Tag: podcast

Omniglot News (10/11/24)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New writing system: Novo Tupi, an alphabet created in the early 19th century as a way to write Old Tupi, a language that was spoken by the Tupi people in Brazil until about the 19th century, and which developed into Nheengatu.

Sample text in Novo Tupi

New adapted script: Finnish Tengwar (Tengwar suomeksi), a way to write Finnish (and Estonian) with Tolkien’s Tengwar alphabet devised by Kuutti Saarivirta.

Sample text (Tehtar mode)

New language pages:

  • Ikoma (Eghiikoma), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in the Serengeti District of the Mata Region in northern Tanzania.
  • Old Tupi, a language that was spoken by the Tupi people in Brazil that developed into Nheengatu.
  • Kakwa (kʊ́tʊ́ nà kákwà), an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan.

New numbers page: Ki’che’ (Qatzijobʼal), a Mayan language spoken in central Guatemala.

On the Omniglot blog we find whether the word kitchen is related to the words apricot, pumpkin and melon in a post entitled Kitchen Fruit, 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 northern Bolivia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Caac (Caaàc), a New Caledonian language spoken on the northeast coast of Grande Terre island in the North Province of New Caledonia.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Grinding Pebbles, we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for gravel and other things in English and other languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Counting Numbers about words for number, to count and related things in Celtic languages.

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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo

Omniglot News (27/10/24)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Kwasengen (Hanga Hundi), a Sepik language spoken in East Sepik Province in the northwest of Papua New Guinea.
  • Dirasha (D’iraassh), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in southwestern Ethiopia.
  • Saho (Saahot Af), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken mainly in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

New constructed script: Bocsys, an alphabet I created for no particular reason that can be used to write most western European languages.

Sample text in the Bocsys alphabet in English

New numbers pages:

  • Kryts (Khaput dialect), a Northeast Caucasian spoken in northeastern Azerbaijan.
  • Sakizaya, an East Formosan language spoken mainly in Hualien County on the east coast of Taiwan.
  • Rukai, a Formosan language spoken in Pingtung, Kaohsiung and Taitung counties in the south of Taiwan.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Pans of Cream about words for cream in Italian, and related words in other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

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

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tswa (xiTswa), a Southern Bantu language spoken in southern Mozambique.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Oaken Larches, we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for larch (tree) in various non-Celtic languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post called Sufficiently Enough about words for enough, sufficient and related things.

I also made improvements to the Oak (trees) Celtiadur post.

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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo

Celtic Pathways – Oaken Larches

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for larch (tree) in various non-Celtic languages.

Walk In A Larch Wood

A larch [ˈlɑːtʃ/ˈlɑɹtʃ] is a confierous tree of the genus Larix having deciduous leaves in fascicles (bundles). The most common type of larch tree in Europe is the European larch (Larix decidua), which is native to northern Italy. Other types of larch are availble.

The English word larch comes from early modern German Larche/Lärche, from Middle High German larche, from Old High German larihha, from Latin larix (larch), from Ancient Greek λάριξ (lárix – larch, Venice turpentine*), possibly from Gaulish *devro (oak?) from Proto-Celtic *daru (oak), from PIE *dóru (tree) [source].

*Venice turpentine = A thick substance made from the tree resin of the European larch (Larix decidua), formerly used as a component in the oil paintings to create glossy, translucent glazes [source].

Words in the modern Celtic languages from the same Proto-Celtic root include: dair [d̪ˠaɾʲ] (oak) in Irish, dair [darʲ] (oak) in Scottish Gaelic, darragh (oak) in Manx, dâr [ˈdaːr] (oak tree, leader, mighty lord) in Welsh, dar [daːr / dæːr] (oak) in Cornish, and dar [dɑːr] (oak) in Breton [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root in other languages include: làrix in Catalan, lariks in Dutch learag in Scottish Gaelic, larch in English, Lärche in German, and lærk in Danish, all of which mean larch (tree) [source].

Incidentally, the French word mélèze (larch) has doubly Celtic roots: it comes from Franco-Provençal (Dauphinois) melèzo (larch tree), from Vulgar Latin *melice (larch), from Gaulish *mel- (larch) and Latin larix (larch). The Gaulish word *mel- comes from Proto-Celtic *meli (honey) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include δόρυ (dóry – spear) in Greek, terva (tar) in Finnish, dearbh (sure, certain) in Irish, tree, trim, and trough and true in English, and trä (wood) in Swedish [source].

See the Celtiadur post Oak (trees) for more details of words for oak and related things in Celtic languages. 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 (20/10/24)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Kamasau, a Torricelli language spoken in East Sepik Province in the northwest of Papua New Guinea.
  • Bukiyip (Bukiyúp), a Torricelli language spoken in East Sepik Province in the northwest of Papua New Guinea.
  • Mufian, a Torricelli language spoken in East Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea.
  • Wiyot (Soulatluk), an Algic language that was spoken in Humboldt Bay in northwestern California, and which is being revived.

New numbers pages:

  • Wiyot (Soulatluk), an Algic language that was spoken in Humboldt Bay in northwestern California.
  • Yurok (Puliklah), an Algic language that was spoken in northern California, and which is being reivived.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Trigraphs about the rather unusual orthography used by the Yurok language. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

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

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Lahu (Ladhof) , a Lolo-Burmese language spoken in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Terminal Boundaries, we determine the limits of the word term, and find out how it’s connected to the Daleks in Dr Who.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about some Deeply Profound words, and I made improvements to the post about words for Fish.

I also made improvements to the Yurok and Betawi language pages, and the Unifon con-script 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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo

Adventures in Etymology – Terminal Boundaries

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology, we determine the limits of the word term, and find out how it’s connected to the Daleks in Dr Who.

Eurostar
St Pancras International Station – a major railway terminus in London

A term [tɜːm/tɝm] is:

  • That which limits the extent of anything; limit, extremity, bound, boundary, terminus.
  • A chronological limitation or restriction, a limited timespan.
  • Any of the binding conditions or promises in a legal contract.
  • A word or phrase (e.g., noun phrase, verb phrase, open compound), especially one from a specialised area of knowledge.
  • Part of a year, especially one of the divisions of an academic year.
  • Duration of officeholding, or its limit; period in office of fixed length.
  • With respect to a pregnancy, the period during which birth usually happens (approximately 40 weeks from conception).

It comes from Middle English terme (limit, end, goal, boundary), from Old French terme (limit, boundary), from Latin terminus (boundary, limit, end, period of time), from Proto-Italic *termenos (boundary stone), from Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ (boundary, end), possibly from *ter(h₂)- (to pass through) [source].

Words from the same roots include terminal, terminus, determine, avatar, thorough and through in English, terme (conclusion, end, term [word, expression], deadline, rent) in French, término (end, terminus, finish, conclusion, period, term) in Spanish, and τέρμα (térma – conclusion, end, goal, finishing line) in Greek [source].

What links term with the Daleks*? Well, the Daleks’ favourite expression, Exterminate!, comes from the same roots, via Latin exterminātus (expelled, exiled, banished, abolished, destroyed) from exterminō (I expel, exile, banish, etc), from ex- (out, away) & terminō (I finish, close, end) [source].

Daleks

*Dalek = A member of a species of extraterrestrial cyborg mutants who appear in the television programme Doctor Who and are known for travelling in metallic shells, having monotone, mechanically distorted voices, repeating a limited number of phrases, and their fanatical obsession with exterminating other, non-Dalek beings. The word Dalek either comes from the Kaleds, the beings they evolved from, or from Dals (gods) in their (fictional) language [source].

The Terminator

Incidentally, the word terminator also comes from the same roots, via Latin terminātor (he who sets bounds), from terminō (I finish, close, end), from terminus (end, limit) [source].

Here’s a little ditty I wrote in October 2024 called Terms & Conditions, which is about all those pesky terms & conditions that few of us ever read, and even fewer understand.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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 Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

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 blog.

Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo

Omniglot News (06/10/24)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Datooga, a Southern Nilotic language spoken in parts of northern Tanzania.
  • Sobei, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Papua Province in eastern Indonesian.
  • Defaka (défàkà), an Ijoid language spoken in Rivers State in southern Nigeria.

New numbers pages:

  • Defaka (défàkà), an Ijoid language spoken in Rivers State the southern Nigeria.
  • Yapese (Thin nu Waqab), an Oceanic language spoken mainly on the island of Yap in Micronesia.
  • Ulithian (Yulidiy), a Micronesian language spoken mainly in Ulithi Atoll in Yap State in Micronesia.

New constructed script: Skálmvargic, which was invented by Kitsune Sobo as the native script of the Skálmvargar (Bladewolves) in the fictional Rhodinoverse

Sample text in Skálmvargic

New adapted script: RoHangul, which is a way to write Romanian with the Korean Hangul script created by Laura Brauman.

Sample text in RoHangul

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Buttery Donkeys, about words for butter and donkey in Italian, Spanish and other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is considered a separate language by some people, but a dialect of another language by others.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Hixkaryána, a Southern Guiana language spoken in Pará and Amazonas states in northern Brazil.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Random Origins, we’re looking into the origins of the word origin, and randomly looking at the word random.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Spinning, Twisting & Turning, about words for spin, twist, turn and related things, and I made improvements to the Legs & Feet post.

I also made improvements to the Yapese 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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo

Adventures in Etymology – Random Origins

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology, we’re looking into the origins of the word origin, and randomly looking at the word random.

Armadale
A random and original rowing boat

Origin [ˈɒɹ.ɪ.dʒɪn/ˈɔɹ.ɪ.dʒɪn] is:

  • The beginning of something
  • The source of a river, information, goods, etc

It comes from Middle English origyne [ɔˈridʒin(ə)] (origin, lineage, provenance), from Old French or(ig)ine [ɔˈɾinə] (origin, lineage, heritage, breeding), from Latin orīginem from orīgō [ɔˈriːɡoː] (beginning, origin, source, birth), from orior (to rise, get up, appear, be born), from Proto-Italic *orjōr (to rise, get up), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (to move, rise, spring) [source].

Words from the same roots include earn earnest, orient, random, run and yearn in English, rennen [rɛ.nə(n)] (to run) in Dutch, rinnen [ˈʁɪnən] (to flow, leak, run, trickle) in German, and ruch [rux] (movement, traffic) in Czech [source].

The name Ernest also comes from the same roots. It became popular in English in the 18th century, and is a version of the German name Ernst, which comes from Old High German ernust (serious), from Proto-Germanic *ernustuz (seriousness, earnest, strength, solidity, struggle, fight) [source].

Incidentally, the English word random (as a noun) originally meant speed or force, then came to refer to a range of a bullet or other projectile; a roving motion; a course without definite direction; a lack of rule or method, and chance [source].

As an adjective, it can mean occurring for no particular reason; haphazard; unpredictable; involving an outcome which is impossible to prediect; arbitary; unspecified; diverse or unexpected. In slang, it can refer to anything that is out of the ordinary, odd, strange or bizarre; a person who acts or says random things, or an undefined, unknown or unimportant person.

I hope this podcast hasn’t been too random, and I randomly decided to add a theme tune this time – it’s an original one I wrote a while ago called The Unexpected Badger / Y Mochyn Daear Annisgwyl. You can hear the whole thing here:

Are there random words with similar random meanings in other languages?

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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 Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

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 blog.

Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo

Celtic Pathways – Jeans

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of the word jeans, and also the place names Genoa and Geneva.

Boots and Jeans

Jeans are trousers made from denim cotton, traditionally dyed dark blue, and also known as blue jeans. The word jeans is an abbreviation of jean fustian, from Middle English Gene (Genoa, Genovese) and fustian (a strong cotton fabric) [source].

Gene comes from Latin Genua (Genoa), which like Geneva, possibly comes from the Proto-Celtic *genwā ([river] bend) from PIE *ǵénw-eh₂, from *ǵónu (knee), which is also the root of the Proto-Celtic word *glūnos (knee) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • glúin [ɡl̪ˠuːnʲ] = knee, generation, step, node in Irish
  • glùin [ɡl̪ˠuːn̪ʲ] = knee, generation, lap in Scottish Gaelic
  • glioon [ɡlʲuːnʲ] = joint, knee in Manx
  • glin [ɡliːn] = knee in Welsh
  • glin [ɡliːn] = knee in Cornish
  • glin [ɡlĩːn] = knee in Breton

Other words from the same PIE roots include genuflect (to bend the knee, grovel) and knee in English; genou (knee) in French; knie (knee) in Dutch and Afrikaans; gju [ɟu/ɡjũː] (knee) in Albanian, and γόνατο [ˈɣɔnatɔ] (knee) in Greek [source].

Incidentally, the k in knee was pronounced in Middle Engish kne [kneː] and Old English cnēow [kne͜oːw] [source], and also in Early Modern English until about the 16th or 17th century, when it quietly disappeared in speech [source].

See the Celtiadur post Knees for more details of words for knee and related things in Celtic languages. 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 (22/09/24)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Adhola (DhoPadhola), a Western Nilotic language spoken in the Eastern Region of Uganda.
  • Ntcham (ncam), a Northern Gur language spoken in Togo and Ghana.
  • Akha (A˯ka˯daw˯), a Southern Loloish language spoken in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

New constructed script and language: Yufrabiz, which was created by Max Greiner.

Sample text in Yufrabiz

New constructed script: Western Script, which was invented by Julius Alfred Cordova as an alternative way to write English and Spanish.

Sample text in Western Script

New numbers pages:

  • Adhola (DhoPadhola), a Western Nilotic language spoken in the Eastern Region of Uganda.
  • Akha (A˯ka˯daw˯), a Southern Loloish language spoken in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
  • Achang (Ngachang), a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Yunnan province in southern China.

On the Omniglot blog we find out whether the French word heurter (door knocker) is related to the English word hurt in a post entitled Battering Down the Door. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

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

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Maung (Mawng Ngaralk), an Iwaidjan language spoken on Goulburn Island in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Austalia.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we find out what the word Swan has to do with sonnets, sonatas and bells.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Leader in Chief about words for leader, chief, president and so on in Celtic languages.

Improved page: New Akha con-script page.

I forgot to mention on the recording, but here’s a new song I wrote recently called Cats & Dogs:

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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo

Omniglot News (11/08/24)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Chamacoco (Ɨshɨr), a Zamucoan language spoken in the Alto Paraguay department in northern Paraguay.
  • Mising (mising agom), an Eastern Tani language spoken mainly in Assam in the northeast of India.
  • Ocaina (Xáfahxajoh), a Bora-Huitoto language spoken mainly in northeastern Peru, and also in southern Colombia.
  • Ayoreo, a Zamucoan language spoken in northern Paraguay and eastern Bolivia.
  • Binumarien, a Kainantu language spoken in Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.

New numbers pages:

  • Mising (mising agom), an Eastern Tani language spoken mainly in Assam in the northeast of India.
  • Ocaina (Xáfahxajoh), a Bora-Huitoto language spoken mainly in northeastern Peru, and also in southern Colombia.
  • Binumarien, a Kainantu language spoken in Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.

New phrases page: Mising

New adapted script: Italorussian (Италоруссо), a way of writing Italian with the Cyrillic alphabet devised by Walter Loi.

Тутти љи эссэри умани насконо либэри эд эгўали ин дињита̀ э диритти. Эсси соно дотати ди раджонэ ди кощэнца э дэвоно адзирэ љи уни вэрсо љи альтри ин спирто ди фратэлланца.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Rucksacks & Mistletoe, in which we find out how the Italian word zaino (rucksack, backpack) is related to the English word mistletoe. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language was spoken in Oklahoma in the USA and is being revived.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Chamacoco (Ɨshɨr), a Zamucoan language spoken in northern Paraguay.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we find out what links the word Antique with words like eye, window and Antigua.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Habitual Customs and words for habits, customs 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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo