which is about words for sin, crime and related things.

Improved Celtiadur posts: Fists, Palms, Hands & Arms, Heat and Narrow

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, we get to grips with words for Hand and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made separate pages for the Northern Tepehuán, Southeastern Tepehuán and Southwestern Tepehuán languages.

And finally, here’s a new song I wrote this week Ruith Air Falbh / Run Away!

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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Celtic Pathways – Hands

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we’re getting to grips with Celtic words for hand and related things.

gemeinsam

A Proto-Celtic word for hand (and palm) is *ɸlāmā, which comes from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂ (palm, hand), from *pleh₂- (flat) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • lámh [l̪ˠɑːvˠ/l̪ˠæːw] = hand, arm, handle or signature in Irish.
  • làmh [l̪ˠaːv] = hand, arm or handle in Scottish Gaelic
  • laue [læu] = hand, handful, foreleg or arm in Manx
  • llaw [ɬaːu̯] = hand; authority, possession, etc in Welsh
  • leuv [lœ:v / le:v] = hand in Cornish
  • lav [lav] = feathered hand in Breton

The usual word for hand in Breton is dorn, which is related to words for fist in the other Celtic languages. Another Breton word for hand is brec’h, which is related to words for arm in the other languages [source].

The Faroese word lámur ((seal’s) flipper, (cat’s) paw, left hand, (big) hand, left-handed person) comes from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Old Norse lámr (hand, arm) [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include floor, palm, piano, plain and plan in English, piazza (square, plaza, market) in Italian, llano (flat, level, plain) in Spanish, παλάμη (palámi – palm, hand) in Greek, and words for floor and ground in Celtic languages [source]

You can find more details of words for fists, palms, hands and arms and related things on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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Omniglot News (24/09/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Inuktun (Avanersuarmiutut), an Inuit language spoken in northern Greenland.
  • Bangi (Bobangi), a Bantu language spoken in the centre of the Republic of Congo and in west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Nzadi (Indzéé), a Bantu language spoken in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Tembo (Kitembo / Chitembo), a Bantu language spoken in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

New numbers pages:

  • Inuktun (Avanersuarmiutut), an Inuit language spoken in northern Greenland.
  • Aramaic (ארמית), a Semitic language that was the lingua franca of much of the Near East from about 7th century BC until the 7th century AD .
  • Makah (qʷi·qʷi·diččaq), a southern Wakashan language that was spoken on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state in the USA and is being revived.
  • Kwak̓wala, a northern Wakashan language spoken on Vancouver Island in Canada.
  • Nuu-Chah-Nulth (Nuučaan̓uł), a southern Wakashan language spoken in British Columbia in Canada

New Tower of Babel translation: Bangi (Bobangi)

There’s a new Omniglot blog post called Hanging Nails in which we look into the origins of the wordhangnail and related words, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Siberia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Liq’wala (Liq̓ʷala), a Northern Wakashan language spoken in British Columbia in Canada.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for With and Without and related things.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we unwind the origins of the word Weird.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Omniglot News (17/09/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Tonkawa (Tickanwa•tic), a language isolate that was spoken in western Oklahoma, southern Texas and New Mexico in the USA, and that is being revived.
  • Vamale, a New Caledonian language spoken in the north of Grande Terre Island in New Caledonia.
  • Nisu, a Loloish language spoken in the south of Yunnan Province in southern China.
  • Sani (Nip-dop), a Southeastern Loloish language spoken in central Yunnan Province in southern China.

New numbers pages:

  • Tonkawa (Tickanwa•tic), a language isolate that was spoken in western Oklahoma, southern Texas and New Mexico in the USA, and that is being revived.
  • Ditidaht (Diitiidʔaatx̣), a southern Wakashan language spoken in southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia in Canada.
  • Shoshone (Sosoni’ da̱i̱gwape), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken in Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming in the USA.
  • Comanche (nʉmʉ tekwapʉ̱), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken in parts of Oklahoma in the USA.

New weather words page: Finnish (suomi).

On the Omniglot blog we find out if the words Tent and Tenant are related, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in British Columbia in Canada.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tsat, a Northern Chamic language spoken near Sanya in the south of Hainan Province in southern China.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Down Under and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Trees, Wood(s) & Forests and Low.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, entitled Sacred Trees, we explore the roots of some Celtic words for trees and related things.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Celtic Pathways – Sacred Trees

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we’re exploring the roots of Celtic words for tree and related things.

Llyn Padarn

One Proto-Celtic word for tree is *belyom, which comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰolh₃yo- (leaf), from *bʰleh₃- (blossom, flower) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • bile [ˈbʲɪlʲə] = (large, sacred) tree, a scion or a distinguished person in Irish.
  • bile [bilə] = mast, plough, a cluster of trees, or a sacred tree or grove in Scottish Gaelic
  • billey = tree or big bush in Manx
  • pill [pɪɬ] = (tree) trunk, stock, log, branch, pole, stake, post, fortress or stronghold in Welsh.
  • bill = trunk in Breton

In Manx billey is the usual word for tree, however words for tree have other roots in the other Celtic languages: crann (Irish), craobh (Scottish Gaelic), coeden (Welsh), gwedhen (Cornish) and gwezenn (Breton). Only the Cornish and Breton words are cognate (related).

The Proto-Celtic word *belyom became *bilia [ˈbi.liaː] (tall tree) in Gaulish, which became bille (tree trunk, railway sleeper, rolling pin) and billon (a ridge in a ploughed field) in French, and possibly billa (spigot, tap, stick) in Galician [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include folio and phyllo / fil(l)o (pastry), phyllomancy (diviniation by leaves) in English, feuille (leaf, sheet) in French, and hoja (leaf, petal, blade) in Spanish [source].

You can find more details of words for trees, wood(s) and forests and related things on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

Omniglot News (10/09/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Tumulung Sisaala (Sisaaliŋ Tumuluŋ), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region of northern Ghana.
  • Paasaal (Pasaale Sisaala), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region of northern Ghana
  • Sisaali, a Gur language spoken in the provinces of Sissili and Ioba in southern Burkina Faso.

New numbers pages:

  • Tumulung Sisaala (Sisaaliŋ Tumuluŋ), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region in northern Ghana.
  • Sisaali, a Gur language spoken in Sissili and Ioba in southern Burkina Faso.
  • Aari (አፋን፡ኣሪ፡ / Áfan ārí), a South Omotic language spoken in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region of southern Ethiopia.

On the Omniglot blog we look into the origins of the words Pen and Pencil, which are not related, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in southern China, but isn’t related to Chinese.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Erzya (эрзянь кель), a Mordvinic language spoken in the Republic of Mordovia in the west of the Russian Federation.

There’s a new Celtiadur post called Take Note! about words meaning note and related things in Celtic languages,.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re going down the rabbit hole and unearthing the origins of the word down and related things.

I also made improvements to pages about Japanese Kanji and the Bench language.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Omniglot News (03/08/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Buol (Apadu Vuolo), a Gorontalic language spoken in the Buol Regency in the north of Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
  • Talaud, a North Sangiric language spoken in the Talaud Islands in North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
  • Blaan (B’laan), a South Mindanao language spoken in the south of Mindanao Island in the Philippines.

New constructed script: Wave, an alternative script for English designed by Nixon Nguyen for artistic purposes.

Sample text in Wave (All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.)

New phrases page: Blaan (B’laan)

New numbers pages:

  • Blaan (B’laan), a South Mindanao language spoken on Mindanao Island in the Philippines.
  • Keres, a language isolate spoken by the Keres Pueblo people in New Mexico in the USA.

New dates page: Vietnamese

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Sailing Away about words for boatsships> and related vessels, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is related to Hungarian.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Wemba Wemba, a Pama-Nyungan language formerly spoken in Victoria in Australia, that is being revived.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Ships and Boats and related vessels in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Caves and Wide and Broad.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast we delve into the origins of the words for Hollow and related things.

In other news, here’s some Stuff Nonsense, my latest song:

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Celtic Pathways – Hollow

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we’re delving into Celtic words for hollow and related things.

Hollows

The Proto-Celtic word *tullos means pierced, perforated or hole, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *tewk- (to push, press, beat, pierce, perforate), from *(s)tew- (to push, hit) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • toll [t̪ˠoːl̪ˠ] = hole, hollow, posterior, piereced, empty in Irish.
  • toll [tɔul̪ˠ] = hole, penetration, hole, hold (of a ship) in Scottish Gaelic
  • towl = aperture, bore, cavity, crater, hole, hollow in Manx
  • twll [tʊɬ] = hole, aperture, dimple, hollow, pit, cave, burrow, den, orifice in Welsh.
  • toll = burrow, hollow, hole, opening, orifice in Cornish
  • toull [ˈtulː] = holed, pierced, hole, entrance in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root in other languages include tollo (hole in the ground where hunters hide, puddle) in Spanish, toll (pool, puddle) in Catalan, and tol (ditch, dam) in Galician [source].

Words from the same PIE root possibly include tkát (to weave) in Czech, тъка [tɐˈkɤ] (to spin, plait, entwine, weave) in Bulgarian and tkać (to weave, stick, tuck) in Polish [source]. Also stoke in English, stoken (to poke, stoke, light a fire, stir up) in Dutch, and estoquer (to impale) in French [source]

You can find more details of words for hollows, holes, caves and related things on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

Omniglot News (27/08/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Iceve-Maci, a Tivoid language spoken in southwest Cameroon and southeast Nigeria.
  • Esimbi, a Tivoid language spoken in the Northwest Province of Cameroon.
  • Chaura (Sanënyö), a Nicobarese language spoken on Chowra (Chaura) Island in the Nicobar Islands, part of the Indian union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

New constructed script: Foamemes, which is an alternative way to write American English devised by Earthcat Terrence and Rex Angular

Sample text in Foamemes

New constructed script: Jackson’s Dialect Phonetic Alphabet (JDPA), which was devised by Jackson Green as an alternative way to write Canadian English.

Sample text in Jackson's Dialect Phonetic Alphabet (JDPA)

New constructed script: Liran, which was invented by Seth Zaw to write his constructed language, Liran.

Sample text in Liran

New numbers pages:

  • Chaura (Sanënyö), a Nicobarese language spoken on Chowra (Chaura) Island in the Nicobar Islands
  • Kanuri (Kànùrí), a Nilo-Saharan language spoken in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
  • Kpelle (Kpɛlɛwoo), a Mande language spoken in Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau and Chad.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Gadding About about the meanings and origins of the word gad and related words, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language was spoken in Australia, and is currently being revived.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Capiznon (Kapisnon), a Central Bisayan language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.

There’s a new Celtiadur post called Fearful Dread, which looks into some fearful and dreadful words in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology we investigate the origins of the word Crotchet (♩) and related things.

2222 day streak on Duolingo

In other news, I reached 2222 days on my Duolingo learning streak this week, which seems like quite a milestone to me, and I’m still enjoying it. I’ve nearly finished the Japanese course – only half a unit to complete, plus some legendary levels. I have 2.5 more units to finish in the Spanish course, 3.5 in Finnish, and nearly 4 in Scottish Gaelic. I don’t know which language(s) I’ll study when I finish these courses.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101