Today's etymological thread was inspired by the utterly bonkers song "बंजारा / Wanderer" in the Bollywood film Ek Tha Tiger. India looks at Dublin. Our hero, in love with the mysterious woman who is actually on the other side, falls into a reverie:

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So, my eye was caught by the second line, दिल मेरा बंजारा, Dil mera banjaara, my heart is a wanderer ( Read more... )

Yes-no questions in in Chinese
对 or 不?
(tags: China chinese linguistics )

Hans Rosling: A truth-teller in an age of 'alternative facts'
Great obituary.
(tags: death statistics )

US misfires in online fight against Islamic State
How not to do psyops.
(tags: waronterror )

The Landlord Octopus, Still Stalking London
Who owns London?
(tags: london )

The psychology of why Americans are more scared of terrorism than guns, though guns are 3,210 times likelier to kill them - Quartz
Availability bias.
(tags: psychology waronterror ( Read more... )

Second paragraph of third chapter, with bonus Akkadian fable:The names of civilisations that arose in the ancient Near East now ring with the note of remote antiquity. Three dozen and more are known that flourished in the three millennia from the start of records c.3300 BC until the invasion of Alexander in 330 BC, among them such powers as Babylon ( Read more... )

Second paragraph of third chapter: This chapter concentrates on the death date, the date after which Proto-Indo-European must have ceased to exist. But it helps to begin by considering how long a period probably preceded that. Given that the time between the birth and death dates of Proto-Indo-European could not have been infinite, precisely how ( Read more... )

Is There Any Precedent For A Trump Comeback?
Er, not really.
(tags: )

How brothers became buddies and bros
Changing words.
(tags: linguistics english )

English man spends 11 hours trying to make cup of tea with Wi-Fi kettle
The future is here! But it doesn't work yet.
(tags: technology )

How legitimate marriages have become Home Office honey traps
Disgusting. Again.
(tags: migration ukpolitics )

11 Fun Facts About the International Phonetic Alphabet
Nifty though incomplete.
(tags: linguistics alphabets )

The International Phonetic Alphabet
More about this great construct.
(tags: linguistics alphabets )

Mapping the Hidden Worlds ( Read more... )

Brexit: Loss of passporting rights could halve UK exports
"could" ≠ "will". But sobering enough. #fb
(tags: eu ukpolitics )

Brexit Just Made Dublin Look Even More Attractive for Tech
Yup.
(tags: ukpolitics eu ireland )

The European Union has agreed on two important questions regarding Brexit
A good summary.
(tags: ukpolitics eu )

The World's Most ( Read more... )

• Non-standard English on the Islands of the South Atlantic
  Falklands, St Helena, Tristan da Cunha
  (tags: linguistics english )
• Sir Ian McKellen's Monologue: Shakespeare's Sir Thomas More speech
  Chilling.
  (tags: sexandgenderandsexuality migration ukpolitics shakespeare )
• Syrian Refugees Don’t Pose a Serious Security Threat
  From the right-wing Cato ( Read more... )

• Why are terrorists drawn to Belgium?
  Sober assessment from @KristofClerix.
  (tags: waronterror belgium )
• Second Volume of Free Stories Eligible for 1941 Retro Hugos
  Hurray!
  (tags: sf )
• Are Referenda Blocking the EU’s Progress?
  Good question.
  (tags: eu nothinglikedemocracy )
• Falling for our own propaganda (PDF)
  Sir Nick Harvey looks back on the party's ( Read more... )