#I'm not a linguist

[coupleofdays]

Another thing about Swedish pronouns that I realized might be interesting: In Swedish, there are two translations of "it": "Det" and "den". And the thing is, there's no rule for what nouns are "det" or "den", aside from "if the definite article version of the word has a '-t' suffix it's a 'det' word, and if the suffix is '-n' it's a 'den' word." But there's no universal rule for which words ends with "-t" or "-n", you just have to check the word in a dictionary or know it yourself.

What I'm getting at is, if you happen to use the "it" pronoun for yourself and want to talk about yourself in Swedish, you're going to have to decide if you're a "det" or a "den".

If it's any help, the Swedish words for "thing", "machine", "computer", "car", "cat" and "dog" are "den" words, while the words for "tree", "animal", "lion", "house" and "table" are "det" words, just to pick a few examples from the top of my head. Different Swedish words for "creature" are either "den" or "det".

As a bonus, the term "doing it" as an euphemism for sex is "göra det" in Swedish.

And Stephen King's novel "It" has the title "Det" in Swedish.

[miaikon]

From learning a Sci-Fi script to picking up a Con-Lang (or, a very long very nerdy Star Wars rant)

I need to rant at this to the void, and this blog is my go-to for these things. I feel free to do so since no-one comes here anyways.

A bit of background

(or, the part you can skip if you want to get to the nerdy rant now): I've been into Star Wars on and off since my teens. I'm nearly 40, so that's a few decades. I do watch the new series, and became very fond of "The Mandalorian" really fast. In-between seasons, my spouse and I also re-watched most of Clone Wars. In early 2024, we started a Star Wars 5E TTRPG campaign with a friend, where my spouse DM's, Friend plays a Jedi, and I play a Mandalorian (and she's just so much FUN to play). My character is one I came up with around... 2017? Maybe? IDK if you can find her if you scroll down far enough. Currently re-designing her, though. I originally came up with her after working my way through the Travis books and becoming fascinated with Mandalorians for some reason.

Accidential Language Acquisition

My latest obsession (and distracion from the summer heat) started with me looking up some Mandalorian phrases and curses for RPG purposes. Yes, I know, none of this is canon any more. None of us cares. We kind of make our own canon. Then I found out there's a script - and I was lost. I loved codes and obscure scripts as a child, and I did learn to read Hiragana in my 20s, so how hard could this be? I looked for a chart and found this site, which offers practice reading (and a dictionary, amongst other stuff). So, I started learning the characters in, I think, late July. I read quite well by now, my writing does lag behind. Juuust... the practice phrases are written in the Mandalorian language.

I didn't set out to learn a constructed language. I really did not. I just wanted to know WHAT I was typing. So I looked up the sentences on the cheat-sheet after I got them right. And some words started repeating, and I picked them up. Kinda automatically. I swear, I only practice reading/ writing this for like 15 to 30 minutes a day. After a while, I half-understood what some sentences said. Reading Star Wars fanfiction did not help (or help a lot, depending on your POV) there. I looked up missing words, building a bit of a vocabulary. It's erratic still, but I noticed something. In conversations, my brain sometimes supplies the Mandalorian words I know now. (I usually do catch myself, although stuff tends to slip in when I'm alone with my spouse, to his amusement.) My language center does not know this is a con-lang, after all. I also tried to write a ransom note in Mandalorian, which was a fun experience (for a private project). Through fan fiction and looking up stuff, I also learned about the Legends version of Mandalorian culture. That stuff is fascinating, although I feel like a visitor to an abandoned city. Everyone's gone (since Legends is out of print and stuff is falling into obscurity), but it's still cool to look around. It gives me a kind of bittersweet, nostalgic feeling, too. So many passionate minds, and things I'm so happy to experience, but wished I knew about sooner. Aay'han, if you will, only it's memories I never made. Nostalgia for what could have been. Not gonna lie, I'm obsessed. It's a feeling I seldom get now, although it was quite frequent when I was a teen. It feels great and enjoyable and unhealthy and I think I need to stop. I'm an adult, and I'm too old to fangirl. Or, at least, I keep telling myself this.

Analyzing a Con-Lang because my nerd brain can't stop looking for patterns

Mandalorian actually HAS different words for the people, the planet, the ruler, and the language. Let me start with Manda, which is the collective soul (or the concept of) of the Mandalorian people. The people themselves are Mando'ade (Children of the Manda/ of Mandalore. Singular Mando'ad). The language is Mando'a (no clue why, language would be joha. Maybe Mando'joha was too long and it got shortened). The planet is Manda'yaim (yaim meaning home. Simple enough). The ruler is the Mand'alor (alor meaning, well, leader. Also simple).

Before long, my brain started making connections between some things. Simple things first - "Ke" or "K' " at the start of a sentence is always the imperative form of something ("Command form"). The words for "you", "I", and the third person pronoun. Then, between words, trying to fit new words with what I already know. Like [something] ad was most likely about people. I built myself bridges that are just theories - I am not a linguist in any fashion, and I'm just trying to make sense of what's there. Like mirsh meaning brain(cell), kot meaning strenght, and mirshko is courage - so, "brain-strength"?

And no, for all of you out there that are as nerdy as me, this is not a full language. There isn't a word for "call" or "get in contact with" I could find, for example. Some authors just wanted to add flair to their writing, so an incomplete thing is what we have. Even so, I am kind of hooked in the weirdest way. I play around, trying to make my own sentences and combined words. It's fun, and private, and nobody needs to know. Except for the two people I TTRPG with.

IDK any more where I wanted to go with this. There might be a part 2, someday. If anyone read this, I appreciate you. If anyone read this and had this weird kind of obsession happen to them as well, let's talk. It might just be the universe's weirdest midlife crisis.

[thank-heaven-you-asked]

btw

My comments thus far have been based around the subs that Hulu lists. I'm aware there are a couple of other translated subtitles floating around, and they may be better or they may be worse. I'm just working with what I've got.

[perfectlyripeclementine]

calling my lover "mine" but not in the way that my toothbrush or notebook are mine, mine in the way my neighborhood is mine, and also everybody else's, "mine" like mine to tend to, mine to care for, mine to love. "mine" not like possession but devotion.

[frenchiepal]

23.08.24 i am currently enjoying my exam/term paper-free life by working too much, cleaning to de-stress and finally getting back into reading (bought piranesi by susanna clarke yesterday, very excited). my first master's semester is slowly approaching and the courses all look promising. also, looking forward to autumn!

🎧 - the wolf by siamés

[prokopetz]

I love the euphemism "substance use" because truly, who among us has not used substances?

[mellxncollie]

PAINLAND WEEK - DAY TWO - MYTHS/LEGENDS → Sophus Helle, Gilgamesh — tablet XII, lines 87-95

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

hope you feel better soon!

I am riddled with ailments, but I stay silly!

[drumlincountry]

For example, I acquired English in Ireland, where we speak a number of overlapping dialects that get grouped under the title "Hyberno English".

Depending where you are in the country, you may hear things like "Are yous coming with me to the shops later?" "Did yiz both study biology?" "I heard ye two were away on holiday!"

These forms are often criticised as not "proper" English because of classism and such. But they ARE proper English and I suspect most dialects have them.

Also! If you answered yes, I'd love to learn what your second person plural pronoun is! Especially if I didn't list it above :>

[official-linguistics-post]

oh shit you're a doctor?

sure am, it only took 7 years and most of my sanity

[moist-duckling]

ngl, schwa is actually kinda mid.

[lonepower]

my dad and I just finished listening to a fascinating (and really pretty alarming) podcast about American literacy education recently—Sold a Story by Emily Hanford—and it got me wondering what my peers’ experience was, so here's my first poll! This pertains to people who learned to read in the U.S. specifically, so even if one of the other options matches your experience, I'd politely ask you to refrain from picking one (presumably you guys have better school districts than we do anyway). 

(the most horrifying part out of the entire thing was the fact that dubbya was the one to realize something was wrong. even a broken clock, I guess...?)

[exercise-of-trust]

ended up taking 2 months to finish but they're finally done! the roving is divine dyeworks oceana, 6oz of merino chain-plied to about 550 yards of light sport/heavy fingering. the streaks of green and purple ended up much less pronounced in the final yarn but honestly i'm fine with it; i like the more subtle heathered look.

[visualtaehyun]

ถ้ามีรุ้งด้วยก็คงจะดี /thaa mee rung duuay gaaw khohng ja dee/

รุ้ง /rung/ is a rainbow, the entire spectrum of light, all of the colors.

Rung is the name of Mork's sister. So what he says here, could also be read as:

"If Rung was here too, that would be nice."

You know how rainbows are formed? Light refracts in airborne water droplets. And you know what is made of such water droplets and can thus create a rainbow? หมอก /maawk/ - mist, fog, Mork.

It's not just Day who realized that he can still experience the world in all its beauty. I think Mork also realized that what matters is in your heart. Because he'll always carry Rung with him, wherever he goes.

Rung is all around them.

My usual disclaimer applies: not a native Thai speaker, still learning 🙏

[frenchiepal]

19.01.24 ☄��� crazy to think that the next time i won't be stressed is in *checks calendar* three months......

🎧 - voulez vous by abba

[sillylotrpolls]

What would the Elvish word for "blorbo" be?

Rather than having a set list of options, today's poll is open-ended! If you have a suggestion, post it in the comments or a reply.

I know we've got some serious Tolkien scholars here on tumblr, and I'd love to hear a breakdown of what exactly Jirt might have chosen to mean "favorite or beloved character" (definition courtesy Urban Dictionary).

Extra credit:

Is the word different in Sindarin/Quenya?

How would Tolkien use the word in a sentence?

If used as a name, would "Blorbo" be a dwarf or a hobbit?

If Tolkien were alive today, would he describe Lúthien as his "blorbo"?

What about Elvish words for "glup shitto," "skrunkly," and "woobie"?

If you don't know Elvish (and why would you?), an Elvish dictionary is available at www.elfdict.com.

Or, you can straight-up use Finnish and Welsh. Or, just make up something that sounds like a word Legolas might say. Open-ended means there's no limit to your choices. :)