Today we take a look at the number "one", which doesn't sound like much of an article, admittedly. :: laugh :: However, in different language the number "one" is distinct from other the other numerals. To clarify what I mean, we'll take a look at "one" in Hebrew. Like the other numerals, in Hebrew there are both masculine and feminine forms of ( Read more... )

Yes, I know this is late. Class, working late, yadda yadda. Regardless ( Read more... )

Today's topic is about "the definitive", often marked in languages with an article. In English this is "the", a word that originally masculine nominative of se, "that". Several may adjust themselves to phonetic needs -- Hungarian definite pronoun use mirrors the "a/an" use in English, where nouns with a consonant get a and those starting with a ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

English, when it comes to having more than one object, has few exceptions as to indicating this: use the plural form of the word and, if the word is the subject of the sentence, make any necessary adjustments to the verb to indicate number. "He is" becomes "they are"; "The dog pees" becomes "The dogs pee," and so forth. Saying "they is" or "The ( Read more... )

The Arabic script has always been viewed as something of an enigma. Some feel, for example, that having a letter which changes form depending upon where in a word that letter is increases potential difficulty for anyone wanting to learn, and that having shapes differentiated by a mere point or two further exacerbates matters with learners of the ( Read more... )

From muckefuck:
I think there's an interesting Multilingual Monday to be had just on the awkward simplifications language instructors make for English-speakers.

And indeed, here it is!

( ... here about Roger's experience in various languages... )

Why NOT do multilingual Christmas carols? Our first is in the Cherokee language, and is a children's choir rendition of "Jingle Bells", "ᏧᎭᎸᏂ", Tsuhalvni, literally "I am ringing".

Click to view

Next up is a half-Arabic, half- English rendition of Silent Night, known in Arabic as "صوت العيد", Ṣawt Al-3īd, "The Voice Of The Festivity".

Click to view

And finally, why not ( Read more... )

( ... read about pronouns attached to verbs in various languages. )

( ...discussion on writing systems and their different forms ... )