Tag: omniglot

Omniglot News (26/07/26)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Shi (Mashi), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Ikwo, an Igboid language spoken in Ebonyi and Cross River states in southern Nigeria.
  • Ngaing, a Finisterre language spoken in the south of Madang Province of Papua New Guinea.

New numbers page:

  • Ngaing, a Finisterre language spoken in the south of Madang Province of Papua New Guinea.

New Tower of Babel translations pages:

  • Shi (Mashi), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Nga La (Matu), a Southern Kuki-Chin language spoken in western Myanmar.
  • Gofa (Goofatho / የጎፋ-ቋንቋ), a North Omotic language spoken in southwest of Ethiopia.
  • Safen (Saafi-Saafi), a Senegambian language spoken in western Senegal.
  • Koyraboro Senni, a Songhay language spoken in southern Mali.
  • Thaiphum, a Southern Kuki-Chin language spoken in Chin State in western Myanmar.

New adapted script: Sitelen kana (写太 / してれん かな / シテレン カナ), a way to write Toki Pona with Japanese scripts.

Sample text in Sitelen Kana

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Awkwardly Odd, we discover the odd roots of the word awkward.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we fribble about some fribblish words in a post entitled Fribblish Fribblers, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

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

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Malaweg, a Northern Luzon language spoken in Luzon in the Philippines.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Awkwardly Clumsy, about words for clumsy, awkward and related things in Celtic languages.

Incidentally, this is episode 250 of the Omniglot news.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

JapanesePod101.com

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

Adventures in Etymology – Awkwardly Odd

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we discover the odd origins of the word awkward.

Awkward!

Meanings of awkward [ˈɔːk.wəd / ˈɔk.wɚd] include: lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments; not easily managed or effected; embarrassing; lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction; difficult to handle.

It comes from awk, an obsolete word meaning odd, out of order, perverse, wrong or clumsy, and -ward, a suffix denoting course or direction to, motion or tendency toward, and so on [source].

Awk comes from Middle English auk(e) (backhanded, perverse, wrong, strange, marvelous), from Old Norse ǫfugr (turned the wrong way, unkind, harsh), from Proto-Germanic *abuhaz (inverted, wicked, bad), from PIE *h₂époh₃kʷos, from *h₂epó (off, away) and *h₃ekʷ- (to see, eye) [source].

Words from the same roots include öfugur (reversed, backwards, wrong) in Icelandic, avig (backwards, inside out) in Swedish, opak (opposite) in Czech, and опак (opak – wicked, nefarious, dastardly) in Macedonian [source].

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 (19/07/26)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Yali (Yalimo), a Trans-New-Guinea language spoken in Papua province of Indonesia.
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo (Minenub’ù), a Greater Central Philippine language spoken in the Northern Mindanao region of the Philippines. (the 2,400th language on Omniglot, by the way)
  • Komba, a Finisterre-Huon language spoken in Morobe Province in eastern Papua New Guinea.
  • Koreguaje (Koʼrevajʉ), a Tucanoan language spoken in the Caquetá Department in southern Colombia.

New numbers pages:

  • Izhem, a variety of Komi-Zyrian, a Permic language spoken in northwestern Russia.
  • Koreguaje (Koʼrevajʉ), a Tucanoan language spoken in the Caquetá Department in southern Colombia.

New Tower of Babel translations pages:

  • Nyangumarta, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in Western Australia.
  • Gamo, a North Omotic language spoken in southwest Ethiopia.
  • Akuapem (Twi), a Kwa language spoken mainly southern Ghana, and also in Ivory Coast.
  • Khanty (Ханты), an Ugric language spoken in parts of the Tomsk Oblast in Russia

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled A Fountain of Fonts, we uncover the roots of the word font.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we find out what horses and gates have to do with breaking and entering in a post entitled Horse Gate, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

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

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Koryak, (чавʼчывэн), Chukotko-Kamchatkan language spoken in the Koryak Autonomous Region in the far east of the Russian Federation.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Bushy Hedges, about words for hedge, bush and related things in Celtic languages.

In other news, I’m planning to make an ad-free version of Omniglot for people who support the site via Patreon, PayPal or Buy Me A Coffee, and those who contribute significantly in terms of content and/or corrections. This will take quite a while, as the site contains over 8,500 pages. I plan to start with the pages about writing systems.

Which sections of the site would you most like to see in the ad-free version?

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

JapanesePod101.com

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

Adventures in Etymology – A Fountain of Fonts

By Simon

In this Adventure in Etymology we uncover the roots of the word font.

font

A font [fɒnt / fɑnt] is a receptacle in a church for holy water, especially one used in baptism, or a receptacle for lamp oil in a lamp.

It comes from Old English fant/font (font, fountain, spring), from Latin fōns (spring, well, fountain), from Proto-Italic *fontis (spring, well), possibly from PIE dʰenh₂- (to flow, set in motion) [source].

Words from the same roots include fonte (source, spring) in Italian, fuente (spring, fountain, source, dish, bowl, font) in Spanish, fontaine (fountain, cistern, tank) in French, ffynnon (spring, fountain, well) in Welsh, and fountain English [source].

Typefaces Galore

A font is also a set of glyphs of unified design, belonging to one typeface, style, and weight. Usually representing the letters of an alphabet and its supplementary characters. Or in other words, a typeface.

It comes from Middle French fonte (the act/process of founding, melting), which comes from Old French fondre (to melt), from Latin fundō (to pour out, melt, cast, found), Proto-Italic *hundō (to pour out), from PIE *ǵʰewd- (to pour) [source].

Words from the same roots include fondre (to melt, smelt) in French, hundir (to sink, engulf, ruin) in Spanish, gieten (to pour, mould, cast) in Dutch, ffynnu (to prosper) in Welsh, and found, fund, fuse English [source].

Rick Springs - Water from the Rocks

A font can also be a source of wellspring. This possibly comes from fount (a spring), which is a clipping of fountain [source].

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 (12/07/26)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Thao (Thau a lalawa), a Formosan language spoken near Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan.
  • Cara, a Plateau language spoken in Plateau State in central Nigeria.
  • Eleme, a Cross River language spoken in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria.
  • Waimoa (Waima’a), a Timoric language spoken in the north of East Timor.

New numbers pages:

  • Eleme, a Cross River language spoken in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria.
  • Waimoa (Waima’a), a Timoric language spoken in the north of East Timor.
  • Fur (Poor), a Nilo-Saharan language spoken mainly in southwestern Sudan, and also in Chad.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Scribbling Scribes, we scratch at the roots of the word scribe.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we find out whether the words grip, gripe and grab are related in a post entitled Grabbing Gripes, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Siberia in the far east of Russia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Cha’palaa, a Barbacoan language spoken in northern Ecuador.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Binding Fastenings, about words for binding, fastening 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/profile.php?id=100046466483286

JapanesePod101.com

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

Adventures in Etymology – Scribbling Scribes

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we scratch at the roots of the word scribe.

Scribe
Thoth, Egyptian god of the Moon, wisdom, knowledge, writing, science, magic, art and judgement, scribe of the gods, inventor of (Egyptian hieroglyphic) writing, reading and music

A scribe [skɹaɪ̯b] is someone who writes, a draughtsperson, a writer for another, a secretary, notary or copyist, and to scribe means to write, engrave, inscribe, record, and so on.

It comes from Middle English scribe (a public official who deals with writing or accounts, a clerk), from Old French scribe (scribe), from Late Latin scrība (writer, scribe, secretary, clerk), from Latin scrībō (to write), from Proto-Italic *skreiβō (to carve), from PIE *(s)kréybʰeti, from *(s)kreybʰ- (to scratch, tear) [source].

Words from the same roots may include schrijven (to write) and rijven (to rake, rasp, grate) in Dutch, scrie (to write) in Romanian, skriva (to write, type, copy) in Swedish, scríobh (to write, fill in, compose) in Irish, and écriture (writing, scripture) in French [source].

The English words scribble, script, scripture, describe, inscribe, prescribe, proscribe, transcribe, shrive (to hear or receive a confession [of sins, etc]), shrine also come from the same roots [source]. As does the word scrivener, which refers to a professional writer, particularly one whose occupation is to draw contracts or prepare writings, and used to mean a broker [source].

Incidentally, if you’re prone to excessive writing, you could be described as scribacious [source], and if you are a bad at transcribing, you could be called a transcribbler [source]

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 (05/07/26)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Anaang (Anaañ), a Cross River language spoken in Akwa Ibom State in the southeast of Nigeria.
  • Kilivila (Kiriwana), a Western Oceanic language spoken in the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea.
  • Sudest (Vanatɨna), a Western Oceanic language spoken on Sudest Island in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Bwanabwana, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

New numbers pages:

  • Kilivila (Kiriwina), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Ambae Island in Vanuatu.
  • Sudest (Vanatɨna), a Western Oceanic language spoken on Sudest Island in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

New Tower of Babel translations:

  • Kilivila, a Western Oceanic language spoken in the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea.
  • Mato, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea.
  • Sembeleke, which is spoken in Papua New Guinea.
  • Sudest, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Bwanabwana, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

New constructed script: Amai, was created by Alex Krylov to write his constructed language called Bearnese.

Sample text in the Amai script (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Bearnese in the Amai script)

New constructed script: Celestial alphabet, which was created by myAphelion to write his constructed language Kelixal [ʧɛɭiˈʃæɭ], a fan language for One Piece.

Sample text in the Celestial alphabet script (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Kelixal)

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Odd Umpires, we discover the odd roots of the word umpire.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we investigate words for tsunami in Chinese and Japanese in a post entitled Roaring Ocean, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

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

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Wiyot (Soulatluk), an Algic language that was spoken in northern California in the USA, and which is being revived.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Boards & Planks, about words for board, plank and related things in Celtic languages.

New song: Delays Expected, a song I wrote recently about train delays.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

JapanesePod101.com

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

Adventures in Etymology – Odd Umpires

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we discover the odd roots of the word umpire.

Wimbledon Tennis Championships 2014

An umpire [ˈʌm.paɪə(ɹ) / ˈʌm.paɪɹ] is an official who presides over a sports match, or a person who arbitrates between contending parties. To umpire means to act as an umpire in a game, or to decide as an umpire.

It comes from Middle English noumper (arbitrator, umpire), which was rebracketed as an oumper, and come from Old French nonper (odd number, not even [as a tie-breaking arbitrator]), from non (not) and per (equal) [source].

The Old French per (equal), comes from Latin par (even, equal, like, suitable), from Proto-Italic *par- (even, equal, matching), possibly from PIE *perh₂- (to sell).

Words from the same roots may include pair, peer, compare in English, paar (pair, couple) in Dutch, пара (para – pair, couple) in Russian, par (even, pair, couple) in Spanish, and cymar (peer, fellow, spouse, partner, companion) in Welsh [source].

Another word for an official who makes sure the rules are followed during a game is referee, which comes from Old French referer (to tell, talk about), from Latin referō (to bear, bring, return), from re- (back, again) and ferō (to bear, carry, support) [source].

Related words include refer and relate in English, référer (to refer) in French, riferire (to report, tell, relate, attribute) in Italian, and possibly rrëfej (to tell) in Albanian [source].

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 (28/06/26)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Kara, a Western Oceanic language spoken in New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea.
  • Kenyah, a North Bornean language spoken in Indonesia and Malaysia on the island of Bornea.
  • East Ambae, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Ambae Island in Vanuatu.

New numbers pages:

  • East Ambae, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Ambae Island in Vanuatu.
  • Komi-Permyak (зыран коми кыв), a Permic language spoken in Perm Krai and the Kirov Oblast in the west of the Russian Federation.
  • Komi-Zyrian (зыран коми кыв), a Permic language spoken mainly in the Komi Republic in the northwest of the Russian Federation.

New Tower of Babel translations:

  • Gela (Nggela), a Southeast Solomonic language spoken in the Nggela Islands in the Solomon Islands.
  • Nukuoro, a Polynesian language spoken in Micronesia
  • Lungga, an Oceanic language spoken in the Solomon Islands.
  • East Ambae, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in Vanuatu.
  • Gizzra, a Papuan language spoken in Papua New Guinea.
  • Gumawana, a Western Oceanic language spoken in the Amphlett Islands in Papua New Guinea.
  • Kaluli, a Bosavi language spoken in Papua New Guinea.

New constructed script: Yapiri, which was created by Animesh Debbarma for Kokborok, a Brahmaputran language spoken in northeastern India.

Sample text in the Yapiri script (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Kokborok)

New constructed script: Pimato Sandad, which was created by Ander Jiloh as an alternative script for Kadazandusun, a North Bornean language spoken in Malaysia.

Sample text in the Pimato Sandad script (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Kadazandusun)

New adapted script: Hispakana, a way to write Spanish with the Japanese Hiragana and Katakana syllabaries created by Michael Barboto.

とどす ろ゚す せれす ふまのす なせ゚ん り゚ぶれす え いぐぁれ゚す えん でぃぐにだどぅ い でれちょす い、どたどす こも えすたん' で らそ゚ん' い こんすぃ゚えんすぃ゚あ、でべん こむぽるたるせ ふらてるなる゚めんて ろ゚す うのす こん ろ゚す おとぅろす。

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Balletic Symbols, we find out what links the words symbol, ballet and problem.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we investigate words for hot and cold and related things in various languages in a post entitled Hot & Cold, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language was spoken in northern California in the USA, and is being revived.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Papel (Uium nsau), a Bak language spoken in Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Overflowing, about words for discharge, overflow 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/profile.php?id=100046466483286

JapanesePod101.com

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

Adventures in Etymology – Balletic Symbols

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we find out what links the words symbol, ballet and problem.

Punctuation

A symbol [ˈsɪmbəl] is a character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object; a thing considered the embodiment or cardinal exemplar of a concept, theme, etc – other meanings are available.

It comes from French symbole (symbol), from Latin symbolus (sign, mark, token, symbol), from Ancient Greek σύμβολον (súmbolon -a sign, mark, token, badge), from συμβάλλω (sumbállō – to throw together, compare), from σύν (sún – with, together) and βάλλω (bállō – to throw, put) [source].

The origins of σύν (sún) are uncertain [source], but βάλλω (bállō) comes ultimately from PIE *gʷelH- (to throw, reach, pierce) [source].

Other words derived from the Latin symbolus include symbool (symbol, sign, character, glyph) in Dutch, simbolo (symbol, sigh, emblem, icon) in Italian, símbolo (symbol, creed) in Spanish, and Symbol (symbol, icon) in German [source].

Words from the Ancient Greek root βάλλω (bállō), via Latin ballō (to dance), include bailar (to dance) in Portuguese, ballare (to dance, fidget, wobble) in Italian, baller (to dance with one’s arms swinging, to swing, sway, dangle) in French, and ballet, ballad and ballista in English [source].

Other words from the PIE foot *gʷelH- (to throw, etc) possibly include quälen (to torture, torment, agonize) in German, жило (sting, stinger) in Bulgarian, and emblem, problem, qualm, to quell and obelisk in English [source].

The English word devil also comes from the same roots, via Middle English devel (Satan, Lucifer, devil), Old English dēofol (Satan, devil, demon), Proto-West Germanic *diubul (devil), Latin diabolus, and Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos – false accuser, slanderer), which comes from διά (diá – through, across) and βάλλω (bállō – throw) [source].

Incidentally, the word Satan comes ultimately from Hebrew שָׂטָן (satán – adversary, accuser) [source], while Lucifer comes from Latin Lūcifer (morning star, the planet Venus, Lucifier), from lūx (light) and -ferō (to bear, carry) [source].

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.