Not So French? The Possible Etymologies of the French Fry
The weekends are often a time of culinary decadence—a respite from the long working week, at which time many people celebrate with candlelight, nice dinners, wine, etc. Some of us, though, aren’t so different from Clarence Worley in True Romance, and when we’re done with the week’s struggle, we want little more than the biggest, […]
Define This: Dictionaries in the News
Dictionaries, in print or online, rarely make the news. Arguably, these books and internet databases once represented the most solid and universally accepted of language, but this seems to have changed drastically this year. Look no further than Aleksandr the Meerkat, an outstanding fictional mammal. A few weeks ago he celebrated two momentous occasions: first, […]
The Problematic Language of Corn Sugar
Only a few days have passed since Halloween, but some of you might already be reaching for the last few sweet treats in your (or more likely your child’s) candy bag. Among all the delectable chocolates, hard candies, and gelatinous goodies, you’ll surely find some form of corn syrup residing in your fun-size wrappers. This […]
Language Change and Transportation: Debating Sharing the Road
Recently, RIDE Solutions, a department of the Roanoke Regional Planning Commission, posted an interesting article summing up the issue of language in transportation planning. As a basis for discussion on the topic of transportation and language, Jeremy Holmes cites several articles (all of which have also been a part of the debate at Streetsblog.net). Starting […]
Celebrating Scottish Gaelic Culture and Language: The Royal National Mod (Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail)
The Celtic language native to Scotland, Scottish Gaelic, is part of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages and developed out of Middle Irish. Spoken by a mere 1.2% of the Scottish population, Scottish Gaelic is most commonly heard in the Outer Hebrides, an island chain off the western coast of Scotland. In 1992, the […]
Literature in Translation: Mario Vargas Llosa Wins Nobel Prize 2010
Every year the Nobel Prize in literature is awarded “to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency” by the Swedish Academy. Considered to be the most prestigious award in literature, this year’s prize was given to Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, an author […]
Endangered Language Watch: The Discovery of the Koro Language in the Himalayas
The announcement this week of findings regarding a previously unknown language has shaken up the field of linguistics. During a 2008 National Geographic expedition in India’s remote Arunachai Pradesh region in the Himalayas, two researchers discovered an unrecorded language they identified as “Koro.” The language has only an estimated 800 speakers, and the fear is […]
The Autumnal Point or the First Point of Libra: Language of the Equinox
For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, today marks the autumnal equinox, otherwise known as the first day of fall (for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, the first day of Spring). While for many, the first day of fall is mentally linked with the beginning of the school year or with some […]
Paraprosdokian: Beyond a Punchline or a Turn of Phrase
What on earth is a paraprosdokian? From the Greek root words παρα (meaning “beyond”) and προσδοκία (meaning “expectation”), a paraprosdokian can be defined as a figure of speech that uses an unexpected ending that reflects upon the opening half of a phrase. The reflection is generally humorous, acting as a punchline of sorts. As Leonard […]
Currywurst: Language History in Every Bite
As a food writer, chef, and television guru Anthony Bourdain often points out during his show, No Reservations, that every culture has their “meat in tube form,” and, that more often than not, this meat product (i.e. hotdog, bratwurst, sausage of some form, etc.) is delicious. One of these meats in tube form that always […]