Author: Simon

I am a linguist, web developer and musician. I live in Bangor in Wales and run Omniglot - the online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages, as well as making the Radio Omniglot Podcast.

Thinking sdrawkcab

By Simon

Here are the words of a song we’ve been learning recently at the Bangor Community Choir:

When there is light in the soul, there is beauty in the person.
When there is beauty in the person, there is harmony in the home.
When there is harmony in the home, there is honour in the nation.
When there is honour in the nation, there is peace in the world.

We were told that it’s based on a Chinese proverb, so of course I searched for that proverb and found the following:

明明德於天下者，先治其國。(míngmíng dé yú tiānxià zhĕ, xiān zhì qí guó)
欲治其國者，先齊其家。(yù zhì qí guó zhĕ, xiān qí qí jiā)
欲齊其家者，先修其身。(yù qí qí jiā zhĕ, xiān xiū qí shēn)
欲修其身者，先正其心。(yù xiū qí shēn zhĕ, xiān zhēng qí xīn)

This expresses more of less same sentiments, though they are the opposite way round: it starts taking about the world, then the nation, the home, etc.

Here’s a rough translation:

Those who wish to bring light and virtue to the world, must first govern the nation.
Those who wish to govern the nation, must first organise the home.
Those who wish to organise the home, must first cultivate themselves.
Those who wish to cultivate themselves, must first correct their heart.

Does anybody know where this proverb comes from, by the way?

The way things are arranged in Chinese often seems backwards from the point of view of English speakers. For example, surnames come before personal names, and addresses start from the country or province, rather than with the name.

When speaking (Mandarin) Chinese I try to think in Chinese, but words sometimes come out in English, Welsh or French order, which doesn’t necessarily work very well. This is mainly because I haven’t been using Chinese as much as I used to, so am not as practised at constructing Chinese sentences. I can still communicate effectively in Chinese, but have to rearrange some of the utterances either in my head or after I’ve said them. More practise should help to eliminate this problem.

肚皮舞 (dù​pí​wǔ​)

By Simon

The other day I discovered that the Mandarin word for belly dancing is 肚皮舞 (dù​pí​wǔ​). As I knew the meanings of the individual characters, I could guess the meaning of the word, even though I hadn’t heard it before. 肚 (dù​​) is stomach or belly, 皮 (​pí​​) is skin, and 舞 (wǔ​) is dance.

I don’t remember seeing 肚 (dù​​) written down before, though was familiar with the phrase “我肚子饿” (wǒ​ dù​zi​ è) = I’m hungry (lit. “I belly hungry”). According to the MDBG Chinese dictionary, 肚 (dù) means belly, 肚 (dǔ​) means tripe, and 肚子 (dù​zi​) means belly / abdomen / stomach.

Related words and expressions include:

  • 肚臍 [肚脐] (dù​qí) / 肚臍眼 (dù​qí​yǎn​) – navel
  • 肚子痛 (dù​zi​tòng​) / 肚痛 (dù​tòng)​ – stomach ache / belly-ache
  • 大肚子 (dà​dù​zi) -​pregnant (“big belly”)
  • 爆肚 (bào​dǔ​) – deep fried tripe
  • 眼饞肚飽 (yǎn​chán​dù​bǎo) – to have eyes bigger than one’s belly (“eyes greedy belly full”)
  • 鼠肚雞腸 (shǔ​dù​jī​cháng​) – small-minded (“rat/mouse belly chicken intestines”)
  • 將軍肚子 (jiāng​jūn​dù​zi​) – beer belly (“general’s belly” – complimentary)
  • 香羊肚 (xiāng​yáng​dù​) – haggis (“fragrant sheep belly”)

Another word for stomach is 腹 (fù​) – abdomen, belly, stomach.ng

Cave canem!

By Simon

Carea Castellano

I received a email today asking when the Spanish word perro (dog) replaced can, a word for dog derived from the Latin canis, which appears in the name Canary Islands, (Islas Canarias in Spanish).

The Spanish word perro first appeared in the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española in 1737 [source]; was originally pejorative [source] and is possibly of onomatopoeic origin from the growling sounds made by dogs, perr perr (sounds more like a cat’s purr to me). Shepherds also used that sound to call their dogs. Another possibility is that perro comes from a pre-Roman language [source].

In Spanish the word can was used for dog until about the 14th century, after which it was gradually replaced by perro. The words for dog in most other Romance languages come from the Latin word canis: cane (Italian), chien (French), câine (Romanian), cão (Portuguese), can (Galician). One exception is Catalan, in which the word for dog is gos. [source].

The root of the Latin word canis, which appears in biological name for the subspecies of dogs: canis lupus familiaris, comes from the Proto-Indo-European base *kwon- (dog). This is also the root of the English hound (via the Proto-Germanic *khundas and the Old English hund), the English canine, the Greek κυων (kuōn), the German hund, the Irish cu and the Welsh ci [source].

The English word dog comes from the Old English docga, a word of unknown origin which was probably the name of a particular breed of dog, and had largely replaced the word hound as the general term for dog by the 16th century [source]. Hound started to be used to mean “a dog used for hunting” from the 12th century [source].

The name Islas Canarias probably comes from the Latin Insula Canaria (Island of the Dogs), which was originally just the name of Gran Canaria. It is possible that the dogs referred to were seals [source].

Gargalesthesia, gongoozler and misodoctakleidism

By Simon

Here are a few unusual and interesting words that I came across today on this page that I thought I’d share with you.

gargalesthesia [ˈgɑːɡəlɪsθiːzɪə] – the sensation caused by tickling, from the Greek gargalos (itching) + esthesia. A medical term that also exists in French (gargalésie). The word gargalos also means bottleneck in Portuguese. Related words include gargalesis (heavy tickling) and knismesis (light tickling).

ginglyform [ˈɡɪŋɡlɪfɔːm] – hinge-shaped, from the Greek ginglumos (a hinge). A medical term used to refer to types of joints such as knee and elbow joints. Related words include ginglymus (a hinge joint), and ginglymoid (a hinge-like movement). [Source]

gongoozler [ɡɒnˈguːzlə] – an idle spectator, especially one who enjoys idly watching activity on canals. It is thought to come from canal workers’ slang, possibly from the Lincolnshire dialect words gawn and gooze, which both mean to stare or gape [source]

misodoctakleidist – someone who hates practising the piano [I can’t find any more information about this word]

mytacism [miːˈtəsɪzˌəm]- excessive use of or fondness for, or incorrect use of the letter M and the sound it represents [source]. Another definition of this medical term is “stammering in which the letter M is frequently substituted for other consonants.” [source].

When I come across lists of words like this I find it interesting to check the usage and etymology of the words – they are often obscure medical terms from Greek that are rarely if ever heard in everyday conversation, but are interesting nonetheless.

Study Abroad is Essential For Language Majors

By Simon

Today we have a guest post by Lindsey Wright.

Nearly everyone will take a language course in college. For some students, the course simply fills a general education requirement by giving them basic knowledge of a language, while others plan to study a language extensively in college. However, for people to truly grasp a language, it is necessary to spend time among those who speak it. Therefore, ideally, every language study course should require a student to participate in a study abroad program. Yet this is not the case for most schools. This could be due to the fact that there aren’t enough students interested in the program or that the universities simply do not have the funding. However, if you take a moment to think consider all the reasons why language students should study abroad, the case is quite compelling.

Perhaps the biggest reason to require a study abroad program is how much it can help you learn a language. There is no better way to learn a language than be immersed in it. When you travel to another country, you constantly hear the language you are studying. Before long, you will start understanding what people are saying with ease. In many situations, you will be forced to speak that language in order to get something you need. Thus, when you are studying abroad, your speaking and listening skills will improve rapidly. In addition, you experience that language in the proper cultural context. You will get a feel for the way people talk and the slang terms they use. If you are going to be a language expert, these are things you need to understand.

Another huge benefit of studying abroad is that you have the opportunity to understand a different culture. While learning slang and mannerisms is a part of experiencing another culture, there is much more to it than that. By traveling abroad, you will get an idea of every aspect of that culture. You will learn what words and motions are appropriate and which ones aren’t. You will learn how loud or soft people talk in various situations. You can’t fully grasp these things unless you spend time in that country. Learning the little things will go a long way in your career. If nothing else, understanding the culture will make your travel experience a lot easier.

Studying abroad also gets you out of the classroom, which is crucial. You can only learn so much from lectures and books. However, participating in a study abroad program will allow you to learn everything first hand. By doing so, you may find a specific aspect of the language or culture you love, that could help you figure out a career path. On the flip side, you may find that learning the language isn’t for you. Either way you are teaching yourself, which in itself will prove invaluable, as it is a different experience entirely from learning in a classroom.

By traveling abroad, you increase your chances of networking with people in that culture, which could prove handy if you enter a career in business. The more connections you have, the better your career prospects will be. You may even meet someone who can offer you a job right out of college. American companies are becoming increasingly global, and having experience in a different culture is a huge plus on your resume. If you aren’t interested in business, you will still be satisfied with making connections in a social context. No matter what you want to do in life, building relationships is essential. Making friends or contacts from another country will expand your horizons.

When you study abroad, you also enhance your education. While abroad, you will have the opportunity to take classes that aren’t offered on your regular campus. Not only is this a great way to learn something you never thought you would, but it will also look good on your transcript. One of the best ways to find unique classes is to participate in a study abroad program.

If you are interested in studying a language, you should definitely participate in a study abroad program. In the short term, the experience will enhance your college experience and education. In the long term, it will prove beneficial when it comes to pursuing a career. Given all the benefits, every language student should study abroad.

Hands and pockets

By Simon

In English when you know something or somewhere well, you can say that you “know it like the back of your hand” or that you “know it inside out / back to front / upside down”. If you’re talking about people, you might say “I know him/her/them like I know myself.”

Yesterday I learnt that the equivalent idiom in French is “Je le connais comme ma poche” (I know it like my pocket) or “Je le connais comme le fond de ma poche” (I know it like the bottom of my pocket).

In Spanish the equivalent is “Lo/la conozco como la palma de mi mano” (I know it like the palm of my hand), and in Turkish it also the palm of the hand that is best known: “Avcumun içi gibi biliyorum” (I know it like the palm of my hand).

The German equivalent is “Ich kenne es wie meine Westentasche” (I know it like my waistcoat pocket).

What about in other languages?