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Day: June 1, 2017

What are some words or phrases that are only used in your region?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: English, Linguistics

Let us now praise Australian hypocoristics. Or Diminutives in Australian English. I’ve seen hypocoristic used here, because the Australian forms aren’t used like normal diminutives, to indicate that something is cute or small; hence bikie “member of a motorcycle club, with a connotation of involved in criminal activity”. Of course, hypocoristic is just Greek for […]

What’s the most unusual script/alphabet?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Other Languages, Writing Systems

A close companion to What in your opinion is the ugliest/most unappealing script? Cultural familiarity is going to defuse anyone’s opinion; so you won’t get many responses nominating Latin, or anything originating on the same continent as Latin. Is it Lontara alphabet, optimised to be written on palm leaves? Is it Vai syllabary, which aesthetically […]

Could toponyms “Trebižat” (in Herzegovina) and “Trebizond” (in Turkey) be related?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Linguistics, Other Languages

Trebizond is derived from the Ancient Greek Trapezous (genitive Trapezountos, hence Modern Greek Trapezounda), meaning ‘table-like’, and referring to the mountain formation in the area. Per People and Culture: Trebižat River, There are two theories on how the river got its name. The first one says that it was named “Trebižat” because it escapes from […]

Can hendiadys ever have singular agreement?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Ancient Greek, Linguistics

Found one! 1 Corinthians 15:50 Τοῦτο δέ φημι, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύναται, οὐδὲ ἡ φθορὰ τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομεῖ. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” The verb for cannot is singular in the Greek. See also […]

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