[Multingual Monday] Textbook Roundup II

[aadroma]

People who know me, know that I am a bit of a language textbook junkie. Not just to study a language, but some of the sample sentences and lines of dialogue can be amusing or just bizarre. I've talked about this before on this column, but below are examples of some of the more unique sample sentences throughout textbooks of mine. Do enjoy, and

Comments

[philbutrin]

do you use the WWWJDIC online japanese dictionary?

the sample sentences there were originally written by students as some sort of assignment, and at times you can tell they weren't really trying very hard, and the results are often stilted and occasionally amusing :-)

[philbutrin]

btw, what language is the original version of "Oh please! What amazes me is why we women have to do everything."?

my browser isn't rendering the alphabet.

[aadroma]

It's Amharic, using the Ethiopic script. Fonts like Code2000 allow you to see it. ^o^

[sig_info]

They Thought You'd Say This: Unlikely phrases from real phrasebooks

[aadroma]

That's actually the inspiration for this article! :: laugh ::

[donncha22]

Got any 18th / 19th century phrasebooks? That's where the real gems lie.

[aadroma]

Don't I wish! I have an early 20th century Polish phrasebook and yeah ... not only are the sentences amusing, but apparently whoever put the book together thought any of the diacritical marks were completely unnecessary ... -_-

There's a Japanese book of English from the Meiji era that I'd love to get my hands on. Just from the few scans I've seen I'm in love...

[muckefuck]

Not a phrasebook exactly, but still a gem of the genre: http://community.livejournal.com/linguaphiles/4492256.html.

"Wir wollen immer gute Oesterreicher sein und für Kaiser und Vaterland leben und sterben."

[donncha22]

Edmund Hogan's _Irish Phrase Book_ (1897 ), partially available on line as a Google Book, contains great stuff such as:

Rugadar na sgológa orra, agus do ghabhadar ar fhear dhíob agus do ghabhadar do chlochaibh ar fhear eile.

= The husbandmen took them, and beat one and stoned another.