zompist bboard

Ideophones was a good episode. I think my favorite ones have been the ones about weird little traits or subsystems of languages that are often neglected, like Kinship or Ideophones, where the tendency would be to ignore it or unthinkingly relex English. More so than when you tackle big, unavoidable ...

Culinary fruit are often cooked: ever had an apple pie or a blueberry muffin? I suspect that the English category "fruit" includes botanical fruit that is used in stereotypically sweet or dessert-like dishes, whereas "vegetable" is more about non-grain plant parts that are used as staples. Bitter pl...

pebble > counting token > counter > scribe or accountant > long-faced > something long > be long > be long and thin > something long, thin, and straight > stick, staff, or rod > club > mace

Next word: mace.

The stronger versions of Sapir-Whorf aren't worth much, but some of the weaker forms are interesting. I like the idea that language less restricts what can be thought, than enables it. That by codifying concepts, language enables people to understand and manipulate ideas more easily. Somewhat as in ...

The stronger versions of Sapir-Whorf aren't worth much, but some of the weaker forms are interesting. I like the idea that language less restricts what can be thought, than enables it. That by codifying concepts, language enables people to understand and manipulate ideas more easily. Somewhat as in ...

Omitting "before" omits the implication of a current or near-future visit to Iowa. It is merely a statement/question about previous actions without implication or emphasis.

complex (adj). > decorative pattern > interlaced pattern > woven pattern > weave > insert > have sex > procreate > be pregnant > bear (a child) > bear (a load) > carry

Next word: to carry.

be balanced on something > move across a narrow surface (such as a branch) > cross a rope or log bridge > cross a bridge or boundary > make a transition > become an adult > an adult > a person

Next word: a person.

Have you been to Iowa before? The questioner knows that the addressee is in Iowa, is on his way to Iowa, or is going to Iowa very soon. He is asking whether, prior to this trip to Iowa, the addressee has been to Iowa on a previous occasion. Have you been to Iowa yet? The questioner knows the addres...

It's pretty remarkable that Inuit English has 40 words for snow sandwiches.

I grew up in Oklahoma, and I'd say the sandwich in the OP was a sub. The kind of meal sold by Subway. When I was 15, I moved to and Ohio River town in Kentucky, and there was a sandwich shop there that sold things called "hoagies". I wasn't sure what those were, they looked an awful lot like subs. W...

My understanding is that birds and mammals have entirely different organs: birds have a syrinx, mammals have a larynx.A syrinx can do stuf like make two different sounds at the same time, or something. I don't know about reptiles and crocodiles.

Insects can make sounds very differently.

Bikini Atoll > bikini (swimwear) > bikini bottom > underwear > granny panties > thermal underwear > layered clothing (for cold weather) > heavy clothing > a parka > a creature that moves awkwardly > a walrus

Next word: walrus

bifurcating > branching > an offshoot (from the main trunk) > a small waterway that feeds into a large river > a small creek or stream > a lick or ephemeral stream > a wadi, arroyo, or gulch > a valley > a terraced valley > agricultural terraces > cultivated field.

Next word: cultivated field.

How does our language shape the way we think? by Lera Boroditsky

Inuit doesn't have a high number of root words for snow, but it can derive a wide variety of terms for snow, much as English can in terms like "powdery snow". It's the nature of the polysynthetic morphology that Inuit has tons of words for snow. They have tons of words for everything else, too. Wiki...

I usually hoard a few episodes on my iPod and "catch up" every few weeks when I have a bunch of stuff to do in the kitchen.

I just had a brief look through them, with attention to Northeast Asia and the Russian Far East (where there are lots of language isolates, unclassified languages, or languages of dubious affiliation). It's a really worthwhile to break groups out by geographical region in a better way than "by count...

ronp wrote:I’ll report back on the survey findings in due time.

Please do!

Sharshali was such an awesome idea.

meta- (changed/altered) "metaphysics" > meta- (abstract conception of) "metaphysics" > essential nature > spirit of > ghost > undead creature > zombie.

Next word: zombie.

My tips were to learn the native script first, learn the sounds of the language, and use SRS, IIRC. SRS is mostly used by people studying Japanese, especially for studying the 2000 kanji. I learned about 300 kanji from placenames and such when I lived there, but it's really difficult to push to 1000...

barley > a grain of barley > a grain (unit of mass) > a grain (specific weight) of precious metal > a coin > wealth > wealthy > lordly > imperious > tyrannical > a tyrant

next word: planet

I'm only curious as to whether your father is filthy and wants a bath, or hungry and wants some dinner.

Done!