language Archives - Page 22 of 23

The Rumpus Interview with Constance Hale

Constance Hale, who has been called “Marion the Librarian on a Harley, or E. B. White on acid," talks verbs, literacy in the Digital Age, and why "it’s wrongheaded to think that the path to glory is only through standard English."

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#NoHomophobes

“Homophobic language isn’t always meant to be hurtful, but how often do we use it without thinking? So asks NoHomophobes.com, a website “designed as a social mirror to show the…

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Endangered Languages

“Different languages highlight the varieties of human experience, revealing as mutable aspects of life that we tend to think of as settled and universal, such as our experience of time,…

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Other

What About the Sky?

According to scholars, Homer never mentioned the color blue in any of his works; neither did the Bible, nor an abundance of ancient texts. Also, linguists have found a near-universal…

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Language Map

If you’re looking for an interactive map to play with today, here’s a cool one. It breaks down where various languages are spoken around the country by the percentage of…

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Stamping Secrets

“For all those who are in the situation of Hero and Leander, and similarly to them can only exchange secret signs about the feelings of their hearts, here we publish…

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Nasty Ancient Graffiti

“Good luck on your resurrection.” I09 has compiled ten pieces of ancient graffiti translated into modern terms. (Via Bookslut)

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Beauty in Words

Are these the 100 most beautiful words in the English language?

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Packaging and Nationhood

Here’s a reflection on nationhood through the lens of bilingualism, product packaging, and mixed vegetables. “The French and the English cannot be made to say exactly the same thing, not…

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Film
Other

Inventing Languages

This article discusses the Klingon language—its creation and lasting influence (“people get married in Klingon ceremonies; one man tried (unsuccessfully) to make it his son’s native tongue”). The piece ends with…

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Sex

On Dirty Talk

“To be clear: this isn’t about sexual repression; it’s about the sorry state of sexual expression. When did we forget how to talk dirty? Sexting transcripts are criminally boring. Craigslist…

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Features & Reviews

Automation and Translation

Does the rise of new technology, specifically auto-translate, signal the death of human translation and multilingualism? David Bellos, author of Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the…

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