Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Sheek Bakrii Saphaloo Script, which was created in 1956 by Sheikh Bakri Sapalo from Ethiopia, and is used to write Oromo, a Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Egypt.

New fictional script: Exception, which appears in the Netflix anime series “Exception”.

New constructed script: Formetta, an alternative way to write English invented by TCSenpai, and designed to be clear, simple, and easy to learn and reproduce.

There are new language pages about:

• Maká (mac’a) – a Matacoan language spoken in the Chaco region of Paraguay and Argentina.
• Wichí Lhamtés Nocten (‘weenhayek) – a Matacoan language spoken mainly in southeastern Boliva, and also in northwestern Argentina.
• Wichí Lhamtés Güisnay (Wiznay) – a Matacoan language spoken in Salta Province in northern Argentina
• Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz – a Matacoan language spoken mainly in northern Argentina and also in southern Bolivia.

New phrase pages in Taíno-Quisqueyanaíqui, a reconstructed language based on the Taíno that was spoken in the Dominican Republic created by Desmond Johnson Montes De Oca.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled A Little Alliteration about alliteration and other kinds of rhymes, and how they can be difficult to translate into other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Eritrea.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Mocoví, a Southern Guaicuruan language spoken mainly in Santa Fe, Chaco, and Formosa provinces in Argentina.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Bills and Gouges, we find connections between Celtic beaks and bills, and chisels and gouges in other languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled The End about words for end, final, after and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the Taíno language page.

In other news, I reached 2,500 days in my current streak on Duolingo this week. I’m still concentrating on Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Spanish and Japanese, and occasionally doing a bit of Dutch or Swedish.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

• Bhaca (isiBhaca) – a Southern Bantu language spoken in Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.
• Ulumandaʼ – a South Sulawesi language spoken in West Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
• Bambam– a South Sulawesi language spoken in West Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.

New numbers pages in Ulumandaʼ and Bambam.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Buckling Swashes in which we learn about swashbucklers, and also pirates, privateers, buccaneers, freebooters and corsairs. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Argentina.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Kagoshima dialect (鹿児島弁), a variety of Japanese spoken in Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan. It is also known as Satsugū dialect (薩隅方言).

The recording comes from YouTube:

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we look into the word Landlubber, and related words in English and other languages.

New Celtic Cognates page: Names – a collection of Celtic personal names from Celtic and non-Celtic roots.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Glens and Valleys and I made improvements to the post about words for Full and related things.

In other news, the Polyglot Gathering is currently taking place in Prague in the Czech Republic. I decided not to go this year for various reasons, but if any of you were there, I hope you had a good time. I may go to the Polyglot Conference in Valletta in Malta in November.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

• Teanu – an Oceanic language spoken on Vanikoro Island in Temotu Province in the east of the Solomon Islands.
• Nanggu (Engdewu) – an Oceanic language spoken on the island of Nendö in Temotu province in the east of the Solomon Islands.
• Uneapa (Uniapa) – an Oceanic language spoken on Unea Island in West New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea.

Uneapa happens to be the 2,000th language on Omniglot, by the way.

There’s a new adapted script, Turkorece (툴코레제), a way to write Turkish with the Korean Hangeul script created by Wojciech Grala.

New numbers pages:

• Nawat (Nāwat), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken mainly in western El Salvador.
• Classical Nahuatl (Nāhuatlahtōlli), an Uto-Aztecan language that was spoken in the Valley of Mexico and central Mexico until about the 17th century.
• Chakma (𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟𑄳𑄦 𑄞𑄌𑄴 / চাাংমা ভাচ), an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in parts of Bangladesh and India.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled 2,000 Languages!, in which I talk about some significant Omniglot-related moments from the past 26 years, including adding the 2,000th language to the site this week. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Japan, but isn’t (standard) Japanese.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Nambya, a Bantu language spoken in northwestern Zimbabwe and northeastern Botswana.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, we find some Celtic Brio behind some vigorous Romance and English words.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new posts entitled Bodies and Meaty Flesh, and I made improvements to the post about words for Horses and Strength.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

• Sa’a (Tɛgɛ) – a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on South Malaita and Ulawa islands in Makira Ulawa Province of the Solomon Islands.
• Talise (ẽberã) – a Southeast Solomonic language spoken in the south of Guadalcanal Island in Guadalcanal Province of the Solomon Islands.
• Santa Cruz (Natqgu) – a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on the island of Nendö, one of the Santa Cruz Islands in Temotu province in the east of the Solomon Islands.

New numbers pages:

• Santa Cruz (Natqgu) – a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on the island of Nendö, one of the Santa Cruz Islands in Temotu province in the east of the Solomon Islands.
• Lepcha (ᰛᰩᰵᰛᰧᰵᰶ), a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in India, Nepal and Bhutan.
• Limbu (ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ), a Kiranti language spoken in mainly in Nepal, and also in northern India.

New phrases page: Dogri (डोगरी), a Western Pahari language spoken in northern India.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Chocolate Peanuts in which we find out what links words for chocolate and peanuts in French, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Wymysorys (Wymysiöeryś), a West Germanic language spoken in Wilamowice (Wymysoü), a small town in southern Poland.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we find out what the dickens a dinkus (***) is, and what to do with an asterism (⁂). Asterisks (*) and Asterix are also involved.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Meaty Flesh about words for meat, flesh and related things, and I made improvements to the post about words for Brown & Dun.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

• Central Teke (Tɛgɛ) – a Bantu language spoken in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Catio (ẽberã) – a Chocoan language spoken mainly in northwestern Colombia.
• Pagibete (Apagibete) – a Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Kukuya (Kikukuya) – a Bantu language spoken in the Plateaux Department in the Republic of the Congo

New constructed script: Pan-Caucasian alphabet, a unified writing system proposed by Vazgen R. Ghazaryan for the Northwest Caucasian and Northeast Caucasian languages.

New numbers pages:

• Central Teke (Tɛgɛ) – a Bantu language spoken in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Babine-Witsuwitʼen, a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in parts of British Columbia in Canada.

New page about telling the time in: Swahili (Kiswahili).

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Surfing the Mountains, about French words for snowboarding, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Poland.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Tongva, an Uto-Aztecan language which was spoken in Southern California and which is currently being revived.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast we’re sweeping French floors with Celtic Brooms.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new posts about words for Barns, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Brushes and Broom and Grey.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

• Ambo-Pasco Quechua (Kichwa), a Central Quechua language spoken in central Peru.
• Matsés, a Panonan language spoken mainly in Brazil and Peru.
• Yine, a Southern Arawakan language spoken in eastern and southern Peru.

New constructed script: Skyling Script, which was invented by Kitsune Sobo for his fictional Rhodinoverse.

New constructed script: Japonesian, which created by Aiden Neuding as an alternative way to write Japanese and Indonesian.

New numbers pages:

• Chuj (Koti’), a Mayan language spoken in western Guatemala and southern Mexico.
• Tzotzil (Batsʼi kʼop), a Mayan language spoken mainly in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
• Tzeltal (Bats’i k’op), a Mayan language spoken in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about Madrugadores (Early Risers), and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is an International Auxiliary Language (IAL).

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Khanty (Ханты), a Ob Ugric language spoken in the Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs in the west and north of the Russian Federation.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, entitled Fortified Dunes, we uncover Celtic fortresses among the sand dunes.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Blessings and related things, and I made improvements to the post about words for Talkative.

I also made improvements to the Tzotzil, Tzeltal and Kubachi language pages.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

• Jibu, a Central Jukunoid spoken in Taraba State in eastern Nigeria.
• Oroha, a Southern Solomonic language spoken in the south of Small Malaita Island in Malaita Province in the east of the Solomon Islands.

There’s a new page about Neolatin, an international auxiliary language designed to be used by speakers of different Romance languages to communicate with one another, and also Phrases, Numbers, Time, Family words and Weather pages in Neolatin

New constructed script: Script of the All-Seers (Lishan Oiad), which was invented by Kitsune Sobo as the native script of the alien All-Seers in the fictional Rhodinoverse.

New numbers pages:

• Jibu, a Central Jukunoid spoken in Taraba State in eastern Nigeria.
• Oroha, a Southern Solomonic language spoken on Small Malaita Island in the east of the Solomon Islands.
• Kryts (цIека meз), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in the Quba district in the northeast of Azerbaijan.

On the Omniglot blog we’re Noodling About Nurdles, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is distantly related to Finnish and is spoken in Russia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Achuar-Shiwiar (Achuár chícham), a Chicham language spoken in Peru and Ecuador.

The recording comes from YouTube

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we’re Noodling About Noodles.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for heart, centre and related things, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Streets and Ants.

Finally, with all this noodling about, I was inspired to write a new song called Noodling. It goes something like this:

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Ogan Script, which is used to write Ogan, a Central Malay language spoken in South Sumatra and Lampung in Indonesia.

There are new language pages about:

• Ogan (Base Ugan / بهاس اوڬن), a Central Malay language spoken along the Ogan River in South Sumatra and Lampung provinces in eastern Indonesia.
• Longgu, a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on the northeast coast of Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands.
• Lop (Ľor télé / لوپنۇر تېلې), a Karluk Turkish language spoken in the Lop Nur region in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest of China.

New numbers pages:

• Kongo (Kikongo), a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Angola.
• Northern Ndebele (isiNdebele), a Bantu language spoken in southwestern Zimbabwe and northeastern Botswana.
• Lozi (siLozi), a Bantu language spoken mainly in the southwest of Zambia, and in neighbouring countries.

On the Omniglot blog, may I ask you to read, comment on and share a new post about imperatives phrased as questions, a.k.a. Whimperatives, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Peru and Ecuador.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Soninke (Sooninkanxanne), a Mande language spoken mainly in Mali, and other parts of West Africa.

In this week’s episode of the Celtic Pathways podcast, Horny Peaks we find Romance horns among Celtic peaks and mountains.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Thin and Slender and related things, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Mountains and Roads.

I also made improvements to the Soninke language page.

By the way, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! / Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

• Andoque (Paasi-ahá), a language isolate or a Witotoan language spoken in southern Colombia.
• Berom (Cèn Bèrom), a Benue-Congo language spoken in the north of Plateau State in central Nigeria.
• Hdi (xdí), a Chadic language spoken mainly in the Far North Region of Cameroon

New constructed script: Wind-and-Leaf Script, an alphabet invented by Kitsune Sobo as the native script of the Gods of Ooseyard (“God World”) in the Rhodinoverse (a fictional multiverse).

New fictional script: Neo-Chakobsa, a constructed script and language developed by American linguist David J. Peterson for the Dune film series.

New numbers pages:

• Berom (Cèn Bèrom), a Benue-Congo language spoken in the north of Plateau State in central Nigeria.
• Hdi (xdí), a Chadic language spoken mainly in the Far North Region of Cameroon.

There’s a new Omniglot blog post entitled Clinking Hardware about the French word quincaillerie (hardware store, hardware, junk), and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in Mali, and also in other parts of West Africa.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Paicî, a New Caledonian language spoken in the North Province of New Caledonia. From YouTube.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Shambling Shambles, we shamble around looking into the shambolic origins of the words shamble and shambles.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Thin and Slender and related things.

I also made improvements to the Southern Ndebele, Northern Ndebele, Swati, Tswa and Tsonga language pages.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

• Ghomalaʼ (Ghɔmáláʼ), a Bamileke language spoken in the West Region of Cameroon.
• Feʼfeʼ (Fèʼéfěʼè), a Bamileke language spoken in the West Region of Cameroon
• Lengo, a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands.
• Lau, a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands.

New constructed script: Fana, a syllabic script created by Brian Drake to write his constructed language, fana, which is based on Toki Pona, but with more phonemes, a more complex grammar, and a larger vocabulary.

New numbers pages:

• Ghomalaʼ (Ghɔmáláʼ), a Bamileke language spoken in the West Region of Cameroon.
• Lengo, a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands.
• Lau, a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands.

There’s a new Omniglot blog post entitled Overflowing Vases about ways to say ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ and similar things in various languages, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in New Caledonia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Xong (Dut Xonb), a Hmong-Mien language spoken in southern China.

In this week’s episode of the Celtic Pathways podcast, entitled Bijou Fingers, we find Celtic fingers among French jewellery.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Long Distance, about words for long, distant and related things, and I made improvements to the Fingers and Toes, Silver & Money and Streams and Currents posts.

I also made improvements to the Paicî and Huambisa language pages.

New song: Colourless Green Ideas – based on the sentence ‘Colorless green ideas sleep furiously’, which was coined by the linguist Noam Chomsky in his 1957 book, Syntactic Structures, to demonstrate that a sentence can be grammatically correct, but semantically nonsensical. I started writing it in May 2023, then forgot about. I came back to it in and finally finished writing and recording it in January / February 2024.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.