linguistics

WTF Fun Fact 13717 – Ties Between Norwegian and English

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Norwegian and English share a deep historical connection, making them more alike than many realize. These similarities stem from their roots in the Germanic language family, leading to parallels in vocabulary, syntax, and even phonetics. For learners and linguists alike, these connections can simplify understanding and learning these languages.

Vocabulary Overlaps and Shared Roots

One of the most striking resemblances between Norwegian and English lies in their vocabularies. Centuries of trading and Viking invasions left a significant imprint on the English language, embedding Old Norse words into its lexicon. Words like “sky,” “window,” and “knife” have direct counterparts in Norwegian: “sky,” “vindu,” and “kniv.” Such similarities extend to hundreds of everyday terms, making initial learning stages notably easier for speakers of either language.

Syntax also shows remarkable similarities. Both languages generally adhere to a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) sentence structure. This foundational grammar rule simplifies the transition for English speakers learning Norwegian and vice versa. Questions in both languages often involve a simple inversion of the subject and the verb, another parallel that facilitates cross-linguistic comprehension.

Phonetic Parallels Between Norwegian and English

Pronunciation between the two languages also shares some common ground. While each language has its unique sounds, the basic phonetic systems are less divergent than those found in many other languages globally. Both English and Norwegian use a range of similar vowel and consonant sounds, which can ease the learning curve for pronunciation.

Moreover, Norwegian’s consistent pronunciation rules mean that once learners grasp the basics, they can read and pronounce words more predictably than in English. This consistency is a relief for English speakers accustomed to the often irregular spelling-to-sound correlations in their native language.

Mutual Benefits for Language Learners

The structural and phonetic similarities between Norwegian and English provide mutual benefits for learners. English speakers find Norwegian grammar straightforward and its pronunciation rules logical, reducing the time it takes to achieve proficiency. Conversely, Norwegians typically learn English at a young age, finding it relatively simple due to these linguistic similarities.

This linguistic kinship not only aids in language acquisition but also enhances cultural exchanges and understanding. As globalization connects communities, the ability to communicate across languages becomes increasingly valuable. The relationship between Norwegian and English serves as a bridge between speakers, fostering deeper connections and mutual appreciation.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “Linguist makes sensational claim: English is a Scandinavian language” — ScienceDaily

WTF Fun Fact 13566 – Can You Forget a Language?

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Can you forget a language? Can your brain really unlearn it?

If you took a high school Spanish or French class in which you spent the period reciting verbs and learning to ask for directions to the nearest beach, you may have no problem believing that it’s possible to forget an entire language.

But when it comes to our mother tongue, can it truly fade from our minds?

Can You Really “Forget” Your Native Language?

“Language attrition” is the phenomenon in which language proficiency slowly erodes from our brains over time. Professor Monika S. Schmid, a linguistic expert from the University of York, studies this, noting that an individual may experience bouts of hesitation, mix up expressions, or entirely forget specific terms sometimes.

While aging adults may find that certain words or phrases become elusive, they’re unlikely to completely lose grip on a language they once mastered. On the contrary, youngsters might experience a profound shift.

Kids can learn languages more rapidly than adults. But they can also lose it entirely if they aren’t continuously exposed to the language. For instance, a young Russian girl adopted by an American family demonstrated a rapid decline in her Russian vocabulary as she embraced English words.

The Brain’s Role in Language Retention

A lot revolves around the brain’s architecture. Interestingly, birds and their songs, especially those from the biological order Passeriformes, offer us a clue about retaining language.

These creatures are equipped with a dual-circuit system in their brains, first learning their song and then reproducing it later. A similar framework seems to exist in humans, particularly during early developmental stages.

In essence, by early adolescence, our first language gets imprinted in our brains. While we may overlook certain terms or expressions, the core structure remains intact. This also underscores why many struggle to shed their native accent, even after mastering multiple languages.

But most importantly, it suggests that we can’t entirely unlearn a language.

Avoiding Language Attrition

Contrary to what many might believe, staying connected with speakers of one’s native language isn’t always the antidote to attrition. An intriguing observation among Cuban immigrants in Miami highlighted this. Even while in a predominantly Spanish-speaking environment, they experienced a dilution in their native linguistic structures, largely due to their interaction with diverse Spanish dialects.

But that’s not a loss of language – it’s an evolution. And it’s pivotal to recognize that language change isn’t necessarily negative.

So, Can You Forget a Language?

Witnessing one’s primary language slip away can stir deep emotions, especially when one’s linguistic roots are linked to personal history and identity.

But here’s the silver lining: research continually reinforces the notion that our foundational language remains with us. While accents, dialects, and specific terms may evolve, the foundational structure remains.

So, while languages might fade, shift, or transform, they’re never truly forgotten.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “Can You Unlearn A Language?” — IFL Science

WTF Fun Fact 13556 – New Indo-European Language

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Archaeologists may have discovered a new Indo-European language related to Hittite.

In the heart of north-central Turkey lies Boğazköy-Hattusha. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a testament to the advanced urban architecture and artistry of the bygone Hittite Empire. These remnants of history not only provide a glimpse into an ancient civilization but its linguistic gems.

A Surprising Discovery

The Late Bronze Age, spanning from 1650 to 1200 BCE, saw the rise of the Hittite Empire as a dominant force in Anatolia. Beyond their prowess in warfare, the Hittites had a keen inclination towards documentation. From chronicling their monumental battles to codifying laws, they left no stone unturned. The medium? Clay tablets.

To date, researchers have discovered over 30,000 of these in Boğazköy-Hattusha, with most inscribed in the Hittite language.

A New Indo-European Language Related to Hittite

Among the vast array of Hittite tablets, researchers stumbled upon an anomaly: tablets inscribed in an unknown language.

Preliminary investigations suggest this language belonged to the people of Kalašma, near the north-western fringe of the Hittite heartland. The language’s nuances hint at similarities with Luwian, another tongue from the Hittite era.

Initial studies of the tablets indicate that they might detail ancient cultic rituals specific to Kalašma. Professor Daniel Schwemer from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg emphasizes the Hittites’ unique interest in foreign languages, especially when associated with rituals.

The mystery language, while distinct, showcases clear ties to the Indo-European family of languages.

This linguistic family spans across vast territories, enveloping languages like Hindi, Persian, Russian, and English. In Europe, apart from the unique Basque spoken in the Basque Country, most languages trace their origins back to the Indo-European lineage.

Ongoing Investigations

While the discovery of this new language has piqued the interest of linguists worldwide, much remains to be understood. Researchers are working tirelessly to decode the Kalasmaic text, which remains largely elusive.

The excavation in Boğazköy-Hattusha, spearheaded by the German Archaeological Institute, has garnered support from various organizations including the Thyssen Foundation, the GRH Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This collaborative effort brings together experts from different universities to interpret the vast wealth of information these tablets offer.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “A New Language Has Been Unearthed From Ancient Ruins In Turkey” — IFL Science

WTF Fun Fact 13486 – Mamihlapinatapai, the Most Succinct Word

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Certain words defy easy translation since they embody ideas or emotions so complex – one such word is “mamihlapinatapai.”

This word hails from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago split between Chile and Argentina. The term was recognized in the 1994 Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most “succinct word.” (Unfortunately, today, their tribe has dwindled to fewer than 2,000 members, with most speaking Spanish instead of their native tongue.)

Mamihlapinatapai, the Untranslatable Emotion

Mamihlapinatapai is defined as “a look shared by two people, each wishing that the other would initiate something that they both desire but which neither wants to begin.”

The word’s complexity and its lack of a direct translation into English or other major languages have earned it a spot among the world’s favorite “untranslatables.”

It wasn’t until the late 2000s that the term mamihlapinatapai started appearing all over the internet. People were fascinated. Artists found inspiration in the term, incorporating it into their songs, exhibitions, and books.

More Than Just Romance

Of course, just as internet fame changes a person, it can change a word. While mamihlapinatapai often evokes romantic notions, its application now extends to other areas. For example, in gaming theory, it refers to the volunteer’s dilemma, where an individual player might have to make a sacrifice for the collective benefit.

Despite the global recognition of mamihlapinatapai, the Yaghan language is teetering on the brink of extinction. It has no linguistic relatives. The last guardian of this language is Cristina Calderon, the only fluent living speaker of Yaghan!

Despite the impending threat to the Yaghan language, there’s hope. Calderon has been teaching her granddaughter some Yaghan, and they have published books to preserve Yaghan culture and history. This effort to pass on the language and culture to the next generation is a critical step in preserving this endangered language.

Internet Fame: A Blessing or a Curse?

While the global recognition of mamihlapinatapai has introduced the world to the Yaghan language and culture, it has also brought unwanted media attention to the Yaghan community. The fame of a single word, however, does not ensure the survival of the language.

The story of mamihlapinatapai is a testament to language’s ability to capture the subtleties of human experience. It serves as a stark reminder of the loss we face as languages dwindle and disappear, taking with them unique cultural perspectives and understanding.

The tale of this word reminds us that each language offers its unique prism through which we can view and understand the world.

Wondering how to pronounce this complex word? Check out this video (but you’ll probably need to listen a few times to catch it):

—WTF fun facts

Source: “How the Internet Changed the Meaning of ‘Mamihlapinatapai’” — Atlas Obscura

WTF Fun Fact 12949 – 200 Invented Languages

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Writers and linguists have created over 200 entirely new languages over the millennia for use in literature, films, games, comic books, television shows, etc.

According to TranslationDirectory.com (cited below), here is a list:

Literature

  • AdunaicfromJ. R. R. Tolkien’s works
  • Aklo,Tsath-yo, andR’lyehianare ancient and obscure languages in the works ofH. P. Lovecraft,Clark Ashton Smith, and others. Aklo is considered by some writers to be thewritten languageof theSerpent People
  • Amtorian, spoken in some cultures on the planetVenusinPirates of VenusbyEdgar Rice Burroughsand several sequels. Judged by critic Fredrik Ekman to have “a highly inventive morphology but a far less interesting syntax.”
  • Ancient Language in theInheritance TrilogybyChristopher Paolini(although this is considered to be a cipher of English by many)
  • Angley,UnglishandIngliss– three languages spoken respectively at Western Europe, North America and the Pacific in the 29th Century world ofPoul Anderson’s “Orion Shall Rise”. All derived from present-day English, the three are mutually unintelligible, following 800 years of separate development after a 21st centurynuclear warand the extensive absorption of words and grammatical forms fromFrenchin the first case,Russian,ChineseandMongolianin the second, andPolynesianin the third.
  • Anglic, the dominant languague of the declining Galactic empire depicted inPoul Anderson’sDominic Flandryseries, is descended from present-day English but so changed that only professional historians or linguists can understand English texts.
  • Anglo-French, in thealternate historyworld of theLord Darcystories byRandall Garrett– where England and France were permanently united into a single kingdom byRichard the Lionheartand their languages consequently merged.
  • asa’pili (“world language”), inbolo’bolo, by Swiss authorP.M..
  • Atreides battle, inDunebyFrank Herbert
  • Babel-17, inBabel-17bySamuel R. Delany
  • Baronh, language of Abh inSeikai no Monsho(Crest of the Stars) and others, byMorioka Hiroyuki
  • Black Speech– language ofMordorinThe Lord of the Rings
  • Bokonon– language of the Bokononism religion in Kurt Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle”
  • Chakobsa, a language used in theDunenovels byFrank Herbert
  • Codex SeraphinianusbyLuigi Serafiniappears to be written in a constructed language which is presumably the language of the alien civilization the book describes
  • CommonThe language spoken in a wide variety of fantasy fiction, particularlyDungeons and Dragons.
  • D’HaranThe ancient, dead language of pre-Great War New World (D’Hara, Midlands, and Westland) in Terry Goodkind’s “Sword of Truth” series.
  • Drac, language of the alien species inBarry B. Longyear’sEnemy MineandThe Enemy Papers
  • Kad’k, the language of theDwarfsinTerry Pratchett’sDiscworld
  • Earthseabooks (byUrsula K. Le Guin)
  • Language of the Making – the basis of all magic, spoken byDragonsas their native tongue and learned with considerable effort by human mages
  • Hardic– linguistically descended from the above
  • Osskilian, andKargish– a different family of languages, distantly related
  • Elemeno, language of two sisters inCaucasiabyDanzy Senna.
  • Fremen, language of the native people of Arrakis, inDuneand other novels byFrank Herbert
  • Galactic Standard SpeechinAsimov’ “Foundation series”. Inhabitants of the planetFomalhautspeak “an extremedialect” of it.
  • GalacticspeakfromThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
  • Gobbledygook, the language ofgoblins, in theHarry Potterseries. Noted speakers includeAlbus DumbledoreandBarty Crouch.
  • Glide, created byDiana Reed Slattery, used by the Death Dancers ofThe Maze Game
  • Groilish, spoken bygiantsinGiants and the JonesesbyJulia Donaldson.
  • High Speechof Gilead from Stephen King’sThe Dark Tower (series)
  • Ilythiiri, the language ofdrowelves inForgotten Realmssetting.[2]
  • Kesh, inUrsula K. Le Guin’s novelAlways Coming Home
  • Krakish, inGuardians of Ga’HoolebyKathryn Lasky
  • Láadan(ldn), inSuzette Haden Elgin’s science fiction novelNative Tongueand sequels
  • Lapine, inWatership DownbyRichard Adams
  • LilliputianfromJonathan Swift’sGulliver’s Travels. Further samples of the language are provided inT. H. White’sMistress Masham’s Repose. InGulliver’s Travels, other fictional languages, spoken in other places Gulliver visits, are also presented, e.g.Brobdingnagian,Laputan,BalbinarbianandHouyhnhnmlanguages.
  • Mando’a, created byKaren Traviss, used by theMandaloriansin theStar WarsRepublic CommandonovelsHard ContactandTriple Zero
  • Manganiin theTarzannovels ofEdgar Rice Burroughs
  • Marain, inThe Culturenovels ofIain M. Banks
  • Thelanguages of Middle-earth(most notablySindarin(sjn),Quenya(qya) andKhuzdul) byJ. R. R. Tolkien, partly published inThe Lord of the Rings, and posthumously discussed inThe History of Middle-earthandother publications.
  • MolvanianfromMolvania, A Land Untouched By Modern Dentistry
  • Nadsatslang, inA Clockwork OrangebyAnthony Burgess
  • Newspeak, inNineteen Eighty-FourbyGeorge Orwell(fictional constructed language)
  • The “NautilusLanguage”, spoken on boardJules Verne’s famous fictional submarine, in token of crew members having completely renounced their former homelands and backgrounds. Every morning, after scanning the horizon with his binoculars, Nemo’s second-in-command says: “Nautron respoc lorni virch”. The meaning of these words is never clarified, but their construction seems to indicate that the “Nautilus Language” (its actual name is not given) is based on European languages.
  • Old Solar, inOut of the Silent Planet,Perelandra, andThat Hideous StrengthbyC. S. Lewis
  • TheOld TonguefromRobert Jordan’sWheel of Timeseries
  • Paluldonianin aTarzannovel,Tarzan the Terrible, byEdgar Rice Burroughs. Used by the inhabitants of the realm of Pal-ul-don in Africa, separated from the outside world by impenetrable marshes.
  • Parseltongue, the language ofsnakes, in theHarry Potterseries. The ability of humans to speak it is considered amagicability.
  • Pennsylvanisch, fromMichael Flynn’sThe Forest of Time
  • PravicandIotic, inThe DispossessedbyUrsula K. Le Guin
  • Ptydepe, fromVáclav Havel’s playThe Memorandum
  • QuintagliofromRobert J. Sawyer’sQuintaglio Ascension Trilogy
  • QuenyafromJ. R. R. Tolkien’s works.
  • QwghlmianfromNeal Stephenson’sCryptonomiconandThe Baroque Cycle
  • Rihannsu, spoken by the Rihannsu (Romulans) in theStar Treknovels ofDiane Duane
  • Spocanian, inRolandt Tweehuysen’s fictional countrySpocania
  • Stark(short for Star Common), a common interstellar English-based language fromOrson Scott Card’sEnderseries
  • Starsza MowafromAndrzej Sapkowski’sHexer saga
  • Trolllanguage fromTerry Pratchett’sDiscworld
  • Utopian language, appearing in a poem byPetrus GillesaccompanyingThomas More’sUtopia
  • Whitmanite, spoken by members of a radicalAnarchist-Pacifistcult of the same name inRobert Heinlein’The Puppet Masters. “Allucquere” is a female given name in Whitmanite.
  • Zaum, poetic tongue elaborated byVelimir Khlebnikov,Aleksei Kruchonykh, and otherRussian Futuristsas a “transrational” and “most universal” language “of songs, incantations, and curses”.

Comic books

  • Bordurianin some ofHergé’sThe Adventures of Tintin, mostly inThe Calculus Affair
  • Interlac, the universal language spoken in the 30th century in theLegion of Super Heroescomics
  • Kryptonese, or Kryptonian, the language of Superman’s home planet ofKrypton
  • Syldavian, in some ofHergé’sThe Adventures of Tintin, mostly inKing Ottokar’s Sceptre
  • Movies and television
  • Two kinds ofalien language, termed “Alienese” and “Beta Crypt 3” appear quite frequently in background sight gags inFuturama.
  • Ancientin theStargateuniverse (i.e.Stargate SG-1andStargate Atlantis) is the language of the Ancients, the builders of theStargates; it is similar in pronunciation toMedieval Latin. TheAthosianssay prayers in Ancient.
  • Atlanteancreated byMarc Okrandfor the filmAtlantis: The Lost Empire
  • Cityspeak, a “mishmash of Japanese, Spanish, German,” plus Hungarian and French, spoken on the street of overcrowded and multi-lingual Los Angeles of 2019 inBlade Runner. Similarly, used in manycyberpunkgenrerole playing games.
  • The Divine Languageis a language invented by directorLuc Bessonand actressMilla Jovovichfor the 1997 movieThe Fifth Element.
  • Enchanta, in theEncantadiaandEtheriatelevision series in the Philippines, created by the head writerSuzette Doctolero
  • Gelfling, spoken inJim Henson’s fantasy epicThe Dark Crystal
  • Goa’uld, the galacticlingua francafromStargate SG-1, supposedly influencedAncient Egyptian
  • Huttese, language of both alien species and people in some ofGeorge Lucas’sStar Warsfilms
  • Irken, inInvader Zim, byJhonen Vasquez,et al.
  • Klingon(tlh), in theStar Trekmovie and television series, created byMarc Okrand
  • KrakozhianfromThe Terminal
  • Ku, a fictional African language in the movieThe Interpreter(2005)
  • Linguacode, a universallanguagecode sometimes used by theUnited Federation of Planetsin theStar Trektelevisionseries.
  • Marklar, spoken by the people of Marklar in aSouth Parkepisode.
  • MinbarifromBabylon 5, three related languages used together, corresponding to the areas of expertise of the three societal castes.
  • Nadsat, the fictional language spoken by Alex and his friends inClockwork Orange
  • Nellish, a personal language from the main character ofNell
  • PakufromLand of the Lost
  • PortuGreek, the trade language featured inWaterworld
  • The pseudo-Spanish/Greek/Arabic language of Republica, as used in the fictionalChanel 9program within the British comedy sketch show theThe Fast Show
  • Quenya(qya) andSindarin(sjn), the two Elven languages, spoken in theLord of the Ringsmovies.
  • Slovetzian, the fictional Slavic language ofSlovetziain the movieThe Beautician and the Beast
  • TheStar Warsseries features several fictional languages.
  • Tenctonesefrom theAlien Nationmovie andtelevision series, created byVan LingandKenneth Johnson
  • UnasinStargate SG-1, supposedly the first hosts of the Goa’uld
  • Ulam, language spoken by the prehistoric humans inAnthony Burgess’ movieQuest for Fire, created by melting roots of European languages.
  • Vampirelanguage used in the movieBlade.
  • Vulcan languagefromStar Trek
  • Unnamed languages
  • In theJanissaries seriesofscience-fictionnovels byJerry Pournelle, the human natives of the planet Tran speak a language apparently derived fromMycenaean. A form of Latin is also spoken in an empire resembling ancient Rome’s, but only by scholars.
  • Riddley Walker, a 1980 novel byRussell Hoban, set in a post-apocalyptic future, is written entirely in a “devolved” form of English.
  • Writer/directorLuc Bessoninvented aDivine LanguageforMilla Jovovich’s character “Leeloo” to speak in the filmThe Fifth Element.
  • Music
  • Gulevache: fictionalRomance Languageof the kingdom of Gulevandia on the bilingual operaCardoso en Gulevandiaby the comedy groupLes Luthiers
  • Kobaian, the language used by 70’s French rock groupMagma.
  • Vonlenska, sometimes known as “Hopelandic”, the language sung byJón Þór Birgissonof theIcelandicband “Sigur Rós” on many of their songs.
  • Loxian, featured on theEnyaalbumAmarantine.
  • Unnamed language by Yves Barbieux, used in his song “Sanomi” and performed by the Belgian groupUrban Tradin the Eurovision Song contest in 2003.
  • Mohelmot, a forbidden language used byThe Residentson the albumThe Big Bubble: Part Four of the Mole Trilogy.
  • Unnamed language by Emmanuelle Orange, used in her song Pialoushka and performed by Montreal bandEden106.
  • Unnamed language featured in thechorusof2NU’s 1991 trackThis is Ponderous.
  • Unnamed language featured in the soundtrack to the film1492: Conquest of ParadisebyVangelis.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “List of constructed languages” — TranslationDirectory.com

WTF Fun Fact 12644 – The Parrot Who Saved a Dead Language

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German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt embarked on a 5-year exploration of North and South America in 1799. His trip was successful, and when he returned home in 1804, he had an extensive collection of plant and animal specimens

Humboldt also took voluminous notes, including some interesting jottings from a trip through Venezuela in 1800 where he spent some time chatting with a local parrot.

According to Mental Floss:

“According to legend, during his exploration of the Orinoco River, Humboldt met and stayed with a local indigenous Carib tribe near the isolated village of Maypures. The tribe, so the story goes, had a number of tame parrots kept in cages around the village, many of which had been taught to speak—although one, Humboldt noted, sounded noticeably different from the rest. When he asked the locals why this parrot sounded so unusual, he was told that it had belonged to a neighboring tribe, who had been the Caribs’ enemies.”

In other words, the parrot was speaking a different language than the rest. And sadly, the parrot was the only speaker left. The rest of the tribe had been wiped out, and not a single native speaker remained. Just the parrot. It was the last vestige of their linguistic culture.

Being the keen observer and recorder, Humboldt wrote down what the parrot sounded like, transcribing the sounds phonetically and coming out with about 40 words from the parrot’s (and the lost tribe’s) vocabulary.

We’ll never know how accurate the language is, but the notebook holds the last of what we have.

Interestingly, in 1997, an artist taught two more parrots to speak the language based on Humboldt’s notebook.

Some think the parrot’s story is mere legend, but Humboldt recounted his trip down the Orinoco river in his Equinoctial Regions of America in great detail and accurately described the Atures tribe that the parrot spoke the language of. – WTF fun facts

Source: “The Parrot That Kept A Language Alive” — Mental Floss