Mystery language

Here’s another recording in a mystery language.

I was just sent this clip and asked if I recognise the language. I don’t. Do you?

It sounds like a tongue twister in a Romance language to me, though I don’t know which one.

Comments (19)

KJanuary 31st, 2012 at 5:06 am

It subtly sounds like Romance language. I am from a multiracial country. It also sounds like one of the Indian languages, which is like what I have heard from my friends spoke.

Thank you for sharing!

MacsenJanuary 31st, 2012 at 10:10 am

I’ll take a stab at Fruilian: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friulian_language

MatthewJanuary 31st, 2012 at 10:49 am

This is quite difficult! I was initially going to suggest an Indian language spoken with a strong Italian accent. However, I would think it is a Romance language. Maybe they’re talking about a tiger (tigra), and a heart (cora)? I’m guessing Friulian, Catalan, or some other minor language which isn’t well-known. I’m quite stumped.

LandTortoiseJanuary 31st, 2012 at 9:26 pm

It’s not Catalan!

BasilFebruary 1st, 2012 at 1:41 am

It could be a creole of Portuguese and an Indian language, I have heard of one or two of those

Jim MorrisonFebruary 1st, 2012 at 9:19 am

Interesting.
camera, cora, quan/da
lead to me to think it is romance but that is about all.
And yes it is not Catalan. Also I wouldn’t call Catalan a minor language. It has 10 million speakers.
I am gonna go for something not romance but with a lot of romance in it…
Maltese!!!

TJFebruary 1st, 2012 at 10:15 am

hmm I think I would recognize some Maltese myself since it has big influence of Arabic as well.

MacsenFebruary 1st, 2012 at 10:41 am

… hmmm yes, Maltese is a good bet. There seemed to be a lot aspirant sounds, which to my Welsh ear, sounded Arabic.

Very impressed by the ternacity of the Maltese language. Cool-looking language – unique letter for ‘ch’ sound – ‘H’ with two bars across, only Semitic language written in Latin alphabet, loads of Latin words and everyone on the islands speaks the language. Respect!

MatthewFebruary 1st, 2012 at 3:11 pm

I’m not too certain that it is Maltese. It doesn’t sound like the Maltese I’ve heard before.

RemdFebruary 1st, 2012 at 4:52 pm

Maybe what I’m going to say is just stupid. I don’t usually participate in quizzes because I’m quite horrible at guessing unknown languages. But as a Romance speaker I am sure it sounds quite different from the Romance languages I know of (which are not too much, anyway.) And I don’t think it’s Maltese either.
This clip sounds to me like some kind of gibberish similar to jerigonza explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibberish_(language_game) but with lots of r’s instead of p’s. Maybe this makes someone come out with a closer clue or maybe I’m completely wrong which is likely.

Petréa MitchellFebruary 1st, 2012 at 6:41 pm

At first blush it sounds a bit like Spanish or Italian, but I can’t even make out any structure that resembles either one.

After listening several times, I don’t think it’s even Indo-European. I think it’s a prefixing language (/ti:gərə/ particularly seems to be occuring with different prefixes), and therefore it’s miles away from anything I’d be able to put a name to.

AregnortiFebruary 2nd, 2012 at 4:18 am

Is it glossolalia?

jmockFebruary 3rd, 2012 at 12:07 pm

I agree with ‘Remd’ above – sounds to me like a sort of pig-latin, similar but not quite like one I used to hear kids use in Madrid ages ago.

Jim MorrisonFebruary 3rd, 2012 at 4:57 pm

jmock and remd
Listening to it again, I think you may be right.
I hope we get an answer!

Apo WasteFebruary 4th, 2012 at 2:07 pm

Remd is right!! It’s this kind of game and they’re playing in Greek!!! =D

(I think LOL)

PapricFebruary 5th, 2012 at 12:16 am

Apo Waste, are you sure? Doesn’t sound Greek to me.

d.m.falkFebruary 7th, 2012 at 9:59 am

Sounded distinctly Latin to me, perhaps the Vulgar (common) form, rather than the better-known proper form.

d.m.f.

Folk SongFebruary 18th, 2012 at 7:43 am

I don’t think it’s a speech. It maybe a text to speech software reading unsorted letters.

SucaeylFebruary 20th, 2012 at 5:58 am

Language games still often utilize many of the phonemes of the original language. This is makes the recording peculiar as it seems to lack /s/, or any other sibilants as far as I could tell.