Omniglot News (20/08/23)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • Nahavaq (Lhiimaqalhqamaꞌ), a Southern Oceanic spoken on Malekula Island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu.
  • Noakhailla (নোয়াখাইল্লা), an eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the southeast of Bangladesh, and also in the northeast of India
  • Mamasa, a South Sulawesi language spoken in West Sulawesi Province in central Indonesia.

New constructed script: Terraphon, which is an alternative way to write American English devised by Earthcat Terrence.

Sample text in Terraphon

New numbers pages:

  • Nahavaq (Lhiimaqalhqamaꞌ), a Southern Oceanic spoken on Malekula Island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu.
  • Zaghawa (Beria), an Eastern Saharan language spoken mainly in parts of Chad and Sudan.
  • Istriot (Lèngua Eîstriota), a Romance language spoken in the south west of the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Hiding in Caves in which we find out what links the word grotesque with caves and hiding., 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 the Philippines.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Limbu (ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ), a Kiranti language spoken in eastern Nepal and northeastern India.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about the words companion, ceilidh and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to posts about words for https://www.omniglot.com/celtiadur/2020/03/22/badgers/Badgers, and Circles.

In the Celtic Pathways podcast we investigate the possible Celtic origins of the word Phon(e)y and find out how it is connect to words for ring and related things.

I also made improvements to the Zaghawa, Uzbek, Karakalpak, Uyghur, Kazakh and Tatar language pages.

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 – Phoney Rings

In this episode we look into the possibly Celtic roots of the word phoney, and find out how it is connected to words for ring and related things.

Irish Claddagh Ring

The Proto-Celtic word *ānniyos means ring, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eh₂no- (ring). [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • fáinne [ˈfˠɑːɲə/ˈfˠæːn̠ʲə] = ring, circle, ringlet, curl or halo in Irish.
  • fàinne [faːn̪ʲə] = ring, ringlet or circle in Scottish Gaelic
  • fainney = circle, puck, wreathe or ring in Manx

The English word phon(e)y (fraudulent, fake) possibly comes from the old slang word fawney (a finger ring, a gilt brass ring used by swindlers), from the Irish fáinne (ring) [source].

The Hiberno-English word fainne [ˈfɑnjə/ˈfɔnjə], which refers to a pin badge worn to show fluency in, or a willingness to speak Irish, also comes from the same Irish root [source]. More information about the fainne badge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fáinne

Other words from the same PIE root, via the Latin ānus (ring, anus) include annular (ring-shaped, banded/marked with circles) and anus in English, անուր (anur – collar, oppression, yoke) in Armenian, anneau (ring) in French, and anello (ring, link) in Italian [source].

You can find more details of words for circles, rings 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 (13/08/23)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • Huehuetla Tepehua (Lhiimaqalhqamaꞌ), a Totonacan spoken in central Mexico.
  • Pááfang, a Micronesian language spoken in Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia
  • Tai Hongjin (Taj₄hong₆tjin₃), a Southwestern Tai language spoken mainly in Yunan Province in the southwest of China, and also in Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand.

New constructed script: Kanabasic, which is an alternative way to write Japanese created by Safebox that is half-way between romaji and kana.

Sample text in Kana Basic

New numbers pages:

  • Huehuetla Tepehua (Lhiimaqalhqamaꞌ), a Totonacan spoken in central Mexico.
  • Tai Hongjin (Taj₄hong₆tjin₃), a Southwestern Tai language spoken mainly in Yunan Province in the southwest of China
  • Karachay-Balkar (Къарачай-Малкъар тил), a Turkic language spoken mainly in Kabardino-Balkaria, in the Russia Federation.

On the Omniglot blog we find out what conects the word gossamer with the words Goose and Summer, 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 Nepal and India.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Yucuna (Jukuna), a Northern Maipurean or Arawakan language spoken in the south of Colombia

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Near and Close and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Gods and Goddesses, Small and Big, Large and Great.

In the Adventure in Etymology we investigate the origins of the word Twilight and related words.

I also wrote a new song this week called Farewell that goes something like this:

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 (06/08/23)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • Thai Song (ꪩꪱꪫꪶꪎ꫁ꪉ / ลาวโซ่ง), a Southwestern Tai language spoken in central Thailand
  • Oroko, a Bantu language spoken in southern Cameroon.
  • Ninde, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in central Vanuatu.

New fictional script: Sheikah, which is used to write English and Japanese in the games The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

Sample text in Sheikah (in Japanese)

New numbers pages:

  • Kupsabiny, a Southern Nilotic language spoken in eastern Uganda.
  • Ludic (lüüdin kiel’), a Finnic language spoken in part of the Republic of Karelia in Russia
  • Qashqai (Qaşqay dili), a Western Oghuz Turkic language spoken mainly in the Fars region of Iran.
  • Western Yugur (yoɣïr lar), a North East Turkic language spoken in Gansu Province in northwestern China.
  • Ili Turki (İlı turkeşi), a Turkic language spoken in northwestern China and Kazakhstan.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post entitled Smiling Hum about the Finnish word hymy (smile), 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 Colombia

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Gawwada, a Cushitic language spoken in southern Ethiopia.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Blind and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the post about words for Kings and related things.

In the Celtic Pathways podcast we uncover the Celtic roots of the word Cream.

In other news, I went to two French conversation groups this week – the usual one on Thursday night in Bangor, and another one on Wednesday night in Dinas Dinlle. It was nice to meet some new people and to see a place I hadn’t been to before.

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 – Cream

In this episode we look into the Celtic roots of the word cream.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Cream comes from Middle English cre(i)me (cream, chrism [a mixture of oil and balsam]), from Old French cresme (cream), from Late Latin crāmum (cream), probably from Gaulish *crama, from Proto-Celtic *krammen (skin), from Proto-Indo-European (s)krama- [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages possibly include:

  • screamh = a deposit on surface, coating, crust, scum in Irish.
  • sgrath [sɡrah] = bark, husk, peel, skin, crust in Scottish Gaelic
  • scrooig = crust, incrustation, scab, slime, scale in Manx
  • cramen [ˈkramɛn] = scab, sore, boil, crust, layer in Welsh
  • kragh = scab in Cornish
  • kramm = grime, filth in Breton

Other words from the same Proto-Celtic root include crème (cream, cool) in French, schram (scratch, scrape, graze) in Dutch, and creme (cream [coloured]) in German.

Incidentally, the Old English word for cream was rēam [ræ͜ɑːm], which comes from Proto-Germanic *raumaz (skin, film, cream), from PIE *réwgʰmn̥ (cream). A descendent of this word, ream, is apparently still used for cream in English dialects in northern England [source], and in Scots [source].

You can find more details of words for beaks, snouts 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 (30/07/23)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • West Uvean (Fagauvéa), a Polynesian language spoken on the island of Uvea in New Caledonia.
  • Krache (Krakye), a North Guang language spoken in eastern Ghana.
  • Wayampi (Wajãpi), a Northern Tupí-Guarani language spoken in northern Brazil and the southeast of French Guiana.

New adapted script: Latvilica, a way to write Latvian with the Cyrillic alphabet created by Wojciech Grala

Виси цилвеьки пиеѕимст бриьви ун виенлиьѕиьги саваь пашциењаь ун тиесиьбаьс. Вињи ир апвелтиьти ар сапраьту ун сирдсапзињу, ун вињием яьизтурас цитам прет циту браьлиьбас гараь.

New numbers pages:

  • West Uvean (Fagauvéa), a Polynesian language spoken on the island of Uvea in New Caledonia.
  • Ndyuka (Aukans), an English-based creole spoken in parts of Suriname and French Guiana.
  • Saramaccan (Saamáka), a Portuguese-based creole spoken in Suriname and French Guiana.
  • Bislama, an English-based creole language spoken in Vanuatu.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post entitled Singing Cows about the origins of the word bazooka, 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 Ethiopia

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Ravula (യേരവാ / ಯೇರವಾ), a Dravidian language spoken in Karnataka and Kerala in southern India

There are new Celtiadur posts about words for Wheels and Hard and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the posts about Hills and Elbows

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we uncover the woody origins of the word Busk.

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 (23/07/23)

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

There’s a new writing system: Fox alphabet, which was used to write Fox, an Algonquian language spoken in parts of Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska in the USA.

Fox alphabet

There are new language pages about:

  • Kyode (Gikyode), a North Guang language spoken in eastern Ghana.
  • Emerillon (Teko), a Tupian language spoken in southern French Guiana.
  • Sauk (Thâkiwâtowêweni), an Algonquian language spoken in parts of Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska in the USA.

New phrases pages: Silly Finnish and Sauk.

New numbers pages:

  • Kyode (Gikyode), a North Guang language spoken in eastern Ghana.
  • Aiton (တႝ ဢႝတွꩫ်), a Southwestern Tai language spoken in the state of Assam in the northeast of India.
  • Caucasian Albanian (𐔰𐕅𐕒𐕡𐔰𐕎𐔼𐔿 𐔲𐔼𐕙𐕎 𐔶), a northeast Caucasian language once spoken in Azerbaijan and Daghestan.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post about the word Asunto and related words in Finnish and other languages, 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 India.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Fox / Meskwaki (Meshkwahkihaki), an Algonquian language spoken in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa in the USA.

There are new Celtiadur posts about words for Beaks and Snouts, the number Hundred and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Celtic Pathways podcast we discover the Celtic roots of words like Gob and Beak.

Improved page: Fox language, and I added some code to the languages, phrases, numbers and constructed scripts index pages so that you can see which pages have been added recently.

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 – Gobs and Beaks

In this episode we look into the Celtic roots of English words like gob and beak.

Geese

The Proto-Celtic word *gobbos means muzzle, snout or beak. It comes from PIE *ǵebʰ- (jaw, mouth) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • gob [ɡɔbˠ] = beak, bill, tip, point or projection in Irish.
  • gob [ɡob] = beak, bill, gob, pointed/sharp end or corner in Scottish Gaelic
  • gob = apex, headland, hook, jet, point, promontory, beak, nib, spout, mouth or muzzle in Manx

The English word gob, which is a slang word for mouth in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, was borrowed from Irish or Scottish Gaelic. [source].

It also means a lump of soft or sticky material, saliva, phlegm and various other things, and that version of the word comes from the same Proto-Celtic roots via Middle French go(u)be (lump, mouthful), and Gaulish *gobbos (mouth) [source].

Other words from the same Proto-Celtic roots include gober (to swallow whole) and gobelet (goblet, cup, beaker) in French, and goblet in English [source].

Another Proto-Celtic word for beak or snout is *bekkos. The only descendent in the modern Celtic languages that I can find is beg (beak, mouth, point, mouthpiece, embouchure) in Breton [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Gaulish *bekkos (beak, snout) and the Latin beccus (beak, bill), include bec (beak, bill, mouth) in French, beco (beak, mouthpiece, burner) in Italian, bico (beak, bill, snout, rostrum) in Portuguese, pico (beak, sharp point, pickaxe, peak, spout) in Spanish, and beak in English [source].

You can find more details of words for beaks, snouts 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 (09/07/23)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • Kafa (kafí noonoó / የከፋ-ቋንቋ), a North Omotic language spoken in the Keffa Zone in the south west of Ethiopia.
  • she shashishalhem (She Sháshishálhem), a Coast Salishan language spoken in the southwest of British Columbia in Canada.
  • Nooksack (Lhéchalosem), a Coast Salishan language spoken in the northwest Washington State in the USA.

New numbers pages:

  • Sinte Romani, (Sintitikes), a Romani language spoken in Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.
  • Welsh Romani, (Romnimus / Kååle), a Romani language that was spoken in Wales until about 1968.
  • Finnish Kalo (kaalengo tšimb), a Northwestern Romani language spoken mainly in Finland and Sweden.
  • Caló (kaalengo tšimb), a mixed Iberian-Romani language spoken in Brazil, Spain, France, Portugual and Columbia.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post called Moon’s Ear, about the names of the @ symbol in various langauges, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly on one small island in the South Pacific Ocean.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Hill Mari (Кырык мары йӹлмӹ), a Uralic language spoken mainly in the Mari El Republic in the Russian Federation.

There are new Celtiadur posts about words for Spears and Javelins and the number Ten, and related things, in Celtic languages.

The Celtic Pathways podcast this week, Spears and Sceptres, discovers links between words for spears and related things in Celtic languages with words for arrows and sceptres in Basque and Armenian.

In other news, Duolingo appear to have suspended their ‘refer a friend’ offer. This was a way to get Super Duolingo, the paid version of their app, for free. For every person who signed up via your referal link, you got a free week of Super Duolingo. I put links on Omniglot, and have enjoyed many months of using Super Duolingo. It reverted back to the free version for me this morning, with all the tedious ads, and limited hearts and other restrictions. I’ve got so used to using the paid version, that I might have to start paying for it now. I’ve just signed up for the free 2 week trial. My current streak reached 2,178 days (nearly 6 years) today, by the way, and I have no intention of stopping any time soon.

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 – Spears and Sceptres

In this episode we find out what links the words spear and beam in Celtic languages with words for sceptre and arrow in other languages.

Romano British spearmen

The Proto-Celtic word *gaisos means spear. It comes from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz [ˈɣɑi̯.zɑz] (spear, pike, javelin), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰoysós (throwing spear), from *ǵʰey- (to throw, impel) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • ga [ɡa]= spear, dart, sting, ray (of light), radius, suppository or (fishing) gaff in Irish.
  • gath [gah] = dart, beam, ray (of light), sting, barb or shooting pain in Scottish Gaelic
  • goull = beam, dart or ray in Manx
  • gwayw [ɡweɨ̯.ʊ] = lance, spear, javelin, shooting pain, stab, stitch or pang in Welsh
  • guw = spear in Cornish
  • goaf = spear, pike, javelin or stamen in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root in other languages include gezi [ɡe̞.s̻i] (arrow) in Basque (via Latin and Gaulish), գայիսոն [ɡɑjiˈsɔn/kʰɑjiˈsɔn] (sceptre) in Armenian (via Ancient Greek), gaesum (a Gaulish javelin) in Latin, and γαῖσος [ɡâi̯.sos] (a Gaulish javelin) in Ancient Greek [source].

Words from the same Proto-Germanic root include garfish (any fish of the needlefish family Belonidae) in English [source], geer (spear) in Dutch, Ger (spear) in German, and keihäs (spear, javelin, pike) in Finnish, [source].

Incidentally, my surname, Ager, possibly comes from the same Proto-Germanic root as well, via the Old English name Ēadgār, from ēad (happiness, prosperity), and gār (spear) [source].

You can find more details of words for spears, javelins 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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