Awareness of the outside world. The six official languages of the UN are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, & Spanish. “A delegate may speak in any official UN language. The speech is interpreted simultaneously into the other official languages of the UN. At times, a delegate may choose to make a statement using a non-official language. In such cases, the delegation must provide either an interpretation or a written text of the statement in one of the official languages. Most UN documents are issued in all six official languages, requiring translation from the original document.” UN: Official Languages
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Skipping State of The Blog this month. Nothing of note to say on the subject. [Archives]
Writing about other writing instead.
In Language Writer: Let me mnow your mnemonics!, Gaston Dorren talks about the “mnemonic device known as ‘bridge for donkeys’ in German and Dutch: an artificial and often tenuous, but helpful connexion between the hard word and something familiar.” LW: mnemonics
I don’t know another language well enough – despite years of study – that I need such a device. The essay caused me to recall other ways I get around the short circuits in my own brain.
Merriam-Webster defines mnemonic as “assisting or intended to assist memory.” MW: mnemonic
When I was a kid – maybe 2nd grade? – I had trouble with lower case b and lower case d. On their own in space, they were indistinguishable to me. Fortunately, I had a friend name Robin. (Waves hi, wherever you are.) Let’s say I was going for a B. If I put it in her name and it came out Rodin, I knew it was wrong. No other letters, just those two, for long enough that I can still recall doing the mental exercise.
That was then. This is now.
On the blog, I wrote Coach Courtney as Couch Courtney so often that one reader (waves hi) thought it was an inside joke. Nope. Just me not having a clue. Couch? Coach? Shrug. All I know is that when I refer to the lady who teaches me saddle seat, the vowels should not match. C*OA*ch C*OU*rtney.
I mistype were & where. I have no idea why. I don’t even see it. This one I have to rely on my beta reader (waves hi) catching once the post is published. Oops.
Do you use any mnemonics?
Non-fiction 4U
Donkey dude’s website, Gaston Dorren, Language Writer. Article by, Aeon: Talking gibberish, The study of languages has long been prone to nonsense. Why is linguistics such a magnet for dilettantes and crackpots? Book mentioned previously. [Danish Horses Say Vrinsk]
Gretchen McCulloch, Internet Linguist. “I’m the Resident Linguist at WIRED, where I write a column about internet language.” & “Assorted other bylines” GM: Writing
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 