Zompist Bboard Again

I just learned that Yaqui has the same word for "quickly" and "slowly", and that you use hand gestures to differentiate between the two meanings. I'd like a source on that one. It's unsourced on Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com (and one probably got it from t'other) and nothing's ...

the most exotic will surely be the bilingual dictionary between two conlangs... I don't know, I think that's a niche that would probably get filled. Two "franchise" constructed languages would be very unlikely, like Dothraki and Klingon. Esperanto - Toki Pona or something really wouldn't ...

You could try the CBB. Good call. I tried to do something similar a few years ago and had to abandon it and go for a questionnaire-type thing. I think I had one or two people from here (maybe Sal and Pthag? I don't remember) but not nearly enough for what I intended. Have you tried going round wher...

f place names ending in - n like Thüringen and Köln . Funny considering that Köln is ultimately another import from Latin! That was my guess before I looked it up. I've had a few glasses of wine and apparently German etymological dictionaries are how the cool dudes spend their Saturday nights.

My gut said no , not least because - am isn't - en and that's a bit of a stretch. I assumed it was to fit the pattern of place names ending in - n like Thüringen and Köln . Grimm has a detailed account of the history of Spanien and it looks like I was right! der im mhd. übliche nom. sing. wurde dann...

Clan membership isn't conveyed by marriage so I know I couldn't get away with it, which is why I gave it away to his nephew after the second memorial service on the West Coast. Besides, I've spent my life rejecting the whole notion of wearing a kilt because "my ancestors could afford pants&quo...

My favourite wedding dress code ever was "creative formal", which my hosts described as "where whatever you want as long as *you* feel dressed up". We had everything from black tie to kimonos. It gave me a chance to show off the new kurta an Indian friend had just had made for m...

I'm getting married next year(ish) and we have discussed giving out dress code instructions at random, with incredibly precise instructions. One third festival chic, one third black tie, one third dress-as-your-favourite-pokémon etc. I'm campaigning for a big piss-up in a field or going to Las Vegas...

I think that the native Latin transcription is the best, as the phonology has been made to be unpleasant to the human ear, as the transcription is to the human eye ... You can otherwise try to do worse ... I enjoyed making a pseudo-French orthography as I felt that it clashed with the archetypal Kl...

My abomination. stops p b t ɖ q ʔ affric tɬ tʃ dʒ fric v ʂ x ɣ qχ liquid l r nasal m n ŋ semvw w y Vowels ɪ ɛ a u o p b t d qu gn tr tch de v si c(i,e, ê) ç(a,o,u) g qui l r m n ng ou u i ê a ou o (/oy/ = oue) ( e interserted to avoid confusion after digraphs or to disinguish vowels (e.g. o+u = oeu)...

Speaking of politics in Pratchett, does anyone else have the impression that Sourcery and Pyramids have basically exact opposite apparent messages? I mean, the main message of Sourcery appears to be "leave everything as it is, and don't try anything new", and then along comes Pyramids and...

The Fifth Elephant > Reaper Man > Night Watch > Lords and Ladies > Pyramids, and then maybe sixth place would be a battle between Feet of Clay, Hogfather, Maskerade and Small Gods. But to be honest, depending on mood, most of the ones on that list could change positions. [and if I were ranking qual...

Linguoboy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 17, 2018 11:58 amStill I'd rather listen to Le Kov, the new electropop album from Gwenno entirely in Cornish.

She got a fair bit of radio play on BBC 6Music here. Decent album!

Doesn't that mean skipping Reaper Man and Witches Abroad? Thanks. Good call. I had them in the wrong order. Rincewind is my favourite though. That's okay! I'm sure you've got a lovely personality. Actually, a friend of mine really likes him and had the very surreal and wonderful experience of Tony ...

I've read the Fifth Elephant, too. That was good. I really like Lady Sybille as a character, partly because I know people rather like her. That was possibly the last one I read "as they came out". I know I've not read Night Watch. I remember it being out and thinking I should read it, beca...

It helps to see it as not 're-using' but as 'homaging' or 'creating a running gag': I find the injokes get funnier precisely because they're repeated. It does help, I think, to avoid 'reading guides' and just read through in order (maybe skipping a few early on), so that you don't read all the watc...

I'm taking a break from reading the Discworld series to take a break from reading the Song of Fire and Ice books by reading the Lord of the Rings . I'll work my way back up eventually. SOFAI: Enjoyable but arduous. Excellently paced chapters and good characterisation, so far, but I gather it gets a ...

Basics Username: Gulliver Name: Gulliver Other nicknames (including good stories, if you have any): I usually just use my name... Birthplace: The flat bit in on the East of England Place of residence: The Wild Wild West Country Any particular reason you live there now? It's where my house is. I hav...