Croqueta, azotea and coco: Some lunfardo words for head
Lunfardo is a rich and often slyly humorous dialect, and nowhere is its imaginative use of language more evident than with the plethora of words it has for “head” (cabeza in standard Spanish). As can be expected, many of these terms are related to its shape: coco – coconut mate – the hollowed-out gourd used […]
Pronouncing the Spanish B and V: No more confusion!
Among the challenges facing Spanish language learners is that of learning to pronounce words with letters whose pronunciations in Spanish differ from those in English. Some of these differences are well-known, and many learners begin their first lessons already aware that the Spanish “j” sounds somewhat like the English “h” and that the pronunciation of […]
What language did Jesus speak?
During Pope Francis’ last visit to the Holy Land on 24th-26th May, a linguistic issue made an unexpected appearance in a pilgrimage described by the Pontiff as a “great grace” and an opportunity to “pray for peace” in the Middle East. Only minutes after the first public encounter between Pope Francis and the Israeli Prime […]
That little funny word that’s truly universal
According to a recent study, love may be the universal language and a kiss may be a universal way of showing affection, but there’s a funny, little word that’s truly universal. A group of Dutch researches traveled round the world and interacted with native speakers of 10 different languages both in large cities and small […]
Up the apples, she’s got a lovely pair of bacons – what do East Londoners mean?
Cockney rhyming slang is jam-packed with references to fruit, vegetables and other kinds of foods. This East London working-class slang, structured around a simple rhyming system, was the East Londoner’s language code which prevented bosses, the police and other authority figures from understanding what was being said. Some of the most popular food-related cockney rhyming […]
“Agarrate Catalina”: What does it mean and where does it come from?
“Agarrate, Catalina,” is another widely-used, Argentine lunfardo expression, probably dating back to the 1940s and the story of a young circus artist called, Catalina. The legend describes the young Catalina as one of the youngest members of a family of trapeze artists in a circus which used to frequent the Porteño neighborhoods of Buenos Aires […]
Is knowing just two languages enough?
In the 21st century, thanks to the economic and business-related effects of globalization, knowing how to speak, read, listen and write in just two languages is simply not enough. It’s not enough to guarantee success for recent graduates who are applying for a job or for professionals who are looking to climb further up the […]
Innovative student slang software helps UK teachers to monitor online bullying
Jonathan Valentine, the founder of Impero, is one of the brains behind a new kind of software program which is being used in schools to monitor the behavior of students who might be self-harming, engaging in under-age sexual activity and bullying via online media. Language develops fast and there’s nothing which develops at such a […]
The auditory brain was designed to hear music, not speech
Charles Limb, an otolaryngological surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, has reason to believe that the human auditory system was meant for greater things than understanding language and speech. For Limb, language is nothing but “a happy byproduct” of our true aural capacity. Were we meant for more than just speech? Language, for many […]
What are the Top Language Industry Trends of 2014?
Advances in technology, in particular mobile technology, combined with the constant growth in social media communication, are the two driving forces behind the expected demand for professional language and translation services in 2014. Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net According to Renato Beninatto, the CMO of Moravia, we will see “major growth in the [language] industry this […]
