2026-05-18T20:27:07Z https://njump.me Language Tales https://njump.me/npub1tkt04wvnnaayrfg0e5fflven6qka9eqlvrsr56n6k6m2f7aue9tql5r67e https://files.mastodon.social/accounts/avatars/111/573/630/310/793/296/original/e74b80396944c927.jpg https://files.mastodon.social/accounts/avatars/111/573/630/310/793/296/original/e74b80396944c927.jpg https://njump.me/nevent1qqs98sjqprajq6j7l5cferxknmunf8ltx8qh8lgp2pmy5fsakhxy3hszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vm8zxx9 Nice touch in “The Mighty Nein”: Mark Strong gets to speak #German (S1E5). He’s really good at it. Another example: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J_bCZejdnE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J_bCZejdnE</a><br/><br/>Also—I suspect:<br/>• The fictional word Volstrucker → <a href="https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/Volstrucker">https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/Volstrucker</a><br/>• is inspired by the German word Vollstrecker (executor, executioner) → <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Vollstrecker">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Vollstrecker</a> 2026-02-16T00:32:24Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfwdjctp3shzfxr6w7lanjednpexchmjf9v80xfcq9cxps0nksweszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vx48349 #English phrase: “to hit the head” (to go to the bathroom)<br/><br/>Origin: “In sailing vessels, the head is the ship’s toilet. The name derives from sailing ships in which the toilet area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow of the vessel.”<br/><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_(watercraft)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_(watercraft)</a> 2026-02-07T20:20:50Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqstlhdesu0kymedppn74gp77hcye530cpg74qlc7gwxskfphlsxl8qzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vxksd3k Unicode: left Greek alphabet, right Latin alphabet<br/><br/>ΑA<br/>ΒB<br/>ΕE<br/>ΖZ<br/>ΗH<br/>ΚK<br/>ΜM<br/>ΝN<br/>ΟO<br/>ΡP<br/>ΤT<br/>ΥY<br/>ΧX<br/>οo 2026-01-31T14:21:18Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs9209y55sylkt65a0xnqvcr29vkqxd4far62wsxamvuk4dn3f98wgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vqxu20m Automatically generated subtitle: “He budgeted poultry fractions of what was actually required”<br/><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paltry">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paltry</a><br/><br/>#English 2026-01-30T20:04:38Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs263c46zr4nsrucnrfx7jh9763hv780jgjszm3x92ecyf0mm65wxczypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v9qm4wk “Shakespeare: original pronunciation (OP)”<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPlpphT7n9s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPlpphT7n9s</a><br/><br/>Interesting points:<br/>• Some puns don’t work with how we currently pronounce Shakespeare.<br/>• OP changes the performance of the actors. They speak faster and the language feels more grounded.<br/>• OP is easier to understand than you’d think. It sounds a bit like stereotypical “pirate speech”.<br/><br/>#English 2026-01-01T04:19:06Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsp3my8uduuf6wc0pxyshesqprfpdvhesx9heeggwdflzraqk5uycqzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vc0dht0 Reading online comments is interesting:<br/>1. If you want to know what could possibly go wrong: Ask Germans.<br/>2. If you want to know what’s possible: Ask Americans.<br/><br/>(#1 is often useful but it can also be paralyzing.) 2025-12-27T21:51:18Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsx95lxykxmmrpp3n6j0uhfu4jcuy843kvn4ts323lu925src69gggzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vqprywy Having a first language whose spelling is more phonetic than English’s (such as German or Spanish) actually helps you with English in some cases. For example, those are typos I’ll never make:<br/>• definately (German: de­fi­ni­tiv)<br/>• cognative (German: kognitiv)<br/><br/>#English #German 2025-12-26T19:55:21Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsqd29l890dmv6kxav4ksvlqsjfrcpsn24f95trersvsupgj0qmkeszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vs2rrca #English spelling: “extravert” or “extrovert”?<br/><a href="https://louderminds.com/extravert-or-extrovert/">https://louderminds.com/extravert-or-extrovert/</a> 2025-12-14T22:11:40Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsq5r7adak8x6l7mrcqkeh92n33vhtvk6rzj7clh0chfa2d3ynxf2szypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v5uyz73 Two #English idioms:<br/><br/>• to rock the boat: <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/rock-the-boat">https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/rock-the-boat</a><br/>• the hand that rocks the cradle: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hand_That_Rocks_the_Cradle_(poem)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hand_That_Rocks_the_Cradle_(poem)</a> 2025-12-03T02:52:04Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsvj3a9cfgrvepny738mn2fad8s4gv8y7n2gp89fkj6n0dmd4g9j7gzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vdesffk Neues Buchstabier-Alphabet für #Deutsch<br/><a href="https://www.din.de/de/din-und-seine-partner/presse/mitteilungen/von-aachen-bis-zwickau-867074">https://www.din.de/de/din-und-seine-partner/presse/mitteilungen/von-aachen-bis-zwickau-867074</a><br/> <img src="https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/584/417/869/696/171/original/4e87497f0b656999.png"> <br/> 2025-11-20T22:43:27Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsq6qlqvcvpj65h27ht5v7qwzkd32mynfjs95dk20k5wtphh3xusfgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vk250uc It’s neat that there are rules that help with recognizing similar words between French, Spanish and English. These are two I recently found out about:<br/><br/>• French “gu” → English “w”: guêpe → wasp, Guillaume → William, guerre → war, guarde-robe → wardrobe, <br/>• French/Latin “f” → Spanish “h”: fer → hierro, faire → hacer, fille → hija, feuille → hoja, frère → hermano<br/><br/><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonetic_change_%22f_→_h%22_in_Spanish">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonetic_change_%22f_→_h%22_in_Spanish</a> 2025-09-10T19:40:56Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsx89srzds9xum6qhvjaqk2avt7rx366z4wrp4gzhnrw6pg4pw2sjgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vf8kx80 I didn’t know this: “‘Columbia’, also known as ‘Lady Columbia’ or ‘Miss Columbia’, is a female national personification of the United States.”<br/><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_(personification)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_(personification)</a><br/><br/>That also explains the “District of Columbia” in “Washington, D.C.”.<br/><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_(disambiguation)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_(disambiguation)</a><br/><br/>#USA #English 2025-08-24T13:53:50Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsq9hynefu5d8t7eccysywlt2z8krr0fr20ng89ev68c4tza5pafuszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vthmyta #English – rough rule for rack vs. wrack:<br/>• wrack ≈ wreck<br/>• rack ≈ stretch (old torture device)<br/><br/>Therefore:<br/>• nerve-racking<br/>• rack one’s brains<br/>• storm-wracked<br/>• wrack and ruin<br/><br/><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/rack-vs-wrack">https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/rack-vs-wrack</a> 2025-08-22T13:27:01Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqszulfpkeddhk59t5y23sfq72kh4fx85v60rtukg9z9dyszcal2e7gzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vuza0z0 If someone says “yes mom”, they are either talking to their mother or British.<br/><a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/ma-am">https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/ma-am</a><br/><br/>#English 2025-08-19T16:59:52Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxj2f3v3586c0z34jrxe6va4y9t67xhn4vcajgc4x90sqya80tz5gzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vxnvke3 Interessant, dass viele Deutsche mittlerweile sagen:<br/>• Das macht Sinn. (Engl.: That makes sense.)<br/><br/>Und nicht:<br/>• Das ist sinnvoll.<br/><br/>#Deutsch 2025-08-08T09:55:50Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs0zfn246z8ky35shr6cqm750y30rg5tyrzt5zmkj97pu9ge5n3wtgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vsazdra German movies seem to be different from movies in (many? most? all?) other languages in that actors pronounce very clearly—following the tradition of theater not of movies. Movies in English are not like that. Are there countries other than Germany that do that too? 2025-08-05T11:21:58Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsvzfd0kmpuavduky93q89q7uugtmywwqr7dtjlpctfnl3amnjtt5szypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vctf55n Important innovation: “By the 8th century BC, the Greeks borrowed the Phoenician alphabet and adapted it to their own language, creating in the process the first ‘true’ alphabet, in which vowels were accorded equal status with consonants.”<br/><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_alphabet">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_alphabet</a> 2025-07-31T13:26:07Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2v8k728k8pfwtnvvd45pyf6njp7hamsv66h8c6gmkflrpdeusn7qzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vdujx6e Native USA English speakers: How do you pronounce “aunt”? 2025-07-22T16:41:28Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs0jz5253x770k577qqxcf3p5ngtmwhcv2hxykryummxltv733hp7qzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v4ajhsg One reason why Mandarin Chinese is difficult to learn for Europeans—unfamiliar vocabulary:<br/><br/>The word for comet:<br/>• Russian: комета<br/>• German: Komet<br/>• Spanish: cometa<br/>• Chinese: 彗星 (huìxīng)<br/><br/>However, whereas European languages use a Greek term (“aster komētēs” means “long-haired star”), Chinese does not borrow from another language: Literally, 彗星 means “broom star”. 2025-07-18T08:12:23Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs09pz7sqsfq08yumqu8dzapgzk2rrrmwdu62sdw3cwz3k7c8ygqfczypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v9fvj5g • English: fly in the ointment<br/>• German: Haar in der Suppe (“hair in the soup“)<br/>• French: ombre au tableau (“shadow in the picture”)<br/>• Spanish: mosca en la sopa (“fly in the soup”) 2025-07-09T15:47:41Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsv4hna8ua74nc33vk97sx8qr79ymrm5kezauxd62t36ypuy0rxpwgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v5drr64 沙发<br/><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/sand-couch-on-the-beach--27092035252148139/">https://www.pinterest.com/pin/sand-couch-on-the-beach--27092035252148139/</a> 2025-07-03T13:22:51Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxk4aa5we0znaekwffpqjy8amw7qp8m3vmgt6w85yuwtfaprww4mgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vk95y8n Als Kind hat mich verwirrt, dass es sowohl Parmaschinken als auch Farmerschinken gibt und eine meiner Theorien war, dass er „Pharmaschinken“ geschrieben wird und manche Leute ihn falsch aussprechen.<br/><br/>#German #Deutsch 2025-05-14T14:40:24Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsty9xq9gyjntde2t60m7zxec2s2c6hrardv30sky760fu8qn5hvegzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vcytgnw #English words I only knew in German (Perfidität, perfide): perfidy, perfidious<br/><br/>1. the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal : treachery<br/>2. an act or an instance of disloyalty<br/><br/><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfidy">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfidy</a> 2025-05-12T23:29:57Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsd4epllkhuhas25ard4srg2pyt7skv8wtn8ft57kmrchvap7y7jygzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v99dwtm I often make the typo “suprise”.<br/><br/>And, unless I’m mistaken, US-American pronunciation often seems to be “suh-PRIZE” and not the “proper” “sir-PRIZE”.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surprise">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surprise</a><br/><br/>#English 2025-02-23T13:31:33Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsy8ypp569fhkdquaw40gm9dqpu70t2vrrz4lwq4mfvm2ny9vf0jyqzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v2xnq6n What would #English look like if it only had Germanic words?<br/><br/>Short text by Poul Anderson: “Uncleftish Beholding” (atomic theory)<br/><br/>“For most of its being, mankind did not know what things are made of, but could only guess. With the growth of worldken, we began to learn, and today we have a beholding of stuff and work that watching bears out, both in the workstead and in daily life.”<br/><br/>Background and dictionary: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncleftish_Beholding">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncleftish_Beholding</a> 2025-02-21T12:04:38Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsge7pdde4z3cg9jj6te86fs8f8d93375vmur3fram5klcs93u9waczypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vafzqjx #English: All sources I checked say that “acknowledge” is pronounced with a “k”—e.g.: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acknowledge">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acknowledge</a><br/><br/>However, it sounds more like “ag-knowledge” than “ack-knowledge” to me. True? 2025-01-24T08:24:14Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqst2urpqtfs0swjeer3zmsspnx4hnh3xvvs4amkf0udzu75nlnpsmszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vnhewvs One of my favorite German expressions (I always think of it when I watch interviews with Dakota Johnson or Hugh Grant):<br/><br/>• sich um Kopf und Kragen reden<br/>• Translation: to talk oneself into trouble<br/>• Literally: to talk oneself out of head and collar<br/><br/>#German 2025-01-02T21:10:26Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs22gt06n074llunfqr2m7qkehax99zzxh72wjd42dea82f5rvu8tgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vl3h60k #Polish—pronouncing ć, ź, dź, ś: Is the tongue position in this diagram correct?<br/><br/>Source: <a href="https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/19660/what-is-the-difference-between-sibilant-sounds-in-polish-%C4%87-%C5%9B-d%C5%BA-%C5%BA-vs-cz-sz-d%C5%BC">https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/19660/what-is-the-difference-between-sibilant-sounds-in-polish-%C4%87-%C5%9B-d%C5%BA-%C5%BA-vs-cz-sz-d%C5%BC</a><br/> <img src="https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/721/131/830/700/854/original/536b89a8d968283c.png"> <br/> 2024-12-26T21:05:33Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsw9fuwsn7kt50rzy75k805rqxshyjwpeupgfh6aartkv6g6pzr8xgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vrg2cpk #English: What does “breaking bad” mean?<br/><br/>Vince Gilligan (who created the eponymous TV show):<br/><br/>“I come from Virginia, and it’s very much a southern regionalism that I thought everybody knew. It means to raise hell. Like, ‘I was at a bar the other night, and I just tied one on and really broke bad. You know, I just wound up in the back of a squad car.’ So it’s a regionalism.”<br/><br/><a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/vince-gilligan-meaning-of-breaking-bad/">https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/vince-gilligan-meaning-of-breaking-bad/</a> 2024-12-23T19:17:05Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfsv53l5jnpu7rrma89tjq7mn0dtylmwwcuqje24l8zdsd46zajeczypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vjedeqw Weird aspect of learning: You have limited control over what you remember: you feed your brain (a black box) and hope for the best.😀 Painfully obvious when you are learning the vocabulary of a foreign language.<br/><br/>#LanguageLearning 2024-12-05T09:26:56Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsgpsgh8v2tu9fvdkens6t94v7t3a0gyp3kp93mp8rmzsnw4f3md2szypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vzrjhy5 What are words where native speakers in one language don’t hear a difference in another language?<br/><br/>English words:<br/>– Germans: lose/loose, rise/rice, food/foot, love/laugh<br/>– Chinese (Mandarin): yeast/east<br/><br/>Tones—for someone who doesn’t speak a tonal language.<br/><br/>#LanguageLearning 2024-12-03T19:17:33Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2cnympfcjkljk0vc2vsjvtvk6ayt6d2hw4r8xc20smzyjxqd2kxszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vp6xs0g Deutsche Rechtschreibung: „viel“, „wenig“, „[der] eine“, „[der] andere“ können groß geschrieben werden. Finde ich logischer – obwohl Kleinschreibung bislang noch üblicher ist. Ich bevorzuge:<br/><br/>Es gab Viele, die nicht mitmachen wollten.<br/>Den Wenigsten war das bekannt.<br/>Die Meisten blieben zu Hause.<br/>Die Einen sahen zu, die Anderen halfen mit.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.duden.de/sprachwissen/rechtschreibregeln/Gro%C3%9F-%20und%20Kleinschreibung">https://www.duden.de/sprachwissen/rechtschreibregeln/Gro%C3%9F-%20und%20Kleinschreibung</a><br/><br/>#Deutsch 2024-11-29T17:21:54Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs06h5lhme7y3lznx8c8tf0guj2f2gx6qngzfkvd4wcpkd5gnvph9szypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vt45l4s Insightful interview with Dr. Norbert Schmitt: “Vocabulary Professor Explains How To Learn Languages”<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiWZgjXhLUw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiWZgjXhLUw</a><br/><br/>* Vocabulary is most important part of knowing a language.<br/>* There is so much of it—e.g.: To understanding a movie in English, you must know 5000–10000 words.<br/>* Support each other: (1) Learning vocabulary greatly speeds up progress. (2) Comprehensible input provides important context &amp; strengthens memory.<br/>* Textbooks are bad at spaced repetition.<br/><br/>#LanguageLearning 2024-11-22T19:27:07Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxcszp863tyssnfhak7ta2gf7a6gj4tnau3jpqst2mcq572w4p4vszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vwdhey6 1/ Video with great language learning insights that gives tips for writing graded readers (books with simplified language that uses a limited amount of words): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yMxca0SEM8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yMxca0SEM8</a><br/><br/>Next: summary of the key points 👇<br/><br/>#LanguageLearning 2024-11-01T01:46:42Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsvy938w00rnrg7wnf24y5k5vm06gcdzpd0dhxw4gfqphfe763cthgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vks0l55 In #German, we don’t say “my legs are sore”, we say “I have a muscle hangover in the legs”. 😀<br/><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Muskelkater">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Muskelkater</a> 2024-10-30T03:29:31Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqspjd0cm284a4x4eusul72vccwku2g0qxvzmxeef3pnm09rl2kvxaqzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vt5f9ed 1/ #English:<br/><br/>* historic: famous or important in history<br/> * a historic event<br/>* historical: of, relating to, or having the character of history<br/> * historical novels<br/><br/>* classic: historically memorable; serving as a standard of excellence<br/> * It’s a classic.<br/>* classical: of or relating to a form or system considered of first significance in earlier times<br/> * classical music<br/><br/>Source: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com">https://www.merriam-webster.com</a> 2024-10-29T17:31:30Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs8f57yn2nsefys8vzyqammm7tv3xpa9jfz0tta8rs9j32ejhm890gzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v827z2k In #English, the meat you eat often has a French-inspired name while the live animal often has a Germanic name—e.g.:<br/>– pork (porc) vs. pig<br/>– beef (bœuf) vs. cow<br/>– veal (veau) vs. calf<br/>– mutton (mouton) vs. sheep<br/><br/>Myth: That split happened while the Normans ruled (1066+) when the aristocracy ate meat and used French words, while farmers raised animals and used Germanic words.<br/><br/>Truth: It only happened in the 1800s, due to the popularity of French cuisine.<br/><br/>Details: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL2vtwdEFaY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL2vtwdEFaY</a> 2024-10-24T00:26:56Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2qzysuz7q4uq0cneg9pafshnxr2l0sgtsvm5ckntsm2lnnz7yysqzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vgfpr2t Young lady behind Zambia’s growing anime popularity<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YecxIeciEAE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YecxIeciEAE</a> 2024-10-22T15:55:31Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfat7qk7a0kcy5xjwh9d34sdk58dn5j04l6yswa9v7dntx4pjdrjgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vpamms5 Browsers seem to compute word boundaries for Chinese text (tested with Firefox and Safari). As an example, consider the sequence of characters 洗衣机. If you double-click on them, they treat 洗衣 and 机 as words (*).<br/><br/>In contrast, Apple’s TextEdit doesn’t—it selects all three characters.<br/><br/>(*) Works in the address bar, text fields and text on web pages: <a href="https://www.purpleculture.net/dictionary-details/?word=洗衣机">https://www.purpleculture.net/dictionary-details/?word=洗衣机</a><br/><br/>#Chinese 2024-10-21T22:16:26Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqszapa7ratv8g2e4lyrea2860w66crsrqt3gpmmhd8s29z2pq8vdugzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vt6lsev Funny aspect of languages: Some words you read but rarely hear—e.g.: I wasn’t aware that “hegemony” was stressed on the second syllable: he·​GE·​mo·​ny. Even native speakers can make this kind of mistake—e.g. I remember a US actor saying “epi-tome” in an interview.<br/><br/>Google can help you with pronunciation if you search for “pronunciation” + the word in question: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=pronunciation%20hegemony">https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=pronunciation%20hegemony</a><br/><br/>Dictionaries indicate stress—e.g. via apostrophes: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony</a><br/><br/>#LanguageLearning #English 2024-10-20T15:40:59Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2e29fp6akn5cgsnawsy3gcwy4ck9nywy577p6arfm86acrnv96fgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vdyr04x It just occurred to me: For language learning, it’d be great to have subtitles for podcasts. And there are standards for that—but not every app supports them.<br/><br/>The SRT format seems to be supported best: <a href="https://support.transistor.fm/en/article/which-podcast-apps-support-transcripts-qphklp/">https://support.transistor.fm/en/article/which-podcast-apps-support-transcripts-qphklp/</a><br/><br/>In RSS, you can link to (e.g.) SRT files via podcast:transcript. <a href="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0#transcript">https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0#transcript</a><br/><br/>#LanguageLearning 2024-10-20T15:05:26Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsyfagreryct5zx9gdq6nfwy2xckug84crlz7u2f8dwx92545j4gwqzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vqth599 Capitalization of the word INTERNET:<br/>– “the Internet&#34;: basically up to you<br/>– “internet access” (“internet as modifier/adjunct”: never capitalize<br/><br/><a href="https://proofed.com/writing-tips/when-should-i-capitalize-internet/">https://proofed.com/writing-tips/when-should-i-capitalize-internet/</a><br/><br/>#English 2024-10-15T17:10:26Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs82k5xs8pzawtnjxq55quwpa4qszqrj5lmhny6vxewz623k40c29szypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vwfzj7l #German: Using the English words “laptop” and “notebook” for portable computers is so common that I (a native speaker) had to check whether there are German words for them. And there are:<br/>– Klapprechner<br/>– Mobilrechner<br/><br/>See “Synonyme” here: <a href="https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/mx-keys-mini.920-010473.html">https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/mx-keys-mini.920-010473.html</a> 2024-09-30T16:18:55Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs0tlgctslczcq59rd2vdvhdtxe642q6ey8uvucx65jktjlagc65pgzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v8sfa9e Humans seem oddly two-dimensional in their perception: As far as I can tell, English…<br/>– has words for up and down in a plane (along the y-axis).<br/>– does not have a distinct word for up and down *from* a plane (third dimension, z-axis).<br/><br/>German is similar, by the way.<br/><br/>#English 2024-09-28T14:50:21Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsr6nk2p6s97e3xf4tcm6u6j42l32vzakcu7zuhap9fau335pfzmpszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vukam7s English idiom: two peas in a pod<br/>→ used to say that two people or things are very similar to each other<br/><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two%20peas%20in%20a%20pod">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two%20peas%20in%20a%20pod</a><br/><br/>I always thought it was “in a pot”, but it’s “pod” as in the fruit of a pea plant – which contains multiple seeds = peas.<br/><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea</a><br/><br/>Photo by Bill Ebbesen – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15727721">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15727721</a><br/><br/>#English<br/> <img src="https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/164/951/694/085/245/original/151a894536674abd.jpg"> <br/> 2024-09-19T15:37:43Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxkc6g2u8nn0cgwvjnkrw3duuvn2aa573csvskyez9f5s7s9hdakszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v5vhtvc It’s amazing how much slightly advanced English words help with French—e.g.<br/>– French: adage (m.)<br/>– English: saying; adage<br/><br/>#English #French 2024-09-19T14:03:35Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqst9ryjvhhhcf3r6svah9539uk63yg44t8d5svl8snwym72ckqnfdczypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vzf5kmy Meaning of “shout” I wasn’t aware of:<br/><br/>(UK, Australia, New Zealand, slang) A round of drinks in a pub; the turn to pay the shot or scot; an act of paying for a round of drinks. <br/><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shout#Noun">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shout#Noun</a><br/><br/>Example: My shout today!<br/><br/>#English 2024-09-15T17:28:13Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsdsujj2c8epe8muu4cfyl0qv7jdmzcwkjhljksjzddcuc34atqj5szypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v648tnt Pronouncing “r” in Mandarin Chinese (can a native speaker confirm?)<br/><br/>You place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. It points almost upwards and is situated on the hard flat part of the roof.<br/>* r at start of syllable: like pleaSure (a voiced “sh”) – e.g. 人 rén<br/><br/>In contrast, at the end of a syllable, “r” is pronounced exactly(?) as in English:<br/>* r at end of syllable: like faiR – e.g. 二 èr<br/><br/>#Mandarin #Chinese #MandarinChinese 2024-09-14T15:33:38Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqspz55x3jzhe92lp44c8l6yeqpstwp5jxec5zm0x5x3exgudhw6vpszypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vpvjjhn If you are a native English speaker: How do you pronounce the word “English”?<br/><br/>#English 2024-09-14T00:04:52Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsw5mkw856qktc8ufluyx3apxf96n3g5g8jwvqjc7aklqm9a3kfnyqzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4vfvcq5r 1/ #English: Which one of these would you use? 2024-09-09T21:35:25Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxmlcje4u8g7q9g6jqzzpensc8c0sz75d4nja96glk3vqd8zsr74szypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v6uh0zx We need to bring back these #English words:<br/><br/>* ereyesterday: the day before yesterday. <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ereyesterday">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ereyesterday</a><br/>* overmorrow: the day after tomorrow. <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/overmorrow">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/overmorrow</a><br/><br/>Other languages:<br/><br/>* German: vorgestern, übermorgen<br/>* Dutch: eergisteren, overmorgen<br/>* Spanish: anteayer, pasado mañana<br/>* French: avant-hier, après-demain<br/>* Mandarin: 前天, 后天 2024-09-09T19:03:11Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqszcjxw85p7xehtfkkzpkpasc7plumyf7m7k8v5llthkcj7xlvxn3qzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v4zts5u Feeling stuck learning Standard Chinese (Mandarin)? Try these resources!<br/><a href="http://www.langtales.de/2024/09/chinese-learning-resources.html">http://www.langtales.de/2024/09/chinese-learning-resources.html</a><br/><br/>#LearningLanguages #Chinese #StandardChinese #Mandarin #MandarinChinese 2024-09-06T13:41:23Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsprqsv8k70sput7kl3smlyk4y749cv3q2tdkv9n0h63p7t7gpe5gqzypwed74ejw0h5sd9plx398anx0gzm5hyraswqwn202mtdf8mhny4v855ujn If you read that someone is “deceptively tall”:<br/><br/>#English 2024-09-04T12:57:53Z