Category: Language

Omniglot News (29/05/22)

By Simon

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

This week we have new language pages about:

  • Swampy Cree (ᓀᐦᐃᓇᐍᐏᐣ / nêhinawêwin), a Central Algonquian language spoken Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario in Canada.
  • Bilua, a language isolate spoken on Vella Lavella Island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.
  • Cajamarca Quechua (Kashamarka qichwa), a Quechua language spoken in the province of Cajamarca in northwestern Peru.
  • Totontepec Mixe (Ayöök), a Mixe-Zoque language spoken in the State of Oaxaca in southern Mexico.
  • Plains Cree (ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ / nēhiyawēwin), a Central Algonquian language spoken mainly in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada, and in Montana in the USA.
  • Tlahuitoltepec Mixe (Ayuujk), a Mixe-Zoque language spoken in the State of Oaxaca in southern Mexico.

I changed the focus of the Cree page to be about Cree Syllabics, and have started making separate pages for different varieties of Cree, so far we have Plains Cree and Swampy Cree (as mentioned above), and more are on the way.

There are a new numbers pages in: Swampy Cree, Plains Cree and Bilua.

There’s an Omniglot blog post about Podiums, which looks at the origins of the Dutch word podium (stage, podium, platform), and related words in other languages, such as pew in English, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language has a vertically-inclined alphabet.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Kadugli (Katcha dialect), a Central Kadu language spoken in the Kordofan Region of Sudan.

There are new Celtiadur posts are about words for Iron and Steel and related things in Celtic languages.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re talking about Tat (cheap, tasteless, useless goods; trinkets), and tatties and spuds (potatoes).

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 – Tat

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we’re exploring the origins of the word tat.

Trinkets

tat [tæt] is:

  • cheap, tasteless, useless goods; trinkets.
  • tatty articles or a tatty condition
  • a tangled mass
  • an abbreviation of tattoo

It comes from the Hindi टाट (ṭāṭ – burlap, gunny, hessian, sackcloth, sacking), or from tatty (worn out, shabby, tawdry, unkempt), which comes from tatter (a shred of torn cloth), from tattered (torn, ragged), from the Middle English tater (torn or ragged strips of material hanging from a garment), from the Old Norse tǫturr (tatters, rags) [source].

The word tatty also means potato in parts of northern England and Scotland. It’s a diminutive of potato, which comes from the Spanish patata (potato, piece of rubbish), from the Taíno batata (sweet potato) [source].

Another word for potato is spud [spʌd], which also means a sharp spadelike tool used for rooting or digging out weeds, and comes from the Middle English spudde [spud] (a small or inferior knife), possibly from the Old Norse spjót (spear, lance), from the Proto-Germanic *speutą/speutaz (spear), from the PIE *spewd- (to press; urge; hurry) [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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Omniglot News (22/05/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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

The new language pages this week are about:

  • Western Pwo (ဖျိၩ့), a Karenic language spoken in southern Myanmar.
  • Sümi, a Sino-Tibetan language spoken mainly in Nagaland in the northeast of India.
  • Tai Laing (တႆးလꧥင်ꩽ), a southwestern Tai language spoken in northern Myanmar.
  • Northern Pwo (พลอง), a Karenic language spoken in the northwest of Thailand.

There are a new numbers pages in:

  • Mikasuki, an eastern Muskogean language spoken in Southern Florida in the USA.
  • Alabama (Albaamo innaaɬiilka), an eastern Muskogean language spoken in Texas in the USA.
  • Chickasaw (Chikashshanompa’), a Western Muskogean language spoken mainly in Oklahoma in the USA.

There’s a new page of words about the weather in Mandarin Chinese.

There’s a new page featuring words for Metals that are cognate is some or all of the Celtic languages.

There are new Tower of Babel translations in Northern Pwo and Western Pwo.

There’s an Omniglot blog post about table football, or Babyfoot as it’s known in French, and about Accents, which discusses whether you can say you speak a foreign language well if you have such a strong foreign accent that people find you difficult to understand, and there’s the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tlahuitoltepec Mixe (Ayuujk), a Mixe-Zoque language spoken in parts of Oaxaca in southern Mexico.

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

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we find out what connects the word lead with words such as flood, float and Pluto.

I also made improvements to the Cree phrases page.

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 – Lead

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we’re delving into the origins of the word lead.

Lead Ingots

lead [lɛd] is:

  • a soft, heavy, metallic element with atomic number 82 found mostly in combination and used especially in alloys, batteries, and shields against sound, vibration, or radiation.
  • a thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing.

It comes from the Middle English le(e)d [lɛːd] (lead, cauldron), from the Old English lēad [læɑːd] (lead), from the Proto-West-Germanic *laud (lead)), from the Gaulish *laudon (lead), from the Proto-Celtic *ɸloudom (iron), from the PIE *plewd- (to fly, flow, run) [source].

Words from the same Proto-West-Germanic root include lood [loːt] (lead, plumb bob) in Dutch, Lot [loːt] (plummet, solder) in German, and lod [lʌð] (plumb bob, fishing weight) in Danish [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root include luaidhe [ˈl̪ˠuːiː/l̪ˠuəjə] (lead) in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, leoaie (lead) in Manx [source].

Words from the same PIE root include float, flow, flood, fleet and Pluto in English, vlotten (to glide, go smoothly) in Dutch, and flotter [flɔ.te] (to float, flutter, wave, mill about) in French [source].

Incidentally, to word lead [liːd], as in to guide or direct, is not related to lead (the metal). It comes from the Middle English leden (to lead, carry, take, put), from the Old English lǣdan (to lead, bring, take, carry, guide), from the Proto-Germanic *laidijaną (to cause one to go, lead), causative of the Proto-Germanic *līþaną (to go, pass through), from Proto-Indo-European *leyt- (to go, depart, die) [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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Omniglot News (15/05/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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

The new language pages this week are about:

  • Manumanaw Karen, a Central Karen language spoken in the southwest of Kayah State in eastern Myanmar.
  • Pa’O (ပအိုဝ်ႏ), a Karen language spoken in Shan, Kayin, Kayah and Mon states in eastern Myanmar.
  • Huallaga Quechua (Wallaqa Runashimi), a Central Quechuan language spoken in the Department of Huánuco in central Peru.

There’s a new constructed script: Timescript, which was designed by Jacqui Fashimpur and which uses animation as a critical feature.

There are a new numbers pages in:

  • Ancash Quechua (Anqas Qichwa), a Central Quechua language spoken in the Department of Ancash in northwestern Peru.
  • Kichwa (Kichwa Shimi), a Northern Quechuan language spoken in southern Ecuador.

There’s also a new phrases page in Kichwa.

There are new articles, in Chinese, about:

There’s an Omniglot blog post entitled Befrogged about some interesting frog-related expressions in Dutch, and there’s the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Nias (Li Niha), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken on Nias Island and the Batu Islands off the west coast of Sumartra in Indonesia.

There are new Celtiadur posts are about words for Mind & Sense, Chess and related things in Celtic languages.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we find out what connects word such as quiet and coy, quit and tranquil in an adventure called Quiet 🤫

I wrote a new song this week: Quiet Please

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 – Quiet 🤫

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we’re looking into the origins of the word quiet.

Quietness

Quiet [ˈkwaɪ.ɪt / ˈkwaɪ.ət] means:

  • making little or no noise or sound
  • free or comparatively free of noise
  • silent
  • restrained in speech or manner
  • free from disturbance or tumult; peaceful

It comes from the Middle English quiete (peace, rest, gentleness), from the Old French quiet(e) (tranquil, calm), from the Latin quiētus (at rest, quiet, peaceful), from quiēscō (I rest, sleep, repose), from quiēs (rest, repose, quiet) from the PIE *kʷyeh₁- (to rest; peace) [source].

English words from the same Latin root include acquiesce (to rest satisfied, to assent to), coy (bashful, shy, retiring), quit (to abandon, leave), requiem (a mass or piece of music to honour a dead person) and tranquil (calm, peaceful) [source].

The English word while comes from the same PIE root, via the Old English hwīl (while, period of time), the Proto-West Germanic *hwīlu (period of rest, pause, time, while), and the Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (time, while, pause) [source].

Other words from the same PIE root include wijl [ˈʋɛi̯l] (when, while), in Dutch, Weile [ˈvaɪ̯lə] (while), in German, hvile [ˈviːlə] (rest, repose, to rest) in Danish and Norwegian, chwila [ˈxfi.la] (moment, instant) in Polish and хвилина [xʋeˈɫɪnɐ] (minute) in Ukrainian [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].

By the way, I wrote a new song this week called Quiet Please

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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Omniglot News (08/05/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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

The new language pages this week are about:

  • Bagri (बागड़ी), a Rajasthani language spoken in the northwest of India and in eastern and southern Pakistan.
  • Mewari (मेवाड़ी), a Rahashtani language spoken mainly in northwestern and central India, and also in southern Pakistan.
  • Eastern Pwo Karen (ဖၠုံ‎), a Karenic language spoken in southern Myanmar and northern Thailand.
  • Aloápam Zapotec (tizha’), a Zapotecan language spoken in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico.

There are a new numbers pages in:

  • Aloápam Zapotec (tizha’) – see above.
  • Huasteco (Teenek kaaw), a Mayan language spoken mainly in the states of San Luis Potosi and Veracruz in southern Mexico.
  • Burushaski (بروشسکی‎), a language isolate spoken in northern Pakistan and northern India.

There’s a new article entitled: Three Scottish Gaelic dialects and their possible relationship to ancient history.

There’s an Omniglot blog post about Japanese words for Smile 🙂😃😄😎🙃 and related things, and there’s the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Bezhta (бежкьалас миц), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken mainly in southwestern Dagestan in the southwest of the Russian Federation, and also in eastern Georiga.

There are new Celtiadur posts are about words for Bolts and Locks, Heather and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we find out what connects frolics and frogs in an adventure called Frolicking Frogs 🐸

I also made improvements to the S’gaw Karen language page.

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.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Adventures in Etymology – Frolic

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we find out what links frolics and frogs.

California-06348 - Froggy

Frolic [ˈfɹɒlɪk] means:

  • full of fun
  • a playful or mischievous action
  • an occasion or scene of fun
  • to play and run about happily

It comes from the Dutch vrolijk [ˈvroːˌlək] (cheerful, happy, merry), via the Middle Dutch vrolijc and the Old Dutch frōlīk, from the Proto-Germanic *frawaz [ˈɸrɑ.wɑz] (happy, energetic) ultimately from the PIE *prew- (to jump, hop) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Germanic root include the German words froh [fʁoː] (glad, cheerful, merry) and fröhlich [ˈfʁøːlɪç] (happy, cheerful, merry); the Danish word fro [ˈfʁoˀ] (happy, carefree), and Icelandic word frár [frauːr] (swift, light-footed) [source].

The word frog 🐸 comes from the same PIE root, via the Middle English frogge [ˈfrɔɡ(ə)] (frog, toad, wretch, mushroom), the Old English frocga [ˈfroɡ.ɡɑ] (frog), and the Proto-Germanic *fruþgô (frog), from *fruþ (frog) [source].

Another Old English word for frog was frosċ [froʃ], which apparently became frosh in southern English dialects, such as Essex, and is cognate with German word Frosch [fʁɔʃ] (frog) [source].

In Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and other parts of northern England, the word frosk is/was used for frog, and comes from the Old Norse froskr (frog) [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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Omniglot News (01/05/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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

The new language pages this week are about:

  • Eton (Ìtón), a Bantu language spoken in central Cameroon.
  • Ancash Quechua (Anqas Qichwa), a variety of Quechua spoken in the Department of Ancash in northwestern Peru.
  • Kamba (Kikamba), a Bantu language spoken in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.

There are a new numbers pages in:

  • Kamba (Kikamba).
  • Dane-zaa / Beaver (Dane-zaa Ẕáágéʔ), an Athabaskan language spoken in parts of British Columbia and Alberta in Canada.
  • Karaim (Karay dili), a Turkic language spoken in Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.

There’s a new constructed script: Shakeel, which is a way to write English, Arabic, Persian, Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi and other languages based on Chinese characters and devised by Muhammad Shakeel. It looks like this:

Sample text in Shakeel

There’s an Omniglot blog post about the origins of the phrase Long Time, No See, and equivalents in Japanese and Chinese, and there’s the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Numanggang, a Finisterre-Huon language spoken in Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea.

There are new Celtiadur posts are about words for nephews, nieces and related people in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we find out what connects nepotism with nephews and popes.

I also made improvements to the Võro phrases page, which new includes recordings of all the phrases.

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.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Adventures in Etymology – Nepotism

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we’re looking into the origins of the word nepotism.

Nepotism

Nepotism [ˈnɛp.ə.tɪ.zəm] is:

  • The favoring of relatives or personal friends because of their relationship rather than because of their abilities.
  • Patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics.

It comes from the French népotisme [ne.pɔ.tism] (nepotism), from the Italian nepotismo [ne.poˈti.zmo] (nepotism) from nepote/nipote (grandchild, nephew, niece), from the Latin nepōs (grandchild, nephew, niece, descendent), from the Proto-Italic *nepōts (grandson, nephew), from PIE *népōts (grandson, descendent) [source].

Apparently during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, popes liked to appoint relatives (especially nephews – a euphemism for their natural sons) as cardinals, and this practice became known as nepotism [source].

The word nephew comes from the same PIE root, via the Middle English nevew/neveu (nephew, grandson), the Old French neveu (nephew), and the Latin nepōs (grandson, granddaughter, nephew, niece, descendent) [source].

It displaced or absorbed the Middle English word neve [ˈnɛːv(ə)] (nephew), which came from the Old English nefa [ˈne.fɑ] (nephew, grandson, stepson), from the Proto-Germanic *nefô [ˈne.ɸɔːː] (nephew, grandson), from the PIE *népōts [source].

Incidentally, the word knave (a tricky, deceitful fellow) sounds similar but comes from a different root: from the Middle English knave/knafe [ˈknaːv(ə)] (son, boy, lad, servant, peasant), from the Old English cnafa [ˈknɑ.fɑ] (boy, lad, young man), from the Proto-Germanic *knabō/*knappō (boy), which is of unknown origin [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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