#Language Preservation

[womenaremypriority]

Interested in linguistics? Want to watch a bunch of lovely, everyday women talking with not much else happening? Do I have the youtube channel for you!

This one is too short 😭 ^

The woman here talks at the start but spends most of the video singing, it’s beautiful

Thankfully this video is so long!

This one is so surreal for me because the rhythm and tone and whatnot are so English-sounding but it’s very much not English.

This is so soothing. She reads a book near the end and the way her voice drifts from English to Shetlandic is soooo lovely.

This is so long! I knew this channel was a blessing but most videos are quite short, it’s so amazing when they’re able to get a lot. Unfortunately only a few of these have optional subtitles to turn on, either in the language being spoken or English. There are auto-generated ones but I’d imagine those are quite inaccurate. I believe they’re looking for more translators to help, however.

This is an odd post but I genuinely just love these videos and watching them. Especially when they’re women, I love how different and interesting women are. I had to share because I know radblr is full of smart women who are interested in supporting other women.

[dontforgetukraine]

russia has damaged around 1,000 Ukrainian libraries and ruined around 200 million Ukrainian books since 2022.

[phonaesthemes]

Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk was 22 years old in 1953 when Catholic missionaries in Nunavik, the Inuit homeland in what is now northern Quebec, came to her asking for help in learning her native language. Nappaaluk started by writing down sentences in Inuktitut syllabics, using as many words as she could find. She eventually let her mind wander and started inventing characters, imagining the life of an independent young woman named Sanaaq. Nappaaluk ended up working on the story for more than 20 years, while also raising seven children, working as a teacher and spending summers in the family’s hunting camp. The writing was interrupted by two trips south to receive treatment for tuberculosis — the first a five-year stint, the second for six months — during the TB epidemic of the 1950s and ‘60s. When Nappaaluk returned to Nunavik, it was rapidly changing, as southern business interests, agents for the federal government and missionaries reshaped life in the North. She worked her impressions of these changes into the story. The result was Sanaaq, the first novel written in Inuktitut syllabics in Canada. It was published in Inuktitut in 1984 and has since been translated into both French and English. It is considered a classic of Inuit literature.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The galaxy of Star Wars is expanding once again as plans take shape to translate the original 1977 Hollywood hit into the Ojibwe language. Lucasfilm, the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council and the University of Manitoba said they’ve reached an agreement to record a dubbed Ojibwe version of Star Wars: A New Hope. The first film in George Lucas’ popular sci-fi series introduces many of the beloved characters, including Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca.

Continue Reading

Tagging @politicsofcanada

[sefaradweb]

Learning Ladino

Ladino, also referred to as Judeo-Spanish or Judezmo, serves as the linguistic heritage of Sephardic Jews, or Sepharadim, descending from the Iberian Peninsula, which encompasses present-day Spain and Portugal. Following their expulsion from Spain in 1492, Sepharadim dispersed throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and beyond, predominantly finding refuge in the Ottoman Empire. It was within this diverse cultural milieu that Ladino emerged, blending Spanish and other Iberian languages with a robust infusion of Hebrew-Aramaic elements, while also incorporating linguistic influences from the surrounding Mediterranean regions such as Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, and Arabic. Embracing versatility, Ladino became the language of everyday life, spanning from domestic settings to public spaces like markets and synagogues, and encompassing various aspects of culture including humor, politics, and literature.

[polyglot-thought]

Critically Endangered Language Introduction:

Ainu Language

アイヌ・イタㇰ

Photos provided by AMNH

Some information about the Ainu language:

It’s critically endangered, meaning there are very few native speakers left, who are also elderly, and young people are not picking up the language. Ainu doesn’t have its own original writing system, so Latin script and a modified version of Katakana are used. For this post I will be using both Latin and Katakana script. You can read more about the Ainu language and people on Wikipedia, here and here.

Example Words & Phrases ↓

Provided by Wikitravel at this link

Irankarapte

イランカラㇷ゚テ

Hello/Nice to meet you

E=iwanke ya?

エイワンケ　ヤ？

How are you?

Ku=iwanke, iyairaykere

クイワンケ、イライライケレ

Fine, thank you

E=re hemanta ya?

エレ　ヘマンテ　ヤ？

What is your name?

K=ani anakne ______ ku=ne

カニ　アナㇰネ　_____　クネ

My name is ______ .

E

エ

Yes

Somo

ソモ

No

Amerika-itak

アメリカイタㇰ

English Language (literally: “America Language”)

Kunne

クンネ

Black

Retar

レタㇻ

White

Katuwa

カツ゚ワ

Grey

toy-haru

トィハル

(fresh) vegetables

nikaop

ニカオㇷ゚

(fresh) fruit

Please correct me if I made a mistake

[roggnar]

Learning Icelandic can be difficult, and so in some posts I make - I plan on adding English sounds underneath the words. Spoken Icelandic is different than written Icelandic and I hope it helps people learn pronunciation better! As well as adding a little explanation underneath for a deeper understanding of the language.

Example:

Ég skil ekki (Ye skill ehhkey) “I don’t understand”

The g after the letter é is often so soft it might as well be silent.

The “ehh” is because before a double letter, you must let out a breath or else it becomes a different word! If you were to say “eggi” or “ehgi” then you’re saying the word egg, not “don’t” - so it is always better to over exaggerate this breath than not do it at all, or else you’re saying “I egg understand.”

A single L is often a long L sound when it is at the end of a word.

[languagexs]

Exploring the Rich Language Diversity of Algeria: Standard

Opening Algeria’s Berber Language Tapestry Algeria’s rich cultural fabric is intricately woven with diverse linguistic threads, each one a vibrant strand contributing to the nation’s unique identity. Among these linguistic gems lies Standard Algerian Berber, a standardized variety of the Berber language that has gained prominence in recent years.This essay explores the fascinating realm of…

[dougielombax]

Oh shit.

Idk how I missed this until now.

Hopefully this is a start of something bigger for preservation of the Syriac language in Iraq.

[polyglotabc]

Beyond Just Hand Gestures

Discover the vibrant world of Deaf culture and the rich language of sign language in our latest post, a journey into the heart of a unique and diverse community.

Exploring the Depths of Sign Language Introduction The Multidimensional Nature of Sign Language Hand Gestures: The Foundation Facial Expressions: The Emotional Context Body Language: The Supporting Pillar The Diversity of Sign Languages The Role of Culture in Sign Language Technology and Sign Language Conclusion Summary Further Reading Book Recommendations Featured…

[womenaremypriority]

this is (one of) my favorite youtube channels

[dontforgetukraine]

"Russian-ruined cultural and educational institutions urgently need fiction, educational and historical literature. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian forces have destroyed or damaged nearly a thousand libraries, resulting in the loss of over 200 million Ukrainian books. Our mission is to restore these library collections as fully as possible and make it a national priority."

—Taras Kremin, State Language Protection Commissioner

Source: Ukraine's language commissioner reveals number of libraries destroyed by Russia since the start of full-scale invasion

[hurricanewindattack]

Very cool to see these language preservation and tbh improvement efforts by using an existing foreign script to make it more usable day-to-day! It still has 80,000 speakers, so admittedly it is not as good as dead as the video makes it out to be, but it could have been gone soon were it not for the efforts of this guy!

But annoyed at the belittling of the language by calling it a 'dialect' (if it was, I'm sure a script could be borrowed from an adjacent dialect of the same language!)

[portland-sunshine]

Oh! Hey! Do you want to learn another Native language that is in danger of extinction? There is a free Chinuk Wawa (Chinook Jargon) dictionary app! It's the original language of the Pacific Northwest and it's beautiful and I want more people to learn it with me!

😭😭

[iloveethnicities]

"She gorn by de shop, she coming back soon."

Bahamian Creole, also referred to as Bahamian Dialect, is an English-based creole widely spoken in the Bahamas. It emerged from a combination of English, African linguistic influences, and features of other Caribbean creoles. The language developed during the colonial period as enslaved Africans adapted English while infusing it with grammatical and phonological elements of their native languages.

Phrase Analysis

a) "She gorn"

— "She": In Bahamian Creole, pronouns are often the same as in Standard English but are used with different syntactic or pragmatic purposes. "She" here replaces "she has" or "she is" in Standard English.

— "Gorn": This is a non-standard representation of the word "gone". The vowel shift and omission of the final -e are characteristic of creole phonology, which simplifies or alters certain vowel and consonant sounds for ease of articulation.

b) "by de shop"

— "By": Unlike Standard English, where "by" often indicates proximity, in Bahamian Creole, "by" is used in contexts where Standard English would use "at" or "to." This demonstrates semantic broadening of the preposition.

— "De": The definite article "the" is pronounced as "de". This aligns with phonological patterns across English-based creoles, where voiced dental fricatives like /ð/ in "the" become /d/.

— "Shop": Retains its Standard English meaning but reflects how Bahamian Creole vocabulary is largely derived from English roots.

c) "she coming back soon"

— "She coming": Here, "she" functions as the subject pronoun without the auxiliary "is". This is a common feature of Bahamian Creole, where the auxiliary verb for progressive aspects (e.g., "is") is omitted. This simplification is typical in many creoles.

— "Back": Retains its Standard English use but often functions more flexibly in creole constructions, emphasizing the return action.

— "Soon": Carries the same semantic meaning as in Standard English but appears in a contextually redundant phrase. The redundancy enhances emphasis and reflects oral traditions of repetition for clarity or stylistic effect.

Grammatical Features

— Tense and Aspect: The phrase reflects a simplification of tense markers. Instead of using auxiliary verbs like "is" or "has", Bahamian Creole relies on context and adverbs (e.g., "soon") to indicate temporal relationships.

— Subject-Pronoun Agreement: While the pronouns remain Standard English, the agreement patterns differ. For example, "she" is used consistently, even in contexts where Standard English might prefer "her" (as in object positions).

— Article Simplification: The definite article "the" becomes "de", demonstrating phonological reduction, a common feature of creoles.

Phonological Features

— Consonant Simplification: Words like "gone" become "gorn" through vowel shifts and the influence of local accent patterns.

— Dental Consonants: The dental fricative /ð/ in "the" simplifies to /d/, as "de". This is due to a lack of voiced dental fricatives in many African languages, which influences the creole phoneme inventory.

Sociolinguistic Insights

— Code-Switching: Speakers of Bahamian Creole often switch between the creole and Standard English depending on formality and context. The use of a phrase like this is highly context-driven, often signaling intimacy, informality, or solidarity.

— Identity and Resistance: The maintenance of distinct linguistic features in Bahamian Creole represents cultural resilience and a strong Afro-Bahamian identity, despite the historical dominance of English.

Comparison to Other Creoles

Bahamian Creole shares many features with other Caribbean English-based creoles, such as Jamaican Patois or Trinidadian Creole. However, it is distinct in its pronunciation and vocabulary influenced by the Bahamian setting, including proximity to the United States and historical migration patterns.

Overall Linguistic Significance

This simple phrase encapsulates the essence of Bahamian Creole: a dynamic, rule-governed system that combines English vocabulary with African-derived grammar and phonology. Its construction reflects a creole's role as both a functional language and a marker of cultural identity.

[trendynewsnow]

Preserving Cia-Cia Language Through Hangul Education

A Unique Classroom Experience Excitement buzzed through the classroom as the day’s lesson commenced. Every desk was adorned with a paper nameplate, each inscribed with the occupant’s name in the elegant Korean script known as Hangul. Before long, the students eagerly followed their instructor’s guidance, carefully tracing the distinctive curves and lines of the characters in their notebooks.…