Language quiz

Here is a recording of a mystery language. Can you guess or do you know which language it is?

Clue: This language is spoken in parts of Europe.

Comments (17)

mikeJune 9th, 2007 at 9:45 pm

Well, it’s obvious enough what he’s talking about

StephenJune 9th, 2007 at 10:10 pm

Sounds like a Slavic language, but with Germanic influences (the from the “izmus” as the end of the “existentialism” cognate). Maybe Latvian or Lithuanian? I know they’re not Slavic, but it’s all I can come up with.

TravisJune 10th, 2007 at 12:13 am

Stephen left a good hint with the word “existentialism”. I hadn’t caught that myself. If they’re talking about Sartre and Camus, it would make sense. My guess is somewhere around Romania. It sounds Latin based to me, yet with some Slavic influences.

BGJune 10th, 2007 at 2:00 am

I thought he said USSR. If it is what Travis said then that would probably be Moldovan. It seems to have more Germanic than Romance influences to me, though. Maybe Sorbian, which is spoken in Germany.

d.m.falkJune 10th, 2007 at 3:32 am

I was thinking Czech, myself…

d.m.f.

TJJune 10th, 2007 at 5:22 am

Prussian, Czech …….? :D

TJJune 10th, 2007 at 5:26 am

BG: Sorbian is different than Serbian ??

PodolskyJune 10th, 2007 at 6:00 am

No doubt Ukrainian.

NikkiJune 10th, 2007 at 7:29 am

TJ: Yes, there are pages about them on this site! ;)

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/sorbian.htm
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/serbo-croat.htm

olegJune 10th, 2007 at 10:24 am

Ukrainian!

DaydreamerJune 10th, 2007 at 10:29 am

If it’s not Ukrainian, what about Belorussian?

SimonJune 10th, 2007 at 11:47 am

It is indeed Ukrainian, and the recording comes from Радыё Свабода.

PodolskyJune 10th, 2007 at 2:59 pm

But the name Радыё Свабода is not Ukainian, it is Byelorussian.

PodolskyJune 10th, 2007 at 3:01 pm

Sorry for having misled you. It is Byelorussian!

JamesJune 10th, 2007 at 7:21 pm

so it´s slavic, and it´s not a western slavic language, and it´s not russian.. but beyond that clueless.

J

So now I look and am still no wiser. My slavic languages were 3 months of russian and 3 months of Polish, both over a decade ago

dmhJune 10th, 2007 at 7:30 pm

My Russian/Ukrainian wife said that it is NOT Ukrainian.
Which leaves only Byelorussian…also Ukrainian doesn’t have the letter “ы” in its alphabet. Also she says Ukrainian is more melodic.

SimonJune 11th, 2007 at 8:56 am

My mistake, it isn’t Ukrainian but Byelorussian/Belarusian. I got the radio stations mixed up.