Category: Language

Omniglot News (20/03/22)

By Simon

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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

The new language pages this week are:

  • Punu (Yipunu), a Bantu language spoken mainly in southern Gabon, and also in south of the Republic of Congo.
  • Nyungwe (Cinyungwe), a Bantu language spoken in northern and central Mozambique.
  • Masaaba (Lumasaaba), a Bantu language spoken in the Eastern Region of Uganda.

There are a new numbers pages in: Punu, Makhuwa and
Nyungwe, which are all Bantu languages.

There a new constructed script: Fakoo, a tactile alphabet developed by Alexander Fakoó which can be read by blind and sighted people.

Sample text in the Fakoo alphabet

There’s a new adapated script: Cyringit (Сірінгіт), a way to write Tlingit with the Cyrillic alphabet devised by Marc Harder.

Чьъ йеь гогэьнкь ъьвэь ъ каӿ шокълисьоьӿ һа тлъгу ԟваьнӿьи адэь с ԟонугу йэь. Һа лілквь һъьс адэь йеь с йинейи йеь ъьвэь, дэ аь ъвтолхажи ъьт ъьвэь, аь һа ваԟкійъԟа. Ъьч ъьвэь къкъвтовъкэьль.

There are new Omniglot blog post titled Enlisted Fathers about the origins of the name Patrick, and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Kaska (Dene Zágéʼ), a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in the Kaska Dena region, which is part of the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Yukon, and Northwest Territories.

There’s a Celtiadur post about words for Yearning, longing and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we explore the origins of the word sloom, which is found in English dialects, as well as Scots, and is related to the word slumber.

I also made improvements to the Makhuwa language page, and to the Toki Pona 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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Sloom

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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

Slumber

In some dialects of English spoken in England sloom [sluːm] means:

  • A gentle sleep; slumber.
  • to doze, slumber
  • to become weak and flaccid (of plants)
  • to move or wander slowly or silently

In Scots sloom is:

  • A dreamy or sleepy state, a reverie, day-dream, a light sleep, slumber, an unsettled sleep
  • to sleep lightly, doze, slumber fitfully
  • to slip along easily and quietly, to glide smoothly
  • to make or become soft and flaccid as a result of frost, damp, etc

It comes from the Middle English sloum(b)e / slume, from the Old English slūma (sleep, slumber), from the Proto-Germaic *slūm- (slack, loose, limp, flabby), from the PIE *(s)lew- (slack, loose, limp, flabby) [source].

The English word slumber comes from the same Proto-Germanic root, as does the Dutch sluimeren (to slumber) and sloom (sluggish, lifeless), the German Schlummer (slumber) and schlummern (to doze, slumber), and the Danish slumre (to drowse) [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 (13/03/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

This week we have new languages pages in Bantu and Bantoid languages, which are:

  • Tiv (dzwa Tiv), a Southern Bantoid language spoken mainly in Benue State in the southeast of Nigeria.
  • Nyamwezi (Kinyamwezi), a Bantu language spoken in western Tanzania
  • Luvale (Chiluvale), a Bantu language spoken in southern Angola and northern Zambia
  • Mbunda (Chimbúùnda), a Bantu language spoken in south west Angola and north west Zambia

There are a new phrases in Chokwe, a Bantu language spoken in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, and Tiv.

There are a new numbers pages in: Chokwe, Tiv, Luvale, Mbunda, and Shona, a Bantu language spoken mainly in Zimbabwe.

There are new Omniglot blog posts about Charlatan Snake Oil, and the Japanese word Perapera, and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is:

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Arrente (Arrernte angkentye), a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in and around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia.

There’s a Celtiadur post about words for roofs and related things in Celtic languages, in which we discover that English words such as protect, stegosaurus, thatch, tile and toga come from the same root as Welsh words for roof and house, among other things.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we untangle the origins of the word knot, and find connections to such words as knit, node, nodule and noose, and the name Canute.

I also made improvements to the Greenlandic and Shona 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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Knot

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we’re untangling the origins of the word knot 🪢.

knots

A knot [nɒt/nɑt] is:

  • any of various fastenings formed by looping and tying a piece of rope, cord, etc, in upon itself, to another piece of rope, or to another object
  • a tangle
  • a small cluster or huddled group, e.g. ‘a knot of people’

It comes from the Middle English knotte [ˈknɔt(ə)] (knot, tie, binding), from the Old English cnotta [ˈknot.tɑ] (knot), from the Proto-Germaic *knuttô [ˈknut.tɔːː] (knot), from the PIE *gnod- (to bind) [source].

The Latin word nōdus (knot, knob, bond) comes from the same PIE root, and is the root of the English words such as noose, node and nodule [source].

The English word knit comes from the same PIE root, via Old English and Proto-Germanic, as does the name Canute, via the Old Norse Knútr, probably from the Old Norse word knútr (knot) [source].

A knot is also a unit of speed used by ships and aircraft that equal one nautical mile (1.85 km) per hour. This usage comes from a method of calculating the speed of a ship in use since at least the 16th century with a long rope with knots are regular intervals [More details].

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.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

Omniglot News (06/03/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

This week the new language and numbers pages on Omniglot are all in Zapotecan languages, which belong to the Oto-Manguean language family and are spoken mainly in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The new language pages are:

  • San Dionisio Ocotepec Zapotec (Diza), which is spoken in the town of San Dionisio Ocotepec in Oaxaca.
  • Güilá Zapotec (Diza), which is spoken in the town of San Pablo Güilá in Oaxaca.
  • Choápam Zapotec (Diꞌidzaꞌ xidzaꞌ), which is spoken in Comaltepec in Oaxaxa, and in Arena and Playa Vincente in the state of Verzcruz.
  • Rincón Zapotec (Didza Xidza), which is spoken in the Villa Alta District of the Sierra Norte Region of Oaxaca.
  • Miahuatlán Zapotec (Diiste), which is spoken in the town of Santa Catarina Cuixtla in the Miahuatlán District in the south of the Sierra Sur Region of Oaxaca.
  • Zoogocho Zapotec (Diža’xon), which is spoken in the Villa Alta District of the Sierra Norte Region of Oaxaca, and also in Oaxaca City.

There are a new numbers pages in: Choápam Zapotec, Rincón Zapotec and Isthmus Zapotec, which is spoken in the southeast of Oaxaca.

There a new constructed script called Rahmat, which is a way to write English, Indonesian and other languages devised by Zackye Rahmat.

It looks something like this:

Sample text in the Rahmat alphabet

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post called Fiery Lakes about the French idiom Il n’y a pas le feu au lac (“There’s no fire on the lake”), and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Otomi (Hñähñu), an Oto-Manguean language spoken in central Mexico.

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

In the Adventure in Etymology we explore the origins of the word deck.

I also made improvements to the Yiddish language and Yiddish phrases 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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Deck

By Simon

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

Sunset over Bangor pier

deck [dɛk] means:

  • Any raised flat surface that can be walked on: a balcony; a porch; a raised patio; a flat rooftop.
  • The floorlike covering of the horizontal sections, or compartments, of a ship.
  • A main aeroplane surface.

It comes from the Middle English dekke (the roof over any part of a boat or ship), from Middle Dutch dec (roof, covering), from decken (to roof, cover, protect), from Old Dutch thecken (to cover, roof), from Proto-West-Germanic *þakkjan (to cover), from Proto-Germanic *þakjaną [ˈθɑk.jɑ.nɑ̃] (to cover), *þaką (roof, cover), from PIE *(s)teg- (cover) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Germanic root (*þaką) include: thatch in English, dak (roof) and dekken [ˈdɛkə(n)] (to cover, set) in Dutch, Dach (roof) and decken (to cover, set) in German, tak (roof, ceiling) and täcka [tɛka] (to cover) in Swedish, and tag (roof) and tække (to thatch) in Danish [source].

Words from the same PIE root (*(s)teg-) include: detect, protect, tile and toga in English, tŷ (house) in Welsh, and teach (house) in Irish [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 (27/02/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

This week there are new language pages in:

  • Nso (Lamnsɔ’), a Southern Bantoid language spoken in Western Cameroon.
  • Sirenik (Сиӷы́ных), an Eskimo-Aleut language that was spoken in and around Sireniki (Сиреники), a village in the Providensky District of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East region.
  • Molbog, a Philippine language spoken in the south of Palawan province in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines.

There are a new numbers pages in:

  • Central Siberian Yupik (Юпик), an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken along the coast of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East region, and on St Lawrence Island in Alasaka.
  • Central Alaskan Yup’ik (Yugtun), an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken in southwestern Alaska in the USA.
  • Yao (chiYao), a Bantu language spoken mainly in Malawai, Tanzania and Mozambique.

I created a separate page for the Hanifi Rohingya script, and made improvements to the Rohingya and Chittagonian language pages.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post called Stellar Stars about some differences between Romance languages, and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Western Cham (Chăm), a Chamic language spoken mainly in Cambodia, and also in Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.

There are Celtiadur posts about words for arrows and druids and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology we explore the origins of the word timber.

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 – Timber

By Simon

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In this week’s Adventures in Etymology we’re exploring the origins of the word timber.

Studio / Stwdio

Timber [ˈtɪmbə/ˈtɪmbɚ] means:

  • Trees in a forest regarded as a source of wood.
  • Wood that has been pre-cut and is ready for use in construction.
  • A heavy wooden beam, generally a whole log that has been squared off and used to provide heavy support for something such as a roof.

It comes from the Middle English tymber/timber (timber), from the Old English timber [ˈtim.ber] (timber, a building, the act of building), from the Proto-Germanic *timrą [ˈtim.rɑ̃] (building, timber), from the PIE *dem- (to build) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Germanic root include timmeren (to build, put together) in Dutch, Zimmer [ˈt͡sɪmɐ] (room) in German, timmer (timber) in Swedish, and timbur (wood, timber) in Icelandic [source].

Words from the same PIE root include domus (house, home) in Latin, duomo [ˈdwɔ.mo] (cathedral) in Italian, дом [dom] (house, building, home) in Russian and most other Slavic languages, and dome, domestic and despot in English [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 (20/02/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here are the latest developments on the Omniglot websites.

This week there are new language pages about:

  • Tawbuid (Batangan / Bangon), a South Mangyan language spoken in the centre of Mindoro Island in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines.
  • Ambala (Ayta Ambala), a Sambalic language spoken in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines.
  • Hatang Kayi, a Central Philippine language spoken in the provinces of Quezon and Rizal on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.

There’s a new adapated script: Greek Arabic (Αλ-γ̲αραπυιιατȣ λ-ιωνάνυιιαχ̌), a way to write Arabic with the Greek alphabet devised by Mohammad Shakeb Baig.

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Andi (къIaваннаб мицци), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan in the Russian Federation.
  • Kodava, (ಕೊಡವ ತಕ್ಕು), a Dravidian language spoken in Karnataka state in southern India.
  • Aheri Gondi, a South-Central Dravidian language spoken in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Telangan.

There’s a new article about Ancient language and extra-Indo-European language in Britain.

I wrote a new song – a lullaby called Lillilu, which is a Scots word for lullaby, inspired by this video by misspunnypennie on TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we have a post about words for lullabys, a post about the Norfolk dialect word gadwaddick, which means to go on a pleasure trip or jaunt, or to gad about, and a new Language Quiz

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Dovahzul, or the Dragon Language, a constructed language that appears in some of the Elder Scrolls series of video games. The recording was from an original song called Vokul Fen Mah (Evil Will Fall) by Malukah, a wonderful singer-songwriter from Mexico.

Another version of this song with Malukah and Peter Hollens:

There are Celtiadur posts about words for smiths and walls and related things in Celtic languages.

The Adventure in Etymology this week tries to see the wood for the trees by looking into the origins of the word wood.

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 – Wood

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we’re trying to see the wood for the trees by looking at the origins of the word wood.

Here be trees!

Wood [wʊd] is:

  • The substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc. or as fuel.
  • A forested or wooded area.

It comes from the Middle English wode [ˈwoːd(ə)] (wood), from the Old English wudu [ˈwu.du] (wood, forest, woods, tree), from the Proto-West-Germanic *widu (forest, tree, wood), from the Proto-Germanic *widuz [ˈwi.ðuz] (wood), from the PIE *h₁weydʰh₁ (wood, wilderness) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include ved (wood, firewood) in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian, gwŷdd [ɡwɨːð] (trees) in Welsh, fiodh [fʲɪ] (wood, timber) in Irish, and vidus (middle, centre) in Latvian [source].

How did a word meaning wood come to mean middle or centre in Latvian? Well, apparently the areas between villages were mainly forested in the past, and the meaning shifted from forest to area (between villages) to middle [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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