I'm a strong believer in the power of language.If you can express yourself clearly and coherently you are more likely to avoid problems and misunderstandings.It's also a lot easier to communicate with people when there is less ambiguity.Unfortunately a LOT of people seem to have serious issues with spelling. I think we all make mistakes from time to time and confuse words a … [Read more...] about Common Spelling / Grammar Mistakes
Linguistics
Andalus – Moors and Contemporary Spain
Image via WikipediaIf you've spent any length of time in Spain you cannot escape the Moorish influence. While the more obvious traces can be found in Andalucia, with Granada's Alhambra, the influences on both culture and language run a lot deeper.Jason Webster's book Andalus attempts to explore the legacy of the Moorish conquest of Spain and its legacy hundreds of years later … [Read more...] about Andalus – Moors and Contemporary Spain
WordPress.com Censoring Blog Content?
I came across this earlier this evening.I don't use certain types of language in my own writing and have mentioned this more than once in the past, but can a company offering a blog hosting service suspend a site for language use?Where exactly do you draw the line?What exactly is "offensive"?Thoughts on a postcard .... … [Read more...] about WordPress.com Censoring Blog Content?
When is accreditation meaningless?
One of the things that annoys me with marketing is the abuse of language. In some instances, however, I can understand why they have done it.If you take a word that is normally associated with a particular type of situation and conditions and juxtapose it "correctly", you can achieve a very subtle goal - value where there is none.The usage of the word "accreditation" is a good … [Read more...] about When is accreditation meaningless?
Saying I Love You
Somebody on Facebook sent me a message with how to say "I love you" in a fairly impressive selection of languages. I've no idea who it was, but here's what the message was in case you're feeling inventive come Valentine's Day:Afrikaans - Ek het jou liefAlbanian - Te duaArabic - Ana behibak (to male)Arabic - Ana behibek (to female)Armenian - Yes kez sirumenBambara - M'bi … [Read more...] about Saying I Love You