Here’s a recording in a mystery language.
Do you know, or can you guess, the language?
Magic Machines
What connects the words magic and machine? Let’s find out in this Omniglot blog post.
Magic [ˈmadʒɪk / ˈmædʒɪk] is the application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them. (Other meanings are available).
It comes from Middle English magik (magic, sorcery, magical), from Old French magique (magic, magical), from Latin magicus (magic, magical), from Ancient Greek μαγικός (magikós – magical, skilled in magic), from μάγος (mágos – magical), from Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐏁 (maguš – Mazdean priest), from Proto-Iranian *magúš, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *magʰúš, from *megʰ-ú-s, from *megʰ- (to be able)[source].
Related words include mago (magician, sorcerer) in Spanish, μάγος (magician, wizard, sorcerer) in Greek, magico (magic, enchanting) in Italian, and mage and magus in English [source].
In Old English, one word for magic, and also spell, charm or incantation, was ġealdor / galdor [ˈjæɑl.dor] (magic, sorcery, magical). This became galder (a type of pagan incantation, spell or charm) in modern English. It comes from Proto-West Germanic *galdr (singing, song, incantation), from Proto-Germanic *galdraz (singing, song, charm, incantation, spell), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (to call, chant, shout) [source].
Related words include galdur (magic, sorcery, witchcraft, a trick) in Icelandic, galder (sorcery, wizardry, spell, incantation) in Danish, hałas (noise, racket, din) in Polish, and possibly gale and yell in English [source].
Machine [məˈʃi(ː)n] is a device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect. (Other meanings are available).
It comes from Middle French machine (machine, device), from Latin māchina (contrivance, siege engine, scaffold), from Doric Greek μαχανά (contrivance, machine, device), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (to be able) – the same root as magic [source].
Related words include mokër (millstone, boulder) in Albanian, მანქანა (mankana – machine, car) in Georgian, macina (millstone, quern) and macchina (machine, car) in Italian, máquina (machine) in Spanish, and machine (machine, device, engine) in French [source].
Language Quiz
Polyglottery in Brno
Last week I went to the Polyglot Gathering in Brno in the Czech Republic. This is the sixth Polyglot Gathering I’ve been to, though the first one in Brno and the first one for a few years. The last one I went to was in 2019 in Bratislava in Slovakia.
This year’s Polyglot Gathering took place at Mendel University in Brno (Mendelova univerzita v Brně). There were 827 participants from 67 countries. Apart from English, the most spoken languages were German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Polish and Portuguese, and between us, we the participants speak or are learning 202 languages. Just over half the polyglots were there are under 45, and the rest, like me, are older.
This was the largest language event I’ve been too, and was very well organized. There were talks about language-related topics; introductions to languages; language practice tables; workshops on stand-up comedy, dance, capoeira, juggling, etc; games, quizzes, karaoke, a talent show, a food fair, and tours of local attractions.
Freedom Square (Náměstí Svobody), Brno
I went to a few of the talks, and practised my Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese at the language practice tables. I also went on a tour of Brno, which was interesting, and to a quiz, a karaoke session, concerts and other activities. The rest of the time I was relaxing, chatting to various people, and teaching people to juggle, or helping them to improve their juggling (see below).
The languages I spoke most, apart from English, were French, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Cantonese, German, Welsh, Irish, Spanish and Esperanto. I also spoke (or at least tried to speak) some Czech, Slovak, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Swedish, Italian, Portuguese and Taiwanese.
The Brno Dragon / Brněnský drak
For anybody interested in languages who wants to meet like-minded people, practice their languages, and have fun, I’d recommend events like this. The next one is the Polyglot Conference in Bologna in Italy in 18-20 November 2026. I haven’t decided if I’m going to go yet.
Language Quiz
Fire Arrows
The other day the word 火箭 (huǒjiàn) came up in my (Mandarin) Chinese lessons. It means rocket or literally “fire arrow”.
I knew that the first characters meant fire, but wasn’t sure about the second character. Once I knew that the word meant rocket, I guessed that the second character meant arrow or something similar. I was right.
One of the things I like about Chinese is that rather than borrowing words other languages, they often coin new words based on native roots, or borrow words from Japanese that are based on Chinese roots.
Other examples featuring the character 火 (huǒ), which means fire, flame, burn, anger or rage, include:
- 火车 [火車] (huǒchē) = train, (lit. “fire cart / vehicle”).
- 火印 (huǒyìn) = brand, branded mark (lit. “fire seal”)
- 火山 (huǒshān) = volcano (lit. “fire mountain” – should not be confused with a 山火 (shānhuǒ) = mountain fire, wildfire
- 火筷子 (huǒkuàizi) = fire tongs, hair curling tongs (lit. “fire chopsticks”).
- 火石 (huǒshí) = flint (lit. “fire stone”)
- 火药 (huǒyào) = gunpowder (lit. “fire medicine”)
- 火星 (huǒxīng) = (the planet) Mars, spark (lit. “fire star”) – not to be confused with 星火 (xīnghuǒ) = spark, meteor.
- 火星人 (huǒxīngrén) = Martian (lit. “fire star person”) – borrowed from Japanese 火星人 (kaseijin)
[source]
The character 箭 (jiàn) means arrow and appears in words like:
- 射箭 (shèjiàn) = to shoot an arrow, to let loose an arrow; archery
- 弓箭 (gōngjiàn) = bow and arrow
- 弓箭手 (gōngjiànshǒu) = archer
- 箭猪 [箭豬] (jiànzhū) = porcupine (lit. “arrow pig”).
- 箭鱼 [箭魚] (jiànyú) = swordfish (lit. “arrow fish”).
[source]
Language Quiz
Ashen Hearted
The word 灰心 (huīxīn) came up in my Chinese lessons recenlty. It could be translated literally as ‘ashen heart’ or ‘heart of ash(es)’, but what does it actually mean?
灰心 (huīxīn) means to lose heart, to be discouraged or to despair. 灰 (huī) means ash(es), dust, lime or mortar, and 心 (xīn) means heart, mind, intelligence or soul [source].
灰 can also mean grey/gray when combined with 色 (sè – colour), as in 灰色 (huīsè), so I thought at first that 灰心 meant ‘grey heart’ [source].
Related phrases include 灰心喪氣 (huīxīnsàngqì), which means disheartened, discouraged, downhearted, downcast or in dispair, or literally “ash heart lose qi”, and 心灰 (xīnhuī), which means extremely disappointed or discouraged [source].
The character 心 (xīn) also appears in phrases such as:
- 开心 [開心] (kāixīn) = happy, delighted, to make fun of (sb), to open up the mind, to enlighten the mind, (lit. “open heart”).
- 关心 [關心] (guānxīn) = to be concerned about, to care for, to put first, (lit. “closed heart”).
- 担心 (dānxīn) = anxious, worried, uneasy, to worry, to be anxious (lit. “to carry (the) heart”).
- 小心 (xiǎoxīn) = to be careful of something, to mind, to beware of, to take care, to be careful (lit. “small heart”).
- 耐心 (nàixīn) = patient (lit. “to withstand (the) heart”).
- 黑心 (hēixīn) = ruthless and lacking conscience (lit. “black heart(ed)”).
- 好心 (hǎoxīn) = goodheartedness, kindness (lit. “good heart(ed)”) [source].
Language Quiz
Dressed to Pieces
The word ワンピース (wanpīsu) came up in my Japanese lessons the other day. You could translate it as ‘one-piece’, and it refers to an article of clothing, but which one?
ワンピース (wanpīsu) [wàńpíꜜìsù] actually refers to a dress or other piece of clothing that comes in one piece, such as a bathing costume / swimsuit, and can be shortened to ワンピ(wanpi). It was borrowed from the English term one-piece, which is an adjective meaning ‘composed of a single integral unit, or so appearing’, e.g. a one-piece metal hammer, or a one-piece article of clothing, especially a swimsuit [source].
ワンピース (wanpīsu) or One Piece is also a manga series, an anime TV series and media franchise. Here’s some music from one of the One Piece spin offs, One Piece film RED, sung by Ado:
A similar word is ツーピース (tsūpīsu) [tsɨːpʲiːsɨ], which means a two-piece suit, particular women’s suits. It comes from English two-piece, which refers to a suit or dress in two pieces [source].
Similar words are also found in Korean: 원피스 (wonpiseu) [wʌ̹npʰi(ː)sʰɯ] = dress, and 투피스 (tupiseu) [ˈtʰu(ː)pʰi(ː)sʰɯ] = two-piece suit / dress [source].
Another word for dress in Japanese is ドレス (doresu), which was borrowed from English dress [source].
Incidentally, the English word dress comes from Middle English dressen (to arrange, put in order, to direct or aim), from Anglo-Norman / Old French drecier (to stand up, get to one’s feet), from Late Latin *dīrēctiāre (to guide, direct, put in order), from Classical Latin dīrēctus (laid straight, direct, straight), from Proto-Italic *dwizrektos, from dīrigō (lay straight, direct, distribute) [source].
Words from the same roots include address, adriot (deft, dexterous, skillful) and direct in English, dresser (to raise, build, lift, prepare) in French, addirizzare (to straighten, correct, direct, guide) in Italian, díreach (straight, direct, exact) in Irish, and derecho (straight, upright, right, correct) in Spanish [source].