Today there are between 6,000 and 8,000 languages spoken in the world, depending, amongst other things, on how one distinguishes a ‘dialect’ from a ‘language’—social and political considerations are often wont to intervene. Of these extant languages, around 82% are spoken by populations of less than 100,000 people, 39% are spoken by less than 10,000 people, and 8% of the world’s languages are considered to be endangered, with one language dying out around every 10 days or so, on some estimates. Prior to 1492, with Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas marking the beginning of western imperialism by European kingdoms, there were probably twice as many languages as there are today. And projecting backwards through time, there may have existed as many as half a million languages in total, since the advent of Homo sapiens, some 200,000 or so years ago.
Dirty Little Secrets for Translators
Jan
According to Djikic and Oatley’s analysis, there are 3 aspects of art in literature that can affect not only short-term but longer-range changes in personality.
- Literary fiction puts us inside the minds of others. Fiction, compared to non-fiction, gives us the opportunity to explore the subjective world of its characters. Reading fiction gives you social expertise, just the way that reading about science or history allows you to gain strengths in those areas.
- Literature can temporarily destabilize personality. The style, figurative expressions, and invitations to involve the reader all help to put readers through an emotional roller coaster similar to what they might experience if they were the protagonists. Like dance or music, well-written narrative fiction can put you in a frame of mind that allows you to open yourself up to inner experiences.
- Artistic literature is an indirect communication method. Unlike advertising, scientific writing, or propaganda, artistic literature offers cues and “invite[s] readers to draw their own inferences” (p. 502). By engaging the reader in drawing inferences about what characters in their stories are feeling, artistic literature is very much like a conversation. It’s through talking to others that we learn to understand how and why people feel the way they do; literature operates through the same principles.
Jan
Dog
Pros: Unconditionally loving, bright, happy to be with you; often good at taking orders. Excellent company when one is feeling the dreaded Freelance Isolation. Need for walks encourages exposure to sunlight, preventing rickets.
Cons: So social. So so endlessly social. Why did you leave the office if you’re constantly to be accosted every time you get up from your chair by a friendly busybody who wants to know where you’re going, please, and hey are you getting something to eat, and can I come can I come can I come? Predisposed to consume everything and anything, including deeply indigestible items that will then cause predictable, unpleasant stomach upset all over your carpet. Also, may eat you if you die.
Jan
In 1880 a Bavarian priest created a language that he hoped the whole world could use. He mixed words from French, German and English and gave his creation the name Volapük, which didn’t do it any favors. Worse, Volapük was hard to use, sprinkled with odd sounds and case endings like Latin.
It made a splash for a few years but was soon pushed aside by another invented language, Esperanto, which had a lyrical name and was much easier to master. A game learner could pick up its rules of usage in an afternoon.
Jan
Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey about the use of accounting tools:
Our Blog
This is the new home of Dirty Little Secrets for Translators, our wordpress blog.
