Here’s a photo of a mystery city. Do you know or can you guess where it is, and which languages are spoken there?
Language quiz
Word of the day – pachi pachi
Today’s word, パチパチ (pachi pachi) is an onomatopoeic Japanese word meaning:
1. pleasant clapping sound;
2. sound of something hot bursting open (i.e. popcorn);
3. incessant blinking
It came up while I was chatting with some Japanese friends earlier today and is one of the many onomatopoeic words in Japanese.
Here are some more examples:
バラバラ (bara bara) – rattle
クスクス (kusu kusu) – giggle
ポチャポチャ (pocha pocha) – splash
フサフサ (fusa fusa) – a full and attractive head of hair
ギトギト (gito gito) – being oily
イライラ (ira ira) – the state of being frustrated
ポカポカ (poka poka) – the state of being nice and warm
See also this site and this site.
Interestingly, some such words describe visual phenomena, such as blinking, or feelings rather than sounds. Does any other language do this?
By the way, apologies if you’ve been unable to access this blog, my other blog, the Omniglot forum or some of the pages on Omniglot recently. Unfortunately I haven’t managed to find a solution to this problem yet, though it usually sorts itself out after a while. If any of you have any ideas how to fix it, please let me know.
Shanghai Metro
There’s apparently a plan to train the staff of the Shanghai Metro in basic phrases in five major Sinitic languages in order to provide information about fares and directions to non-Mandarin-speaking domestic tourists and visitors, according to a blog post on the Shanghaiist.
In response to this plan, the director of the Shanghai Language Works Commission said:
“We have contacted the Metro management today, stating that the program could violate the country’s language policy to promote the use of Putonghua.”
“There are at least 1,000 regional dialects in China, not including more branch dialects in different regions. The right way to solve communication barrier is to speak Putonghua.”
“What about passengers who speak other dialects? Using only the five dialects would not solve the problem.”
Inspite of this, Shanghai Metro plans to continue with the training scheme and are thinking of extending the service to Shanghai South Railway Station Metro stop. The languages in question are Cantonese, Wenzhou-hua (Zhejiang), Wuhan-hua (Hubei), Changsha-hua (Hunan) and Fujian-hua (a.k.a. Hokkien). Presumably these are the most common languages spoken by visitors to Shanghai, though the post doesn’t discuss the reasons for choosing these particular ones.
Cerddoriaeth
Dwi’n hoff iawn cerddoriaeth, yn enwedig cerddoriaeth o Iwerddon, o’r Alban ac o Gymru. Teulu cerddorol yw nheulu i – mae fy mam yn canu mewn corau yn gyson ac yn canu’r piano o bryd i’w gilydd. Mae mrawd yn chwarae’r trymped a chwaraeodd y trombôn pan oedd e’n ifanc. Chwaraeodd ‘n chwaer y piano, y sielo ac y recorder, ond dydy nhad ddim yn chwarae unrhyw offerynnau.
Dechreuais innau chwarae’r piano pan o’n i’n saith oed, a chwaraeais am bum mlynedd. Ac wedyn, ar ôl i mi fethu yr arholiad cerddorol grâd 2, dechreuais chwarae’r clarinét a chwaraeais am saith mlynedd. Teimlais yn fwy brwdfrydig am chwarae’r clarinét na’r piano, felly ymarferais yn fwy aml a dysgais ef hyd at lefel eithaf uchel. Dysgais y sacsoffon ar fy mhen fy hun, a chwaraeais y clarinét bas am sbel hefyd. Ceisiais ddysgu’r gitâr a’r harmonica, ond heb mwy o lwyddiant.
Chwaraeais mewn bandiau yn yr ysgol, a mynychais ysgol cerddoriaeth lleol dwywaith yr wythnos lle chwaraeais mewn bandiau chwyth, bandiau mawr a cherddorfa. Canais yng nghôr yr ysgol am sbel hefyd.
Dechreuais chwarae y chwiban pan o’n i’n bymtheg oed a chwaraeais am bum mlynedd. Chwaraeais alawon o Iwerddon yn bennaf, dechreuais wrando ar cerddoriaeth o Iwerddon a syrthiais mewn cariad â’r iaith Gwyddeleg. Dyma y prif rheswm pam o’n i’n eisiau dysgu Gwyddeleg o hyn ymlaen.
Yn ystod fy ail blwyddyn yn y prifysgol, o’n i’n yn Taiwan, Japan a Tsieina a es i ddim â fy offerynnau. Na barheais chwarae nhw ar ôl ddes i adref, rhywbeth ydw i’n difaru yn fawr.
Pan es i i Glencolmcille ers dwy flynedd, dechreuais chwarae’r chwiban un waith eto, a dwi’n chwarae bron bod dydd bellach. Dw i’n canu caneuon yn y Wyddeleg, yn Aeleg yr Alban ac yn y Gymraeg yn aml hefyd. Ers i mi ddechrau dysgu Cymraeg, dw i wedi ymddiddori mewn cerddoriaeth yn y Gymraeg, yn enwedig roc a phop Cymraeg.
Ceol
Is breá liom ceol, go háirithe ceol as Éirinn, as Albain agus ón Bhreatain Bheag. Tá ceol ag beagnach gach éinne i mo theaghlach (ach amháin m’athair) – bíonn mo mháthair ag seinm an pianó agus bíonn sí ag canadh sna cóir chomh maith. Bíonn mo dheartháir ag seinm an stoc agus bhí sé ag seinm an trombón nuair a bhí sé níos óige. Bhí mo dheirfiúr ag seinm an pianó, an dordveidhil agus an fhliúit Shasanach.
Thosaigh mise an pianó a sheinm nuair a bhi mé seacht mbliana d’aois, agus bhí mé ag seinm ar feadh cúig bhliana. I ndiaidh theip an scrúdú ceoil grád 2 orm, thosaigh mé an chláirnéid a sheinm agus bhí mé ag seinm ar feadh seacht mbliana. Bhí mé níos díograiseach faoi an chláirnéid a sheinm na an pianó, dá bhrí sin, chleacht mé níos minice agus d’fhoghlaim mé í go dtí leibhéal measartha ard. D’fhoghlaim mé an sacsafón ar m’aonar, agus sheinm mé an dordchláirnéid ar feadh tamall freisin. Bhain mé triail as an giotár agus an orgán béil a fhoghlaim chomh maith, ach gan rath.
Sheinm mé i bannaí ar scoil, agus d’fhreastail mé scoil ceoil áitiúil dhá uair sa seachtain cá sheinm mé i bannaí gaoith, bannaí mór agus ceolfhoireann. Chanadh mé i cór na scoile ar feadh tamall freisin.
Thosaigh mé an fheadóg stáin a sheinm nuair a bhí mé cúig bliana deich d’aois. Sheinm mé foinn Gaelach go príomha, thosaigh mé ag éisteacht le ceol Gaelach agus thit mé i ngrá leis an Ghaeilge. Sin é an príomh-fhail atá mé ag iarraidh Gaeilge a fhoghlaim as sin amach.
I rith na dara bhliana dhom san ollscoil, bhí mé i Taiwan, sa tSeapáin agus sa tSín, agus níor thug mé m’uirlisí liom. Níor lean orm iad a sheinm i ndiaidh tháinig mé abhaile, rud éigin atá aithreachas orm faoi.
Nuair a chuaigh mé go Gleann Cholm Cille dhá bhliain ó shin, thosaigh mé an fheadóg stáin a sheinm arís eile, agus bím ag seinm beagnach gach lá anois. Bím ag canadh amhráin i nGaeilge, i nGaeilge na hAlbain agus as Breatnais go minic chomh maith.
Are you computarded?
When reading this blog today, I noticed a interesting word in the comments on one of the posts – computarded. It was used in the following sentence: “I made it up to the basic internet skills era (email! google search! social network site! PubMed! etc…) and beyond that I’m computarded.”
This is an example of a portmanteau word or blend. It works better than computer illiterate, I think, though only if you’re talking about yourself. If you used it to describe someone else, it might be considered pejorative.
A possible antonym is compudextrous. Can you think of any others?
Speaking with a foreign accent
I came across an interesting post today over on David Crystal’s blog about foreign accents. He believes that as long as other people can understand what you say in a foreign language, it doesn’t really matter if you speak it with a non-native accent. In fact your accent conveys your identity. He states that “it is very rare indeed for someone to develop a phonetic ability to the extent that their foreign origins are totally masked”, and that the only people who would really need to do so are spies.
It is indeed very difficult to speak a foreign language with completely native pronunciation and intonation, unless you acquire it at a young age. Having a training in phonetics certainly helps, as does prolonged immersion in the language. It also helps if you’re a good mimic.
I do my best to acquire as near a native accent as possible in the languages I’m learning, and my accent tends to improve if I spend a lot of time speaking those languages with native speakers. When people ask me which part of their country I’m from, or assume I’m from a neighbouring country where the same language is spoken, I know I’m one the right track.
Do you think it matters if you have a ‘foreign’ accent when speaking another language?
Language puzzle
Today’s language puzzle was sent in by Alan & Debbie Willis. It’s a clue for a Geocaching waypoint. Can you decipher it? It appears to be written in English using a Cyrillic-based cypher.
Here’s what I’ve managed to work out so far:
If you can read this you are on the right track congratulations. Stop you are enjoying the ???? transliterated in the Cyrillic alphabet.
If you’re the last one are correct you …
By the way, in case you’re wondering what Geocaching is all about, there’s some information on this site.
Gleann Cholm Cille
Is áit álainn agus ciúin í Gleann Cholm Cille, bíonn muintir na háite cairdiúil agus fáilteach agus bíonn an craic go hiontach sna títhe tábhairne. Is áit an iargúlta í chomh maith agus bíonn an aimsir go dona go minic, ach is breá liom í. Tá sé cosúil leis an áit ar tógadh mé – sráidbhaile beag cois farraige in iarthuaisceart Shasana. I mbliana bhí mé ansin ar feadh an tríú huair, agus rachaidh ar ais go cinnte.
Lle hyfred a llonydd ydy Gleann Cholm Cille, mae’r pobl leol yn gyfeillgar a chroesawgar, a mae lot o hwyl yn y tafarndai. Lle unig ydy e hefyd ac mae’r tywydd yn arw yn aml, ond dwi’n ei hoff iawn e. Mae e’n tebyg i’r ardal lle ges i fy magu – pentref bach ar lan y môr yng ngogledd orllewin Lloegr. Eleni o’n i’n yna am y trydedd tro, a bydda i’n ôl yn ddi-os
