Omniglot News (23/10/22)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • Wapishana (Wapixana), a Northern Arawakan language spoken in Guyana and Brazil.
  • Ketengban, an Eastern Mek language spoken in Highland Papua Province in Indonesia.

New constructed script: High Gavellian, which was created in 2020 by the developers of the Minecraft MMORPG Wynncraft, and is used to write English and Irish in the game.

Sample text in High Gavellian

New adapated script Glagoñol (Ⰳⱉⰰⰳⱁⰾⰹⱌⱏ), which is a way to write Spanish with the Glagolitic alphabet devised by Rodrigo Bustamante Solano.

Ⱅⱁⰴⱁⱄ ⰾⱁⱄ ⱄⰵⱃⰵⱄ ⱆⰿⰰⱀⱁⱄ ⱀⰰⱄⰵⱀ ⰾⰻⰱⱃⰵⱄ ⰵ ⰻⰳⱆⰰⰾⰵⱄ ⰵⱀ ⰴⰻⰳⱀⰻⰴⰰⰴ ⰻ ⰴⰵⱃⰵⱍⱁⱄ ⰻ, ⰴⱁⱅⰰⰴⱁⱄ ⰽⱁⰿⱁ ⰵⱄⱅⰰ'ⱀ ⰴⰵ ⱃⰰⰸⱁ'ⱀ ⰻ ⰽⱁⱀⱌⰻⰵⱀⱌⰻⰰ, ⰴⰵⰱⰵⱀ ⰽⱁⰿⱂⱁⱃⱅⰰⱃⱄⰵ ⱇⱃⰰⱅⰵⱃⱀⰰⰾⰿⰵⱀⱅⰵ ⰾⱁⱄ ⱆⱀⱁⱄ ⰽⱁⱀ ⰾⱁⱄ ⱁⱅⱃⱁⱄ.

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Dawan (Uab Metô), a Timoric language spoken in East Nusa Tenggara province on the island of West Timor in Indonesia.
  • Ngalum, am Ok language spoken in Papua province of Indonesia, and in Sandaun province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Lepki, a South Pauwasi language spoken in Western New Guinea.
  • Mao (Emela), an Angami-Pochuri language spoken in Manipur and Nagaland in northeastern India
  • Ketengban, an Eastern Mek language spoken in Highland Papua Province in Indonesia.

There are new Tower of Babel translations in: Pamona, Tobelo, Termanu, Una, Rampi, Gorontalo, Saluan, Mentawai, Banggai and Sangirese.

There’s a new page of silly phraes, mostly from Duolingo, in Scottish Gaelic

New article: Four Nordic languages around the Baltic Sea – Fynsk, Åländska, Malax and Estonian Swedish

There’s an Omniglot blog post about the Scots word Snoozle, which means to snooze or doze, or to nuzzle, poke with the nose or snuggle, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is in the northwest of China.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Boro / Bodo (बर’ राव), a member of the Sal branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family spoken in northeast India and eastern Nepal.


There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Peace and Fairies and related things in Celtic languages.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast we look into the origins of words for sacks, bags, bellys and related things in Celtic languages, and discover that the English words bulge, bilge and budget have Celtic roots.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we tell tales about the origins of the word spell and related words.

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Spell

Today we’re telling tales about the origins of the word spell.

Spell

Spell [spɛl] means:

  • Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
  • A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula
  • To put under the influence of a spell, to affect by a spell, to bewitch, fascinate, charm

Spell used to mean speech or discourse. It comes from the Middle English spel(l) (story, tale, narrative, report), from the Old English spell (news, story, prose), from the Proto-Germanic spellą (news, message, tale, story, legend),from the PIE *spel- (to tell) or from *bʰel- (to speak, sound) [source].

Words from the same roots include gospel and byspel (an example — rare) in English; spjall (talk, gossip) and spjalla (to chat, converse) in Icelandic; and fjalë (word) in Albanian [source].

The word spell (to be able to write or say the letters that form words), also comes from the same root, via the Middle English spellen (to mean, signify, interpret, to spell out letters), the Old French espeler (to call, cry out, shout, explain, tell), the Frankish *spelôn, and the Proto-Germanic *spellōną (to speak) [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.

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.

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Celtic Pathways – Sacks

In this episode we are looking into the origins of words for sacks, bags and bellys in Celtic languages.

Sacks

The Proto-Celtic word *bolgos means sack, bag or stomach. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰólǵʰ-o-s (skin bag, bolster), from *bʰelǵʰ- (to swell) [source].

Descendants in the Celtic languages include:

  • bolg [ˈbˠɔlˠəɡ] = belly, stomach, abdomen; bag; bulge, broad part, middle; bellows in Irish
  • bolg [bɔl̪ˠɔg] = blister, bulge, (light) bulb in Scottish Gaelic
  • bolg [bolg] = stomach, abdomen, belly, tummy, corporation, bilge, bowl (of lamp) in Manx
  • bol [bɔl] = belly, paunch, abdomen, stomach, bowels; tripe; appetite, desire, gluttony, liking; womb; swelling, bulge, surface, side in Welsh
  • bolgh [bɔlx] = breach, gap, opening in Cornish
  • bolc’h = flax pod in Breton

The related Gaulish word *bolgā (sack, bag, stomach) was borrowed into Medieval/Late Latin as bulga (knapsack, wallet, satchel, purse, womb), and became bouge (sack, purse, small bag) and bougette (budget – purse for carrying coins) in Old French; bouge (hovel, dive, shanty, bulge, protuberance) in modern French; bulge, bilge and budget in English, and possibly bolgia (pit, bedlam, madhouse, shambles) in Italian [source].

Other words for the PIE root *bʰelǵʰ- (to swell), include belly, bellows, Belgium, billow, bolster, fool and folly in English [source].

More details about these words on Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

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.

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Omniglot News (16/10/22)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • Löyöp, an Oceanic language spoken in the east of Ureparapara Island in northern Vanuatu.
  • Lehali (Loli), an Oceanic language spoken in the west of Ureparapara Island in northern Vanuatu.
  • Mao (Emela), an Angami-Pochuri language spoken in Manipur and Nagaland the northeast of India.

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Aleut (Unangam Tunuu), an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken on the Alaskan Peninsula, and the Aleutian, Pribilof and Commander Islands.
  • Ge’ez (ግዕዝ), the classical language of Ethiopia which is still used as a liturgical language by Ethiopian christians and the Beta Israel Jewish community of Ethiopia.
  • Ketengban (Oktengban), a Trans-New Guinea language spoken West Papua in Indonesia.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post called Jealous Envy, which is about the differences between the words jealousy and envy, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in the northeast of India and in eastern Nepal.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Louisiana Creole (Kréyòl La Lwizyàn), a French-based creole spoken mainly in Louisiana in the USA.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Gloves and Sleeves and related things in Celtic languages.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast we stroll around the words for step, path and related things in Celtic languages.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we find out what links the word jelly with words such as cold, chill and glacier.

I also made improvements to the Balinese language, Balinese phrases and Balinese numbers pages.

I wrote a new song called What Did I Come In Here For? – something that I’m sure many people can relate to.

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Jelly

Today we are uncovering the origins of the word jelly.

Strawberry Jelly

Jelly [ˈd͡ʒɛl.i] is:

  • a dessert made by boiling gelatin(e), sugar and some flavouring (often derived from fruit) and allowing it to set (In the UK, Australia and NZ) – known as jello in North America (see below)
  • A clear or translucent fruit preserve, made from fruit juice and set using either naturally occurring, or added, pectin.

Note: there are various kinds of fruit preserves with different names in different countries. For example, what people in North America call jelly, might be called jam in the UK. More details.

Jelly comes from the Middle English gele [dʒɛˈleː] (jelly made from meat stock), from the Old French gelee (a cold spell, period of coldness), from geler (to freeze, become very cold), from the Latin gelāre (to freeze), from gelō (I freeze) from gelū (frost),from the PIE *gel- (to be cold, to freeze) [source].

Related words in English include gel, gelatin, gelid (very cold, icy, frosty), glacier, cold, cool, chill and congeal [source].

In North America the dessert made from gelatine and flavoured with fruit is known as jello. It was invented and trademarked by Pearle Bixby Wait in New York in 1897 as JELL-O. Since then the name has become genericized and is used to refer to any brand of fruit flavored gelatin dessert mix [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.

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.

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Celtic Pathways – Step

In this episode we are tracking the origins of the word step.

Doors Open Day 2018 - McEwan Hall 017

The Proto-Celtic word for step is *kanxsman. It comes from the Proto-Celtic *kengeti (to step), from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)keng- (to limp, walk lamely) [source].

Descendants in the Celtic languages include:

  • céim [ceːmʲ] = step, degree, rank, pass, ravine, difficulty in Irish
  • ceum [kʲeːm] = step, footstep, pace, tread, path, degree, measure in Scottish Gaelic
  • keim = phase, step, degree, stage, standard, stile, grade in Manx
  • cam = step, stride, pace, leap, foot-fall, footprint, trace, progress in Welsh
  • kamm = pace, step, track in Cornish
  • kamm = pace, walk, tread, (foot)step in Breton

In Gaulish step was *kamman, which was borrowed into Latin as cammīnus (way), and became camino (track, path, road, way, route, journey) and caminar (to walk, stroll, travel) in Spanish, caminho (way, road, path) in Portugese, cammino (walk, path, way) and camminare (to walk, work (function)) in Italian, and chemin (path, way, pathway) in French [source].

The Proto-Celtic word *kengets (warrior) comes from the same PIE root, and became cing [kʲiŋʲɡʲ] (warrior, champion, hero), and cingid [kʲiŋʲɡʲiðʲ] (to step, proceed, go) in Old Irish, cinn [ciːnʲ] (to surpass, overcome, be too much for) in modern Irish, and cing [kʲiŋʲgʲ] (warrior, champion) in Scottish Gaelic. The word king in English comes from a different root – from the Proto-Germanic *kuningaz (king) [source].

The English word shank (the part of the leg between the knee and the ankle) also comes from the same PIE root, via the Old English sċanca [ˈʃɑn.kɑ] (leg) and the Proto-Germanic *skankô [ˈskɑŋ.kɔːː] (that which is bent, shank, thigh) [source].

More details about these words on Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

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.

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Omniglot News (09/10/22)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • Äiwoo, an Oceanic language spoken mainly in the Reef Islands in Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands.
  • Iaai, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in New Caledonia.
  • Dumi (दुमी‎), a Kiranti language spoken in eastern Nepal.

There’s a new constructed script called Altus, which was devised by Paul Mbongo as an alternative way to write Lingala, a Bantu language spoken mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Republic of Congo.

Sample text in Lingala in the Altus alphabet

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Wapishana (Wapixana), a Northern Arawakan language spoken in Guyana and Brazil.
  • Yaghnobi (yaɣnobī́ zivók / яғнобӣ зивок), an Eastern Iranian language spoken in the Yaghnob valley in northwestern Tajikistan.
  • Dumi (दुमी‎), a Kiranti language spoken in eastern Nepal.

There’s a new page with family words in Urdu.

There’s a new Tower of Babel translation in Iaai.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post called Different Worlds, which is about the Japanese stories known as isekai (different world), and the linguistic situations in such worlds, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

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

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Nheengatu (ñe’engatú), a Tupí-Guarani language spoken in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for flour and related things in Celtic languages.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast we are digging up the origins of the word Iron.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re looking into, examining, scrutinizing and underseeking the origins of the word investigate.

In other news. this week my current streak on Duolingo passed 1,900 days, and yesterday I got to 1,904 days. So with my previous 96-day streak, I have now been studying languages every day for the past 2,000 days, or about five and a half years. In that time I’ve completed courses in Swedish, Russian, Danish, Romanian, Czech, Esperanto and Dutch. I also finished all the Spanish lessons, but then they added a whole bunch of new ones, which I’m working on those at the moment. I’m also refreshing my Japanese and Scottish Gaelic.

Do I speak all these languages now? Well, yes and no. I speak some of them fairly well, and can at least have basic conversations in the others. Some I understand and can read better than I speak or write them. The one I know the least of is Romanian, which I hadn’t studied before and tried to learn just using Duolingo. I found it difficult trying to work out the grammar, and there were no explanations.

Recently I’ve been enjoying using Super Duolingo (formerly Duolingo Plus). Normally you have to pay a monthly subscription for it, but I can use it for free, thanks to people who have signed up via one of the links on Omniglot. For each person that signs up, I get a free week. Would it be worth paying for this? Maybe, if you can afford it. You don’t have to worry about making mistakes as you don’t run out of hearts, except in the crown levels, you can practise your mistakes and take tests.

Have you tried Super Duolingo? If so, what do you think of it?

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Investigate

Sherlock

Today we are looking into, examining, scrutinizing and underseeking the origins of the word investigate.

Investigate [ɪnˈves.tɪ.ɡeɪt/ɪnˈves.tə.ɡeɪt] means:

  • to inquire into or study in order to ascertain facts or information.
  • to examine, look into, or scrutinize in order to discover something hidden or secret.
  • to conduct an inquiry or examination.

It comes from investigation, from the Latin investīgātiō (a searching into), from investīgātus (investigated), from investīgō (I track, trace out, search after, discover), from in- (in, within, inside) and vestīgō (I follow a track, search, investigate), possibly from the PIE root *steygʰ- (to walk) [source].

Related words in English include vestige (a mark left on the earth by a foot; a faint mark or visible sign left by something which is lost, or has perished, or is no longer present), vestigial, and the old word pervestigate (to investigate thoroughly) [source].

A synonym for investigate is underseek (to examine, explore, investigate, spend too little time or effort in seeking). It comes from the Middle English underseken, from the Old English undersēcan [ˌun.derˈseː.t͡ʃɑn] (to investigate, examine), from under (beneath), and sēċan (to look for, seek, visit, attack) [source].

Related words in other languages include onderzoeken (to investigate, research) in Dutch, untersuchen (to examine, investigate) in German, and undersøge (to examine, test, investigate) in Danish [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.

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.

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Celtic Pathways – Iron

In this episode we are digging up the origins of the word iron.

iron fence

The Proto-Celtic word for iron is *īsarnom. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European *h₁ēsh₂r̥no- (bloody, red), from *h₁ésh₂r̥ (blood) [source].

Descendants in the Celtic languages include:

  • iarann [ˈiəɾˠən̪ˠ] = iron in Irish
  • iarann [iər̪ˠən̪ˠ] = iron, (metal) blade, day’s worth cutting peat (for two) in Scottish Gaelic
  • yiarn = iron; tool, scythe, blade; dough (money); tip (gratuity) in Manx
  • haearn = iron, iron bar, hardness, strength, resoluteness, hard, strong, unyielding in Welsh
  • horn = iron in Cornish
  • houarn [ˈhuː.arn] = iron, flat iron; horseshoe in Breton

Words for iron in Germanic languages come from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Proto-Germanic *īsarną (iron). They include iron in English, ijzer in Dutch, Eisen in German, järn in Swedish, and jern in Danish [source].

Words from the same PIE roots, include արյուն (aryun – blood, slaughter) in Armenian, asinis (blood, temperament, origin) in Latvian [source], words for blood in Romance languages [source], and words for sister in most European languages [source].

More details about these words on Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

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.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

Omniglot News (02/10/22)

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

There are new language pages about:

  • Hiw, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the island of Hiw, one of the Torres Islands in Torba province of Vanuatu.
  • Rapa (Reo Rapa), an Eastern Polynesian language spoken on Rapa Iti, one of the Austral Islands in French Polynesia, and on Mangaia in the Cook Islands.

There’s a new constructed script called Nawa, which was created by Arturo Jiménez Zavala as an alternative way to write Spanish and Nahuatl.

Nawa alphabet

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Besermyan (бесерман), a dialect of Udmurt spoken in Udmurtia and the Kirov and Perm regions of the Russian Federation.
  • Rapa (Reo Rapa), an Eastern Polynesian language spoken on Rapa Iti in French Polynesia and Mangaia in the Cook Islands.
  • Fula (Fulfulde / 𞤊𞤵𞤤𞤬𞤵𞤤𞤣𞤫), a Senegambian language spoken in many parts of in West, Central and North Africa.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post called Sake, which is about Japanese words for salmon (鮭 [sáꜜkè]) and alcohol / rice wine (酒 [sàké]), and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in parts of South America.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Namonuito, a Micronesian language spoken on Namonuito Atoll in the Caroline Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia.

There are new Celtiadur posts about words for Flowers, Foundations and related things in Celtic languages.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast we are teasing out the origins of the word Wool.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we unload the origins of the word Quay, and related words.

I also improved the Beitha Kukju and Elbasan pages, and made a separate page for the Old Uyghur alphabet.

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.

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