I know that Welsh speakers get used to all sorts of dreadful language errors being seen in public places, caused by nobody bothering to check with a native (or, sometimes, even a semi-competent) speaker.

If you haven't already seen this one, reported by the BBC and currently trending on Facebook, you may well find it amusing...

Hey linguaphiles, I just wanted to share this article and see who else was aware of this, what you all thought, etc.! Personally, I know my own excitement about this theory is a bit of confirmation bias; from a relatively unprofessional standpoint I would have likewise said that language, all language, started in Africa just like our species did. ( Read more... )

(Cross-posted from comments on an ASL post)

I read New Scientist today. Their Letters section included the following:

Raised HandsFrom Gwydion Williams ( Read more... )

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/28/inuit-inughuit-eskimo-polar-arctic

I'm seeking translations of "it gets better" in any language, place.

For those who don't know: There's a campaign on YouTube called "It Gets Better" started by Seattle's Dan Savage. It's aimed at gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered teenagers who are being bullied for their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Wikipedia link here. And ( Read more... )

So first off this is a serious subject with a very amusing protest. As well i'm curious to know more of what is generally being said by everyone spectators and performers alike.

This is a protest against female students being sexually harrassed by their professors. It involves short skirts and some slightly risque actions. Nothing is exposed other ( Read more... )

A translation company is looking to recruit Glaswegian interpreters to help business clients who are baffled by the local dialect ( Read more... )

Just read an interesting article in the International Herald Tribune: "Belgium teeters on a linguistic edge." It's a little long to post the full text, but it makes for an interesting read.

Liedekerke has only 12,000 inhabitants, but its elected council has caused a stir by insisting on the "Flemish nature" of the town. Not only must all city ( Read more... )

This small article appeared in the New York Times. I over heard someone talking about it, so I borrowed the paper from them.

Q. Can there be a nutritional or physical reason for the sudden onset of a whistling “S” in an adult’s speech?

A. The answer is almost certainly physical rather than nutritional, unless the sufferer happened to eat a ( Read more... )