Tag Archives: Languages

I Can Has Thesis?: Linguistics Applied to Lolspeak

by Noemi Twigg
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Lolcats Getting Shots

You might as well admit it. You have used Lolspeak at least once. You might even be using it regularly. I think some people find using Lolspeak convenient when they want to come off as cute or cool, but that could be just me. While it is amusing to read those captions on silly pictures of cats (or dogs, if you prefer them), I just realized that it can be irritating to hear an adult resorting to Lolspeak all the time. But that’s just me! Just because I feel that way does not mean that Lolspeak is not a “language” worthy of close inspection. As I like saying, language is Read more »

Lingodroids: Robots That Invent Their Own Language

by Noemi Twigg
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Lingodroids: Robots That Invent Their Own Language

I am in the middle of reading the Ender’s Game series, and my mind has been full of thoughts of aliens, computer programs, and robots as sentient beings. One aspect that has always fascinated me is their means of communication. Language is such a wonderful thing – ever-changing and taking on so many different forms. Of course, we can think all we want about aliens and AI, but we don’t know if we will ever see them become reality in our lifetime. That is why work by people such as Ruth Schulz is so interesting. Schulz and her group of researchers from the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Read more »

Looking for a New Language to Conquer? Try Dothraki

by Noemi Twigg
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Looking for a New Language to Conquer? Try Dothraki

Doth what? HBO’s Game of Thrones has now pretty much become part of today’s TV culture, with viewers from all over the world. Those who are still waiting for the series to be shown in their part of the world are itching to get their hands on it. It’s safe to say that HBO has got a winner on their hands, isn’t it? If you have been following the TV show weekly since it first aired, you would already know that one of the most interesting – and controversial – band of characters are the Dothraki, a group of nomads who are fierce warriors as well. I may be wrong, Read more »

A Christmas Carol, Klingon Style

by Noemi Twigg
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A Christmas Carol, Klingon Style

Remember the first ever full-length opera delivered entirely in Klingon?  Apparently, that wasn’t such a novel idea as I first thought it was.  Early this morning, as I was gulping down my first cup of coffee, I saw a tweet from Neil Gaiman himself (@neilhimself).  This is what it said: “RT Absolutely not. @jenusellis: Any chance for a shout-out for Klingon Christmas Carol in St. Paul & Chicago?”  Naturally, I had to click on the link to see what it is all about. Read more »

A Complex World: Language Families, Their Spread and Longevity

by Franky Branckaute
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A Complex World: Language Families, Their Spread and Longevity

Did you know that every 14 days a language dies Most geeks love playing with language. Sadly too often too little is known about languages or the language families. While not everyone ought to be a polyglot, knowing more than one language is always a bonus. Having an insight in languages and their families can make learning another language easier even. This infographic looks at the most widespread language families, their use and also at the how many languages are known to have only very few (native) speakers anymore. The team of Infographiclabs created this graphic, which first appeared on Freelance Writing Jobs. Read more »

Want to Learn a New Language? Try Na'vi.

by Noemi Twigg
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Want to Learn a New Language? Try Na'vi.

Last week, the first ever opera in Klingon was held at The Hague. Language enthusiasts can’t help but get excited about something like that, even though the idea of learning a “fake” language may seem silly to some. (Think about it though – is there really such a thing as a fake language?) Needless to say, Star Trek fans are absolutely delighted about this development. I suppose that even those who don’t know Klingon will want to see the opera should it be shown again. Before you decide to learn Klingon now, though, you might want to know that there is another “exotic” language that you can pick up: Na’vi. Read more »