Hispanic Heritage Month is more important than ever
What is National Hispanic Heritage Month? National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every year by all North Americans between September 15th to October 15th. The entire month is devoted to the celebration of the histories, cultures and contributions of the North American population whose ancestors originally came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and both Central […]
The Use of Voseo
Voseo involves the use of an alternate pronoun and conjugation of the second person singular form in some Spanish dialects. The majority of Spanish speakers use tú as the more intimate/familiar form of address; however, in countries where voseo is employed, the word “vos” is used alongside of or as a replacement for tú. While […]
Do you Write Correctly in English?
Even if you think you know how to write correctly in English, particularly if you are a native English speaker writing in English, there might be a number of things you are doing wrong on a regular basis having unwittingly falling into bad habits. English grammar is, when compared to most Latin-based languages, relatively straightforward, […]
Is Turkey the True Origin of Indo-European Languages?
Thanks to a recent study conducted by an international research team, headed up by psychologist Quentin Atkinson of the University of Auckland in New Zealand, new evidence suggests that present-day Turkey (which about 8,000 years ago was known as Anatolia) is the true origin of the Indo-European language family. The findings of this study have […]
The meaning of ‘pucho’
Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets of Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language in Argentina (especially in and around Buenos Aires) and Uruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a […]
Seal the Deal: Presenting and Following up on Translation Quotes
If you’re a freelance translator, you probably send out translation quotes several times a week. Chances are that you never hear back from some of those potential clients. What do you do in those situations? Do you contact the client, or do you let that project just slip away? Here are some tips to help […]
Use and Origin of the word “che”
It’s difficult to walk the streets of Buenos Aires without hearing the word “che” at some point. In fact, Spanish speakers in some countries such as Mexico so strongly associate this word with the people of Argentina that they’ll occasionally refer to an Argentine as “un che.” Although most commonly used in Argentina and Uruguay, […]
Can language affect how much you spend?
We all know environment plays a part in how we behave, but how does our mother tongue affect our attitude towards money? New research claims the language we speak affects our saving habits. This article gives a summary of the differences between Chinese and English in a financial context. Futureless language Keith Chen, a professor […]
Five Networking Tips for Translators
Translation work can be pretty lonesome sometimes. High speed internet connection at home, a professional email for work purposes and a reliable computer is all that the qualified translator needs on a daily basis. If he or she isn’t careful, it can be very easy to become a kind of recluse and feel fairly isolated […]
A Linguistic Feature of Rioplatense Spanish: Hablar en capicúa
Rioplatense or River Plate Spanish, the dialect of Spanish spoken in and around Buenos Aires, Argentina, is characterized by a number of features, most notably the use of voseo and Lunfardo slang; however, a lesser-known phenomenon called “hablar en capicúa” or “hablar en sánguche” also exists within the dialect. Hablar en capicúa (known in English […]
