Category: Language

Omniglot News (22/06/25)

By Simon

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Omniglot News

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

New writing system: Leke (Chicken Scratch) Script, a script created in the 19th century to write Karen languages in Myanmar and Thailand.

Sampke text in the Leke script

New adapted script: Kannada for Tamil (ಕನ಼್ ನ಼ಡ ಎೞುತ್ತುಮುಱೈ), a way to write Tamil with the Kannada script devised by Aahan Kotian.

ಮನ಼ಿದಪ್ ಪಿಱವಿಯಿನ಼ರ್ ಸಗಲರುಂ ಸುದನ್ದಿರಮಾಗವೇ ಪಿಱಕ್ಕಿಂದ್ರನ಼ರ್; ಅವರ‍್ಗಳ್ ಮದಿಪ್ಪಿಲುಂ, ಉರಿಮೈಗಳಿಲುಂ ಸಮಮಾನ಼ವರ‍್ಗಳ್ ಅವರ‍್ಗಳ್ ನಿಯಾಯತ್ತೈಯುಂ ಮನ಼ಚ್ಚಾಟ್ಚಿಯೈಯುಂ ಇಯಱ್ಪಣ್ಬಾಗಪ್ ಪೆತ್ರವರ‍್ಗಳ್ ಅವರ‍್ಗಳ್ ಒರುವರುಡನ಼ೊರುವರ್ ಸಗೋದರ ಉಣರ‍್ವುಪ್ ಪಾಂಗಿಲ್ ನಡಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳಲ್ ವೆಂಡುಂ.

New language pages:

  • Bahnar, a Central Bahnaric language spoken in central Vietnam.
  • Mnong (Bu Nong / ឞូន៝ង) a South Bahnaric language spoken in southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia.
  • Kanyok (Ciin kanyòk), a Bantu language spoken in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

New numbers pages:

  • Kanyok (Ciin kanyòk), a Bantu language spoken in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Kapampangan (Amánung Kapangpángan), a Central Luzon language spoken mainly on the Philippine island of Luzon.
  • Ibibio, a Benue-Congo language spoken in southern Nigeria.

New Tower of Babel translation: Kalabari (Kalaḅarị), an Ijoid language spoken in southern Nigeria.

On the Omniglot blog we step into the bizarre world of Dwile Flonking, and 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 British Columbia in Canada.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was: Nganasan (ня”), a Samoyedic language spoken on the Taymyr Peninsula in the Siberian Federal District in the north of Russia.

In this week’s episode of Celtic Pathways, Cumbersome Confluences, we disencumber the cumbersome and confluent Celtic roots of words like encumber.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Gnawing Bites about words for chew, bite, gnaw and related things.

Improved page: Kapampangan language page.

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

JapanesePod101.com

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.




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Celtic Pathways – Cumbersome Confluences

By Simon

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In this episode we disencumber the cumbersome and confluent Celtic roots of words like encumber.

The meeting of the waters

The Proto-Celtic word *kombereti means to bring together and comes from Proto-Celtic *kom- (with, together) and *bereti (to bear), from PIE *bʰéreti (to be carrying) [source].

Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • cumar = ravine, channel, rut in Irish
  • comar [komər] = confluence, concourse in Scottish Gaelic
  • cymer [ˈkəmɛr] = confluence, meeting of waters, meeting place or clash of armies in Welsh
  • kemper = confluence, junction of streams in Cornish
  • kember [ˈkɛm.bɛr] = confluence in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish *comberos (river dam) and Latin combrus (river dam), possibly include encombrer (to block off, clutter, congest, encumber, burden) in French, ingombrare (to encumber, clutter, choke) in Italian, and cumbersome, encumber and incumbrance in English [source].

You can be encumbered and unencumbered in English, but can you be simply cumbered? Yes, you can. Cumber is an old word that means to slow down, hinder or burden. It comes from Middle English combren (to trouble, vex, annoy), from Old French combre (dam, dike), from Latin combrus etc. [source].

Other words related to cumber include cumberer (one that cumbers), cumberless (unencumbered), and cumberground (a totally worthless object or person, something that is just in the way).

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.




Omniglot News (15/06/25)

By Simon

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Omniglot News

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

New writing system: Thirke Script, which was used in the 14th century in Kodagu in Karnataka, India.

Sample text in Thirke Script

New language pages:

  • Idaxo-Isuxa-Tiriki (Luidakho, Luisukha, Lutirichi), a Northwest Bantu language spoken mainly in Kakamega County in western Kenya.
  • Baduy (Basa Baduy / Basa Sunda Kanékés’), a Sundanese-Baduy language spoken Banten Province in western Java in Indonesia.
  • Kalabari (Kalaḅarị), an Ijoid language spoken in Rivers State and Bayelsa State in southern Nigeria – language number 2,200!

New numbers pages:

  • Wantoat (Taap), a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Valencian (valencià), a Western Catalan language spoken mainly in Valencia in eastern Spain.
  • Mojave (Hamakhav), a Yuman language spoken in parts of Arizona, California and Nevada in the USA.
  • Mohican (Mahiikan), an Eastern Algonquian language formerly spoken in eastern New York State and Vermont, which is currently being revived.

New Tower of Babel translation: Kalabari

On the Omniglot blog we find connections between the Italian word palco (stage) and English words such as balcony, plank and block in a post entitled Stages & Balconies, and 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 Siberia in the far north of the Russian Federation.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was: Rongmei (Ruanglat / ꯔꯣꯡꯃꯩ), a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in the northeast of India.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Jots & Tittles, we jot down a jot or two about jots (and tittles).

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Credible Belief about words for belief, faith, credit and related things.

Improved pages: Murui Huitoto language page.

In other news, I started learning Swahili on Duolingo this week after finishing the other language courses I’ve been working on, apart from Italian. I haven’t studied a Bantu language before, or indeed a language from Africa, and am curious to see what it’s like and how it’s structured. So far I can’t say much, apart from “Habari, jina langu ni Simon. Mimi ni Muingereza.” (Hello, my name is Simon. I’m British).

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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Jots & Tittles

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we jot down a jot or two about jots (and tittles).

gocco moleskine - jotter

A jot [ʤɒt / ʤɑt] is:

  • The smallest letter or stroke of any writing; an iota.
  • A small, or the smallest, amount of a thing; a bit, a whit. E.g. He didn’t care a jot for his work.
  • A brief and hurriedly written note.
  • An instant, a moment. (obsolete)

And to jot (down) means:

  • to write (something) quickly; to make a brief note of (something). E.g. I will jot it down in my jotter.

It comes from Middle English jote (jot, tittle, whit), from Latin iōta (iota – a Greek letter), from Ancient Greek ἰῶτα (iôta – the 9th letter of the Ancient Greek alphabet (Ιι), a very small part of writing, a jot), from Phoenician 𐤉 (yodh / y‬ – the 10th letter of the Phoenician abjad), ultimately from the Ancient Egytian hieroglyph 𓂝 (arm) [source].

Related words include jotter (a memordandum book, exercise book, someone who jots), jotting (a brief note or sketch), and jotty (written as, or like, a brief informal sketch) [source].

The expression (every) jot and tittle means a small detail, or the smallest details [source].

A tittle is any small dot, stroke, or diacritical mark, especially if part of a letter, or if a letter-like abbreviation; in particular, the dots over the Latin letters i and j. A small, insignificant amount (of something); a modicum or speck. [source].

Related words include tittle-tattle(r) (an idle gossip, a trifling talker, to engage in/spread gossip), tittle-tattling (idle gossip) title, and tilde (e.g. ~, as used on ã, ñ, õ, etc.).

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

The theme tune for this podcast is The Unexpected Badger / Y Mochyn Daear Annisgwyl, a piece I wrote and recorded in 2017.

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.

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I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Omniglot News (08/06/25)

By Simon

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Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Bushong (Bushɔ́ɔ́ng), a Bantu language spoken in Kasai Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Guro, a Mande language spoken in the regions of Haut-Sassandra and Marahoué in central Ivory Coast.
  • Bissa (Bɩsa), a Mande language spoken in mainly in Burkina Faso and Ghana, and also in Togo and Ivory Coast.
  • Fuliiru (Kifuliiru), a Great Lakes Bantu language spoken in South Kivu Province in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

New numbers pages:

  • Rajasthani (राजस्थानी), a Western Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in Rajasthan in northern India, and also in Pakistan.
  • Yabem (Jabêm), a Western Oceanic language spoken in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Bissa (Bɩsa), a Mande language spoken in mainly in Burkina Faso and Ghana, and also in Togo and Ivory Coast.

New Tower of Babel translation: Guro, a Mande language spoken in central Ivory Coast.

On the Omniglot blog we find connections between names such as Cathal, Ronald, Valerie and Walter in a post entitled Strong Names, and 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 the northeast of India.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was: Wik-Mungkan, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken on the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland in the northeast of Australia.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Celtic Carpenters, we drill down to the Celtic roots of words for carpenter and related things in English and other languages.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a Particularly Special new post about words for special, particular, different and related things.

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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

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Celtic Pathways – Celtic Carpenters

By Simon

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In this episode we drill down to the Celtic roots of words for carpenter in English and other languages.

Moffett Mill

The Proto-Celtic word *karbantos means (war) chariot or wagon and is possibly related to the Proto-Celtic word *korbos (wagon, basket). Beyond that, its origins are not known [source].

Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • carbad [ˈkaɾˠəbˠəd̪ˠ] = chariot in Irish
  • carbad [karabad] = chariot, coach, carriage, wagon, vehicle, bier, jaw(bone) in Scottish Gaulish
  • carbyd = bus, coach, vehicle, bier, hearse in Manx
  • cerbyd [ˈkɛrbɨ̞d / ˈkɛrbɪd] = car, carriage, chariot, wagon, coach; clumsy fellow, bungler in Welsh
  • karbed = vehicle in Breton

More details about words for Wagons & Carts in Celtic languages on Celtiadur.

The Gaulish word carbantos (chariot, wagon) comes from the same Proto-Celtic root, and was borrowed into Latin as carpentum (carriage, wagon, cart), from which we get the Latin word carpentārius (coachman, cartwright, carpenter) [source].

Words from the same Latin and Gaulish roots include charpente (framework, build, structure) and charpentier (carpenter) in French, carpentiere (carpenter) in Italian, carpintero (carpenter, woodpecker) in Spanish, and carpenter in English [source].

Incidentally, in Old English one word for carpenter, and woodworker, was trēowwyrhta, or literally “tree worker”. This later became treewright, an old word for a carpenter, joiner or other worker of wood [source].

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.




Omniglot News (01/06/25)

By Simon

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Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Bambalang (Chrambo), a Grassfields Southern Bantoid language spoken in Cameroon.
  • Bila (kiBila), a Bantu language spoken in Ituri Province in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Budu (Ɨbʉdhʉ), a Bantu language spoken in Orientale Province in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

New numbers pages:

  • Zotung (Zo), a Kuki-Chin language spoken mainly in Chin State in western Myanmar.
  • Yine, a Southern Arawakan language spoken mainly in eastern and southern Peru.

New constructed script: Ilo Reverse Abugida, an alternative writing system for Hawaiian invented by TheDankBoi69 and based on the Maldivian Thaana script.

Sample text in Hawaiian in the Ilo Reverse Abugida

New adapted script: Sawi Toki Pona, a way to write Toki Pona with the Shavian script devised by Aahan Kotian.

New article: Decoding Meanings in Spanish Color Expressions

On the Omniglot blog we find out when a tomato is not a tomato in a post entitled Foreign Eggplants, and 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 northern Queenland in Australia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was: Musey (Museyna), a Chadic language spoken in southern Chad.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Luxurious Locks, we unlock connections between the words luxury and lock.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Captive Hostages about words for hostage, captive, pledge and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the Soft and Tender post.

In other news, I went to see Babymetal at the O2 Arena in London this week. It was a fantastic show that I thoroughly enjoyed. Their songs are almost all in Japanese and I’ve heard most of them many times, so I can sort of sing along, and while I can understand Japanese to some extent, and have everyday conversations, understanding songs is on a different level. I might understand some words and phrases, but the overall meaning usually escapes me.

At the concert, and on my way to and from it, I heard people speaking a variety of languages. The ones I recognised included Spanish, German, Dutch, Czech, Russian, Arabic and Welsh.

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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Luxurious Locks

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we unlock connections between the words luxury and lock.

Sofitel So Bangkok - Wood Element Room - 01

As a adjective luxury [ˈlʌk.ʃə.ɹi / ˈlʌɡʒəɹi] can mean:

  • Very expensive.
  • Not essential but desirable and enjoyable and indulgent.

As a noun luxury can mean:

  • Very wealthy and comfortable surroundings.
  • Something desirable but expensive.
  • Something that is pleasant but not necessary in life.

It comes from Middle English luxurie [ˈluksjuri(ə)] (lustfulness; sexual desire or attraction; copulation), from Old French luxur(i)e (lust), from Latin lūxuria (luxury, extravangance, lust), from lūxus (a dislocation, extravagance, luxury, excess, debauchery, pomp, splendor), from Proto-Italic *luksos, from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (to bend, twist) [source].

Words from the same roots include lock, locket and reluctant in English, lok (lock of hair) in Dutch, Loch (hole, perforation, pit, gap, cavity, dungeon) in German, lujuria (lust, excess) and luchar (to fight, battle, struggle, strive) in Spanish, and gollwng (to releasse, drop, leak) in Welsh [source].

Incidentally, one word for luxury in Old English was firenlust / fyrnlust [ˈfi.renˌlust] which also means sinful lust, sinful pleasure, or extravagance, and comes from firen (crime, sin, torment, suffering) and lust (desire, pleasure, appetite, lust) [source].

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

The theme tune for this podcast is The Unexpected Badger / Y Mochyn Daear Annisgwyl, a piece I wrote and recorded in 2017.

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.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Omniglot News (25/05/25)

By Simon

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Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Kebu (Kǝkpǝǝkǝ), a Kwa language spoken in southern Togo and southeastern Ghana.
  • Bangubangu (Kibangubangu), a Bantu language spoken in the east and south the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Cherepon (Kyiripong), a Kwa language spoken in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

New numbers pages:

  • Kebu (Kǝkpǝǝkǝ), a Kwa language spoken in southern Togo and southeastern Ghana.
  • Butuanon, a Southern Bisayan language spoken Mindanao in the Philippines.

New constructed script: Sadalian (新德書), a phonetic script for Cantonese created by Wong “Sadale” Cho Ching.

Sample text in Sadalian

On the Omniglot blog we discover whether the words host and hostage are related in post entitled Hosting Hostages, and 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 southern Chad.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was: Wapishana (Wapixana), a Northern Arawakan language spoken in Guyana and Brazil.

This week’s episode of Celtic Pathways, entitled Cheesy Hills, uncovers the possible Celtic roots of words for hillsides and rough scrub land in Romance languages, and also of the French cheese brie.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Spring Fountains about words for spring, fountain, well and related things in Celtic languages.

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

JapanesePod101.com

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.

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Celtic Pathways – Cheesy Hills

By Simon

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In this episode, we uncover the possible Celtic roots of words for hillsides and rough scrub land in Romance languages.

Cwm Idwal

The Proto-Celtic words *brigā (hill, fortress) and *brixs (hill), both come from Proto-Indo-European *bʰérǵʰ-s (something high up, fortified) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • brí [bʲɾʲiː] = brae, hill in Irish
  • bre [bre] = hill, headland in Scottish Gaelic
  • bre [bre] = hill, hillock, mountain, hill-country, upland, peak in Welsh
  • bre [brɛ: / bre:] = hill in Cornish – appears as Bray or Brae in placenames
  • bre [breː] = hill, mountain in Breton

For more details of related words in the Celtic languages, see the Celtiadur post Hills.

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Gaulish *brigā (hill, fortress) and Latin *brigna (rocky terrain), possibly include bricco (hill, crag, ridgeside) in Italian, breña (scrub, brush, rough ground) in Spanish and Galician, and brenha (scrub, complication, confusion) in Portuguese [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include burrow and borough, (and place names ending in burg(h), boro(ugh), bury, etc.) in English, Burg (castle) in German, burcht (citadel, castle, borough, burrow) in Dutch, and bourg (market town, village) in French – also found in place names, such as Strasbourg and Luxembourg [source].

My take

Incidentally, the French cheese brie comes from and is named after the historic region of Brie in northern France, which gets its name from Gaulish *brigā (hill, fortress), from Proto-Celtic *brigā (hill, fortress) [source].

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.