Dialect Survey Results

Dialect Survey Results

This is one of the coolest things on language dialects that I’ve ever seen.  A whole bunch of tiny differences all mapped out across the USA.  Just change the question in the dropdown menu on the left, and look at the map on the right.  Both composite and individual maps are available.

soft drink

 

Via kottke.

Twenty five letters only

Here is my try on this tricky puzzle:

There are 26 letters in the English language, and we need every single one of them. Want proof? Choose a letter and write a blog post without using it. (Feeling really brave? Make it a vowel!)

You see, I only quoted the post for some context. There’s no problem, I think. More so, for someone who’s mother tongue is different.  I come from Russki territories. We use letters which were borrowed from Greece.  We just exploded them from twenty four to thirty three. Possibly, there is our lesson of unneeded letters.  We will survive with more.  We will survive with less. There is no problem.

I’m only trying things out here.  It looks like I might do this forever.

Now, going back.  It’s not difficult. You only need to word thoughts differently.  The use of tools like Internet (World Wide Web) or word lists might help.  Even with the vowels.  I should refer you to the letter frequency resource.  The letter I’m ignoring is the second most used.  (Much less so in this post.)  But I write just fine without it.  It is limiting, tricky even.  However one could get used to it.

Do you think it’s worth the try?  Try.  Let me know in the comments how it goes.

P.S.: The URLs of the links I do not control.

Learn Chinese in 5 minutes

I’ve been looking for this for some time.  I only remembered “sum sing wong”, but I knew there were more.  Today, while on the corporate chat discussing what to order from Chinese for lunch, someone pasted the links to Part 1 and Part 2.  My favorite ones are below:

  • That’s not right : Sum Ting Wong
  • See me ASAP: Kum Hia Nao
  • I thought you were on a diet: Wai Yu Mun Ching
  • Our meeting is scheduled for next week: Wai Yu Kum Nao
  • Give me the money! : Pei Nau
  • Where’s the restroom: Ai Pe Nau
  • Your price is too high: Ai No Bai Dam Ting
  • I am not guilty: Wai Hang Mi
  • Having an early orgasm: Kum Tu Suun
  • Now I understand: Ai See Nau

Share yours in the comments!

P.S.: And if you want to continue along the same line but with pictures, make sure to check out Engrish.