Stories about Language from May, 2013
Chinese Motherland or Otherland?
The micro-blogger explained the meaning of otherland as: You thought it is motherland, in fact it is otherland; this country belongs to foreigners and those whose offsprings are living overseas. You are the stranger of motherland.
Alphabets Bring Joy and Sadness to Bulgaria
[…] One of the purest and most sacred holidays in Bulgaria! It's a celebration that makes us proud to have given something to the world! It's a holiday which is not related to any rebels, battles or violence, although it fills us with patriotism and joy. […] When you walk...
Dirty Words Russian Girls Can’t Say on the Internet
Earlier this week, opposition figure Maria Baronova penned an open letter to writer and political dissident Eduard Limonov, wherein she dropped a sexual bombshell. Her text unabashedly refers to “masturbating in the shower” and credits Limonov with teaching her (through his books) how to “suck dick” “without false modesty” and “fuck like an animal.” The online response has been intense.
24 Untranslatable Expressions
If languages are living beings, it would be correct to talk in plural and think of each of the existing languages in the world as a unique species […]. Therefore, each language has its own expressions that, proudly, present themsleves as untranslatable to other languages […]. Website PijamaSurf [es] lists...
Toy Dolls that Speak African Languages
Myweku writes about the introduction of Rooti Dolls, by Chris and Ada Ngoforo, a Nigerian couple: The 12 Rooti dolls are programmed to speak in several African languages. Amongst them, there’s Nina, a “vibrant girl” with Nigerian parents, who “loves watching Nollywood” and can interact in the Nigerian languages of...
Chinese Communist Party's Benevolence?
The term Party's benevolence is frequently used in political propaganda in China. Mary Ann O'Donnell looks into how's the term being used in ordinary people's daily life.
Spanish Blogger Goes After Anti-Catalan Prejudice in Viral Video
A YouTube video featuring an Andalusian Spanish blogger criticizing xenophobic attitudes in Spain toward the region of Catalonia has gone viral.
French a Must in Nigerian Military
Mensah wrote on koaci.com: For Nigerian soldiers, enlisted men, officers and even aspirants, the military hierarchy has decided that the knowledge of the French language is now a prerequisite for anyone to get a promotion.
