January 2009 World Clock: TIMES SQUARE
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Ah yes, it is THAT time of year again...time to put away the holiday decorations (and extra large buffet tables) and dust off those resolutions (again). The new year always brings with it optimism, hope and a new tear-a-day desk calendar. But what year does that calendar show? Almost all of the world would agree that we now find ourselves in the year 2009, but some cultures seem to be stuck in a year long gone or are way more advanced than the number this more common year may suggest. (Click here to read the full article)
Glückwünsche! Felicitaciones! Congratulations...go out to Jill Bassett of Safer Systems. Jill was the first person to spot the typo we hid in our newsletter (and tell us about it). Finding typos is not always easy, because our brains tend to want to read what it thinks should be there and not always what is actually there. For being so attentive, Jill will receive a 10% discount off her next translation project with us. If you want to get in on the fun, we have hidden another typo in this month's newsletter. Find it and be the first to tell us by email (ink@translators.com), and you'll get a discount on your next project too! Viel Glück! Bonne chance! Good luck!
Languages, just like people, die. When the last native speaker of a particular language dies, with them dies the language too. Actually, in terms of linguistics, a dead language is one that is no longer spoken as a main language by anyone. A language is said to become "extinct" when it is completely replaced by another language or is no longer used at all for scientific, legal or ritualistic purposes (such as in religious ceremonies). (Click here to read the full article)
Hungarian plum dumplings (szilvas gomboc) are a great warm treat during the cold winter months
Happy New Anus! ...uh...what?! You know those pesky and seemingly insignificant accent marks some languages INSIST on having? No, they were not put in by your high school Spanish teacher to make your life miserable, nor were they invented by Microsoft to sell more multilingual keyboards (we think)...they are there for another important reason. Some change the sounds of words and some, like that squiggly mark (known as a "tilde") over the 'n' in Feliz Año Nuevo ('Happy New Year' in Spanish) can have a big impact on the meaning, because, without it, you'd be wishing your listener 'Happy New Anus' and unless you are a very good proctologist, it's probably not what you intended.
H.U.H.? Say W.H.A.? Those pesky acronyms. They seem to B.E. everywhere these days. Have you ever wondered what the heck someone was trying to tell you with a group of capitalized letters? Wonder no M.O.R.E. - we've found a N.E.A.T. online T.O.O.L. that removes A.L.L. the guesswork. It's also F.U.N. and F.R.E.E.!
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