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Parrot Time

The Thinking of Speaking Issue #7 January / February 2014

WWhheenn LLaanngguuaaggeess MMeeeett A llook at what happens when llanguages and culltures colllliide

LLaanngguuaaggeess IInn PPeerriill IIstro-Romaniian,, Aromaniian,, AAllssoo...... Meglleno-Romaniian TTaannaabbaattaa The Star Festiivall of Japan

WWoorrddss MMaaddee BByy GGrreeaatt WWrriitteerrss

Language Learning Methods Language llearniing can be lliike swiimmiing:: sometiimes you jjust have to iimmerse yoursellf LLooookk bbeeyyoonndd wwhhaatt yyoouu kknnooww

Parrot Time is your connection to languages, linguistics and culture from the Parleremo community. Expand your understanding. Never miss an issue. Contents Parrot Time

Parrot Time is a magazine covering language, linguistics Features and culture of the world around us. It is published by Scriveremo 6 When Languages Meet Publishing, a division of Languages and people are often bound together in their Parleremo, the language learning destinies, so when two groups of people come together, their community. respective languages are also affected. The outcomes of these meetings usually profoundly change the languages involved, for Join Parleremo today. Learn a better or for worse. language, make friends, have fun.

36 Revisited - Words Made By Great Writers Many words in English were actually created by writers being inventive. Some of them went largely unnoticed, but a large number found their way into standard English. Here we will look Editor: Erik Zidowecki at some that came from great writers. Email: [email protected] Published by Scriveremo Publish- ing, a division of Parleremo. This issue is available online from 44 Language Learning Methods - Immersion http://www.parrottime.com The sixth and final article in our series on language learning The editor reserves the right to methods is about probably the best and most difficult: edit all material submitted. Views immersion. expressed in Parrot Time are not necessarily the official views of Parleremo. All rights of reproduc- tion, translation and adaptation re- served for all countries, except where noted otherwise. All copyright material posted in the publication retains all its rights from the original owner. Parrot Time, Par- leremo, officers and administra- tion accept no responsibility collectively or individually for the Departments service of agencies or persons ad- vertised or announced in the pages of this publication. 05 Letter From The Editor

1 6 At the Cinema - Mal Día Para Pescar

20 Celebrations - Tanabata

28 Languages in Peril - The Romanian Relatives

Cover: A vegetable market in Phnom Penh, in Cambodia. 42 Where Are You? Open markets are very common and can sell everything from fruits and meat to motorcycle parts and 50 Sections - Links religious items.

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 3 Learnalanguage, Makefriends, Havefun!

PPaarrlleerreemmoo wwwwww..ppaarrlleerreemmoo..oorrgg Letter From The Editor The Highlander Condition

I was listening to a group of language lovers discussing Esperanto in the chat one day. Esperanto is a subject that can easily start a ﬁerce debate among polyglots. There are those that believe it to be a great invention and they will exalt it the highest levels ofhuman achieve- ment. There are others that will curse it as a monstrosity and give you details ofhow it fails in every way possible. This debate fell some- where in between.

After a while, the talk moved slightly onto the more general topic of all international auxiliary languages (IAL) and their usefulness, or com- plete lack thereof. One complaint, stemming from the topic of Esper- anto, was how no IAL could truly be created that wasn’t biased for some languages and against others. Esperanto has a basis more in Romance languages,I which makes it harder for someone with, say, an Asian native language, to learn.

When this had been batted around for a few minutes, the conversa- tion expanded again, this time toward all constructed languages (conlangs). Conlangs can be an even nastier topic among language learners than Esperanto. While some people spend a large amount of time learning other languages, there are some that spend their time and efforts attempting to develop their own language. At one point, the question was raised as to what was the true purpose ofcreating a conlang. The idea behind an IAL is, supposedly, to facilitate communications between people that don’t share a common language. Of course, both sides would then have to know the IAL. In that case, wouldn’t any other language be suf- ﬁcient, whether its a natural language or a conlang?

It was said that some conlangs are created purely for fun, but normally one is created for the same purpose as an IAL: to have lots ofpeople learn it and speak it. This is where the topic ofconlangs really up- sets some people, because, as they point out, what is the point in creating another language to make people learn it when there are already so many natural languages available?

A real annoyance from people who develop conlangs, claimed one person, is that they try to make everyone else learn it. Even worse, they will criticize and denigrate everyone else’s new language while preaching their own. This was described by one of the participants as “The Highlander Condition”.

For those who aren’t familiar with the reference, “The Highlander” was a movie about immortals doing battle with each other over the centuries. When two would ﬁght, it would be to the death, ending it de- capitation, so that eventually, there would be only one last immortal who would then rule the mortals. The tag line and catch-phrase ofthe ﬁlm was “There can be only one”.

It is an apt phrase for the way in which people who create their own languages often behave. Only their language should be used, not any others.

But is this really the proper way for a language learner to think? Normally, polyglots want to learn all the languages they can, loving the diversity of each one and embracing it as a prized possession. What twists that love into hostility? Why must there be only one?

However you feel about conlangs, IALs, or Esperanto, it does make you wonder about this strange mind shift. Don’t lose your head. Erik Zidowecki ERIK ZIDOWECKI EDITOR IN CHIEF

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 5 WWhhMMeennLLaaeennggeueuaaggtteess e live in a world ofever changing borders. For thousands of years, the tribes, villages, cities and nations ofthe world have moved, expanded and contracted to meet the needs of their citizens, and these constant changes have come at a price. When two large factions come together, there are only a few possible results. The most common resolution, sadly, is conquest. Many times, a community will seek to expand its territory and population, and the quick- est way to do that is to conquer others. History has numerous examples of this uaaggeess in the form ofempires. As a nation ex- pands, it invades the land ofothers. Depending on the strength ofthe de- fenders, this may result in a large bloody war or a quick slaughter. eet Whichever size loses (and it isn’t al- eet ways the one being invaded) will usually become merged with the conquering group, who gains all the property of its foe. Perhaps the greatest example of empire building is that of the Romans. Ancient Rome was once just a small farming community founded around the 8th century BC. It expanded, taking over neighboring villages and cities, always building its military strength and advancing itself in everything from government to engin- eering to art, and it became an empire which profoundly left its mark on the world. Even today, one can see numerous signs of its might while traveling around Europe. The second possible result is a merger. If both sides decide that there is more benefit to them working together rather than fighting, they might be able to agree to an arrangement that is peaceful. Sometimes this result can come after a period ofconflict has started but in which both sides lose heavily or fight to a stalemate. Such a merger would likely result in an entirely new creation. Many of our existing nations came about after the tribes that had existed separate for centuries decided to form a unified nation, often to avoid being conquered by a worse foe. We can go back to Rome again for an example of this. After the Roman

2012 Catalan independence protest on SeptemberParrot 11th Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 7 When Languages Meet

Painting depicting Table Bay and Table Empire fell, it became again a Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Britain collection of city-states. A city- moved in and colonized the region, taking over state is a self-governing state from the Dutch. Their interference alterred life in which consists ofa city and the Africa drastically. surrounding territory. Larger kingdoms and tribes started in- vading them, like Rome had done, and for over a thousand years, the regions of modern Italy came under control of Ger- manic tribes, the Frankish Em- pire and others. The city-states found themselves having to build up their own defenses as well as establishing trade with others in order to remain un- dominated. It wasn’t until the 1800s that a certain Giuseppe Garibaldi led the drive for unific- ation in Naples and Sicily, and this eventually spread to the rest The two countries of North Korea flag ofthe nation in which the of the country. and South Korea were estab- language dominates. The third result oftwo bod- lished soon after and left to All this means is that when ies ofpeople meeting is a sort of largely govern themselves. North people collide, so do their lan- mix ofthe first two. Each side Korea invaded South Korea in guages. Perhaps unsurprisingly, retains its independence and es- 1950, starting the Korean War. the resolutions for these lan- sentially agree not to fight. They It lasted for a few years until an guage meetings are very similar live beside each other, and may armistice was declared in 1953. to those ofthe people. It is from have some kind of interaction, An armistice is when the warring these collisions that languages but there is always an underly- sides agree to stop fighting, but establish a dominance, become ing tension. Pride will always be it is not really the end ofwar. extinct, and, in some cases, a component, and neither side Each side constantly watches combine to form entirely new will be willing to give up any part the other closely for hostility. languages. of their freedom or identity. This is the position ofmost Enter The Languages Conquest of the existing countries in the Up until now, we’ve looked at Like the conquest ofa tribe or modern world. The borders are what happens when groups of nation, the consequences of an firmly established and each na- people meet and how they re- invasion and domination by an- tion is largely accepted to be in- solve their differences. Lan- other culture can be devastating dependent by the rest ofthe guages are an integral part of on a language. world. This doesn’t mean there any community. The first thing Most ofthe time, the winner is world peace, for some coun- we think of when considering will work hard to crush down tries are always looking to ex- traveling to another country is the existing culture and replace pand, and precisely because of “What language will they it with its own. The language be- the thousands of years of con- speak?”. From the largest nation comes banned, and anyone flict, many still have fierce rival- to the smallest tribe, the people caught speaking it is severely ries with other countries. In and the language are almost punished, traditionally through some cases, this is always boil- synonymous. When using a beatings. Any existing forms of ing under the surface. graphic to represent a language, literature or writing are des- An example ofthis is the the most common symbol is the troyed and the authors and po- standoff between North and South Korea. After World War II, There are also a few rare times when a merger, the Korean peninsula was di- resulting in a creole, may actually become a more vided into two parts, with the dominant form that replaces a parent language, Soviet Union controlling the northern part and the United helping to drive it to extinction. States controlling the southern.

8 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 When Languages Meet

ets are often killed or exiled. Even in modern times, this is a common practice. Younger generations, fearing punishment and becoming out- casts, quickly learn to accept the dominating language and culture, turning their backs on their own culture as a means of pure survival. The elders learn to hide their own traditions and tongue, but with no one to teach them to, they eventually become extinct as the ones holding the knowledge die. This fate is most common for the indigenous populations of the world, and is usually caused by Europeans expanding their People of Papua New Guinea, speakers of Tok Pisin own nations into newly dis- covered regions. Perhaps the territories, called protectorates in of a clash between languages is greatest example ofthis is on the many of the areas already the birth ofa new one. When two American continents, what was claimed by the others. cultures become intertwined, known as “The New World”. Colonization led to the op- like one group moving into an- When Europeans first travelled pression and extinction of hun- other’s region and neither at- to that part ofthe world, they dreds of languages and cultures. tempts to dominate, the people found a land occupied by thou- Even if those regions gained will mix, as will the languages. sands oftribes, all with their some freedom from the dominat- Sometimes, one language will own cultures and languages. In ing countries, the languages become dominant. Other times, almost all situations, the in- rarely survived. the people from both languages vaders simply moved in, This happens even in more will start trying to learn the oth- slaughtering or assimilating the recent times. Russia expanded er one, which results in a lin- natives, suppressing their tradi- itself, taking over many regions guistic adaptation. This is called tions and enforcing their own of Europe and forming the a pidgin language. cultures, languages and reli- United Soviet Socialist Republic The most basic definition of gions upon them. They also (USSR) in the 20th century. Dur- a pidgin is “a simplified form of brought with them many dis- ing that time, the languages and speech formed from one or more eases that the natives had no cultures ofthe most ofits “re- existing languages, used by immunity to, which devastated publics” were suppressed. people who have no other lan- the populations of the tribes. Half of the world’s languages guage in common”. This is Those that survived both disease have become extinct in the just mostly a result when both sides and conquest were forced into the last 500 years only, with need to communicate for small communities, called reser- over 80 ofthose being just in the something like commercial pur- vations. last decade. The National Geo- poses. A pidgin can come to de- The various powerful na- graphic Society has estimated velop its own basic grammar and tions colonized the existing pop- that one language dies out every vocabulary, but those are very ulations in all parts of the world. 1 4 days. At this rate, around simplified compared to the “par- The Spanish took over South 3,500 languages that are spoken ent” languages. Most remain America while the French took around the world now will no small and specialized and are Canada in North America and longer be in use by 2100. Most called “trade languages”, since the British took over what is now of these are linked to conflicts the main reason they were cre- the United States. The French between cultures which have led ated was to make trading also took over most ofAfrica to the oppression and death of between two groups easier. while the British took Australia the minor languages. An example ofthis is what is and India. Germany was late in called “West African Pidgin Eng- coming to the colonization game, Merger lish”. It developed during the a but it did its own part by settling Perhaps the most unique result time when the British were run-

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 9 When Languages Meet

Things to Think On

When languages meet, the results is usually either a conflict, a merger, or a mutual agreement to not conflict.

• What examples ofeach ofthese can you give? • How many existing conflicts between languages can you name? • How do you think these should be resolved?

ning a slave trade in the Atlantic to imply the negative, while the tend to share more grammatical during the late 17th and 18th second one is a phonetic spelling similarities with other creoles centuries. The sailors and slave of “know”. A few more examples than they do with the parent traders spoke English and were are: languages. No one has a truly in constant contact with African accepted theory on how or why villagers. Both sides had a need “Gi mi.” = “Give it to me.” this happens. Perhaps the form- to communicate, for business “I dey fine” = “I’m fine. I’m doing ation of creoles reflects the most purposes, trading in slaves and well.” basic grammatical structure the goods. The further the British “Wetin dey happen?” = “What’s human mind can invent, and traveled inland, the more the going on? What’s happening?” that more elaborate grammars pidgin spread and expanded. develop over a much longer time The majority of the vocabulary Sometimes, the meaning period, being influenced by the was English based, but much of might be a little more hidden, situation of the speakers and the the grammar, syntax and basic coming about because of an idea influence of older languages sounds ofit came from the local rather than literal meaning. “Co- around them. languages, the West African Ni- mot!” means “Get out ofhere!”, A great many creoles are ger-Congo languages. which might be a corruption of based upon the French lan- This pidgin also became spe- “come out” or “go out”, depend- guage, because of the great cialized, depending on which ing on the pronunciation. It number of colonies France had. languages were mixing with the might also come from “come on”. For this reason, many people English. Some ofthe major vari- “Abeg” means “please”, coming automatically think the term eties, with their local names, are from “I beg you”. “creole” is related to French Gambian Pidgin English (Aku), Another common aspect of a things. However, pidgins and Sierra Leone Pidgin English pidgin is repeating words to em- creoles can arise out ofany mix (Krio), Liberian Pidgin English, phasize a meaning. “Listen well of languages. The most common Ghanaian Pidgin English, Nigeri- well” means “Listen very well” or basis for creoles are French, an Pidgin English, and “Pay attention”. Note that this is Spanish, English, Portuguese, Cameroon Pidgin English (or different than “I no no”, which is and Dutch. Kamtok). using a different spelling, not re- One ofthe most spoken When dealing with a pidgin, petition. pidgins is Tok Pisin, spoken by it is often rather easy to under- Most pidgins are short term over five million people, mainly stand what is being said ifyou languages, existing only for a few in Papua New Guinea, where it know the stronger language in years during the time they are is actually the official language. the mix. You just have to blur needed. Ifa pidgin does manage Over one million people are your hearing, in a way. For ex- to survive for much longer, it taught it as a first language. ample, in Nigerian Pidgin Eng- may develop into a creole. When Most there speak it to a certain lish, you might hear “How you the children of the adults speak- degree, but not always fluently. dey?”, which can easily be un- ing the pidgin start learning it as It is particularly popular among derstood to mean “How are you their native and primary lan- the police and urban families. doing today?”. The words are the guage, it has established itself as The name comes from the Eng- same or truncated, with a few a stable language. This process lish words “talk” and “pidgin”, extraneous ones being removed. is called nativization. although they obviously became Spelling can also be simplified, A strange phenomenon simplified into Tok Pisin. The such as with “I no no” for “I which has been noticed among vocabulary is mostly Indo- don’t no”. The first “no” is used linguistic scholars is that creoles European, coming mainly from

10 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 When Languages Meet

Bilbao, Basque Country. Muelle de San Anton in Casco Viejo, at night.

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 11 When Languages Meet

Walloon language on street sign in Liège

Tourist Basque country banner 12 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 When Languages Meet

English, German, Portuguese, mixing English, Spanish, Por- There are also a few rare and Latin, while the rest comes tuguese, some indigenous lan- times when a merger, resulting from Malayo-Polynesian and guages, and some Dutch, which in a creole, may actually become Trans-New-Guinea languages. is used mainly for the names of a more dominant form that re- The grammar structure is much the months. Among the islands, places a parent language, help- more Austronesian based. it has two dialects, which is an ing to drive it to extinction. On One interesting aspect of effect of developing on three sep- the island ofRama Cay, offthe Tok Pisin is its addition of in- arated pieces ofland. The dia- coast of Nicaragua, the indigen- clusive and exclusive forms of lects also have differences in ous language of the Rama people pronouns. While western lan- spelling, so even the name ofthe blended with English to create guages normally just have a sin- language is spelled differently, what is called Rama Cay Creole. gular and plural forms (I, we), either as Papiamentu or Papia- As the natives switched to this, Tok Pisin also has a dual and mento. the parent language of Rama triple form. These are used to Not all creoles develop from became abandoned and is now deﬁne exactly who is involved, pidgins, and they are not always on the verge of extinction. Even and are created by adding the easily recognized. The language stranger, Rama Cay Creole is words “tu” and “tri” into the pro- of Afrikaans, spoken in parts of also struggling to survive, and noun forms. Africa, mainly in South Africa, may also vanish. Tok Pisin also utilizes redu- developed when the Dutch set- plication, mainly to distinguish tlers arrived there in the 1 7th Living Together between words. The word for century. It is sometimes referred Just as some people can learn to “ship” is “sip”, but since that to as a dialect ofDutch, al- live together peacefully (mostly), might also sound like a corrup- though it adopted words from languages can also ﬁnd a way to tion of“sheep”, it is doubled, so other languages, like Malay, Por- coexist. One country in which “sheep” is “sipsip”. tuguese and Bantu. There are this can be easily shown is Bel- In the Caribbean ABC is- still heated arguments that go gium, which is a convergence lands (Aruba, Bonaire and Cur- on as to whether Afrikaans is an point of both Latin and German- açao), the creole Papiamento is independent language, a dialect ic cultures. Over the centuries, it spoken. This one developed from ofDutch, or a Dutch creole. was dominated by different na-

Meeting for more Walloon language on Walloon public TV at Liège

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 13 When Languages Meet

tions, including the Spanish, Map showing the Austrians, French and Dutch. distribution of Bokmål Today, it is mainly divided and Nynorsk in Norway. along its Latin and Germanic heritage. The Latin-evolved language of French has prominence in the region known as “Wallo- nia”, and the dialect of French spoken there is called “Walloon”. The Germanic-based language Dutch has its place in the northern areas, and its dialect is called “Flemish”. These “linguistic lines” are very obvious throughout most of the country. In some areas, you can literally cross the street and go from a Flemish to a Walloon neighborhood. Everything changes between those: the spoken language, signs, bill- boards, etc. Even while driving along the highways, you can see the names ofthe locations on the signs changing, depending which section you are in. Each region has its own ad- ministration and government. Public libraries, firehouses, uni- ons, even churches are all du- plicated between the Flemish and Walloon languages. The countries capital, Brussels, is in the Flemish northern half, and is supposed to remain bi-lingual, but is predominately French. is unknown. their parent countries of the Dual-language signs do exist, Neither of these languages, Netherlands and France. but they are often the targets of surprisingly, are official lan- A stranger case can be ex- graffiti, which is used to deface guages of Belgium. Those are perienced in Norway. There, the one of the two languages. French, Dutch and English. spoken language is agreed upon, The conflict between the two There are also more languages what we call “Norwegian”. The sides has been expanding over spoken there. Besides dialects of conflict here is actually between recent events, including the in- Flemish, there is Brabantian, the two written forms ofthe lan- troduction of French-speaking Limburgish, Picard, guage, Bokmål and Nynorsk. cable TV and a festival of French Champenois, Lorrain, Low Di- Norway has both Bokmål films, the latter ofwhich was etsch. None ofthose are involved and Nynorsk as official lan- cancelled due to a demonstra- in such an intense cold war as guages, with both being used by tion ofa Flemish group in the Walloon and Flemish, though. the government, schools, and school where the festival was to In recent years, there has the media. There isn’t just a be held. been increased talk of the dissol- matter of using different alpha- Both sides, Flemish and ution of the Belgium, separating bets, as in the Latin Bosnian Walloon, want to become the the Dutch-speaking people of and the Cyrillic Serbian, or even dominant one in controlling the the Flanders region and Brus- spelling, as in the different forms country. Compromises have con- sels from the French-speaking of Papiamento. These are two tinued to keep the balance in people of the Walloon region and entirely different different writ- check without leading to viol- Brussels. They could become in- ten languages. Sometimes, the ence, but how long that remains dependent or become part of changes are minimal. “This is a

14 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 When Languages Meet

horse” would be written as thentic, and it doesn’t appear parts ofCatalonia. It, too, has no “Dette er en hest” in Bokmål and that Norway will be torn apart official recognition in France. “Dette er ein hest” Nynorsk. “I over this. Most Catalan speakers in Spain come from Norway” shows a lar- In a few instances, a lan- are bilingual in both Catalan ger difference, with “Jeg kommer guage exists in its own region and Spanish. fra Norge” (Bokmål) and “Eg within a few different countries. kjem frå Noreg” (Nynorsk). Such is the case ofBasque and Outcomes Catalan. Languages themselves don’t ac- It is from these collisions The Basque people live tually conflict with each other, of that languages establish mainly in what is called Basque course. It is the people that use Country which can be found at them that truly control the situ- a dominance, become the western end of the Pyrenees, ations. Nevertheless, they are extinct, and, in some and it is in both north-central bound together, so as long as cases, combine to form Spain and south-western people fight, their effect on their France. In Spain, it is has a co- languages will be part ofthe entirely new languages. official language status in the outcomes. Basque regions there, but in As we’ve noted, there are Although educated in both France, it has no official status. both good and bad aspects to Bokmål and Nynorsk, most Nor- Catalan is a Romance lan- the conflicts, with some lan- wegians use Bokmål as their guage mainly spoken in what is guages becoming extinct while daily written language, while a known as Catalonia, which also others are born. Languages, like much smaller number use Nyn- straddles Spain in the north- empires, also rise and fall. It’s a orsk as theirs, even though most eastern part and part of France. natural cycle of history, and we of the spoken dialects resemble It is recognized as the the na- will always mourn the deaths of Nynorsk more closely than Bok- tional and only official language those that fall while celebrating mål. Neither written language of Andorra, a co-official lan- the birth ofnew tongues. PT has a true claim to being au- guage ofthe in the Spanish

Book Look The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language David Crystal

Crystal’s “The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language” is fascinating to read. It is full of glossy images, colorful sidebars, and interesting “tidbits”. This is a large book, and would deﬁnitely be what you would call a “coffee table book”. Much ofthe material in it is trivia, like what a “ﬂuddle” is (described in a section on lexemes) or a paragraph on letter friezes, depicting eight ofthem in full color from a World Wildlife Fund publication.

While the information is factual, much ofthe included material is superﬂuous, added to keep the reader interested. This is either good or bad, depending on your mood or on whether you want a serious reference book or an entertaining book about the English language. In either case, “The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language” is full of great information. Rather then being formatted like an encyclopedia, it is broken into six parts, which are further broken down into topics, and those are in turn broken down into their informational blocks, or “spreads.”

There are also almost thirty pages ofappendices, including a glossary, special symbols and abbreviations, and a list offurther readings. There is even an “Index ofAuthors and Personalities” with such great contrib- utors to English as J.R.R. Tolkien (talking about his use ofOld English in his books this time, rather then his creation ofother languages) and Bill Clinton (telling us that he is from the U.S. We said some ofthe material was superﬂuous!).

This book doesn’t have to be read straight through. One can pick it up at any point and be guaranteed to learn something informational as well as interesting. It should be ofuse to anyone interested in the English language, English as a foreign language, history, or applied linguistics.

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 15 At the Cinema - Mal Día Para Pescar (Bad Day to Go Fishing)

AAtt tthhee CCiinneemmaa

MMaall DDííaa PPaarraa PPeessccaarr ((BBaadd DDaayy ttoo GGoo FFiisshhiinngg))

his month, I will be reviewing a to pay out the prize money. It is a Uruguayan film which takes scam that has kept them going for a place in South America while starring while, but just barely. a Scotsman who plays a descendant of At first, everything seems to be European royalty, a Finnish man play- going well. Orsini finds the local ing a German, and an Italian woman champion and convinces him to take playing a South American. the bribe. However, soon after that, Mal Día Para Pescar takes place in the man demands the bribe early, us- a fictional town of “Santa Maria”, ing it then to get drunk and arrested, which could be anywhere. The main so he won’t be able to do the chal- characters are former “Strongest Man lenge. on Earth” Jacob van Oppen and his Meanwhile, Orsini has been ap- manager and promoter, “Prince” proached by Adriana, a woman who is Mal Día Para Pescar Orsini. They are traveling South Amer- convinced her fiance could defeat Jac- 11 0 min Comedy / Drama / Western ica, going from one city to another and ob and wants the prize money so that 31 July 2009 (Uruguay) setting up wrestling exhibitions, in they can get married. Orsini turns her which Jacob shows off his strength down initially, on the grounds that he Country: Uruguay / Spain and competes against a local chal- already has a challenger, but when lenger. Anyone that can last three that challenger is arrested, he has Languages: Spanish / minutes in the ring with Jacob is little choice but to accept her proposi- English awarded one thousand dollars. tion. That is what they tell people, at Jacob starts becoming more un- least. Jacob’s glory days are long past, stable, crying in a church full of and the years offighting have taken a A keytheme to toll on him, leading to some brain this movie is damage, bipolarism, and some kind of cyclic fits. In each place they visit, doing whatever is Orsini gets the town to host the exhib- needed to ition, selling tickets to the final event. survive. Meanwhile, he secretly scouts out the local champion (“fishing”) and convinces him to challenge Jacob, during which he will lose and be paid a much smaller amount for his show. In this way, they take in the money form the Adriana is very stubborn and suspicious of Orsini “ tickets to the event while never having and his champion.

16 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 At the Cinema - Mal Día Para Pescar (Bad Day to Go Fishing)

Orsini is sleazy yet noble in some ways, and, while he might not admit it, really cares about Jacob. I would really like to know how these two met and came into this arrangement because, while rather odd, it feels totally natural between them. The movie takes place in 1962, and this is beautifully shown in the set ofthe town, the old cars, and the lack ofmodern phones and other devices. This contributes to the desperate and at times, even sad, mood ofthe film. I would not call it a depressing movie, because it really isn’t, and it has its comedic moments as well. Mal Día Para Pescar premiered at the 2009 Orsini showing Jacob off to promote the exhibition. Cannes Film Festival and was the Uruguayan entry to the Oscar Academy Award for Best For- people at a baptism and splashing about in a pub- eign Language Film. It won many international lic fountain. Orsini also hears more about the new awards, along with 10 Uruguay Fipresci Critics challenger, a Turk named Mario, who is able to lift Awards, including Best Film, Best International a grown cow and do laps around the town. Orsini Film Debut, Best Director, Best Screenplay and knows that Jacob can’t defeat him, but when he Best Actor. It even got nominated for Best Film, tries to bribe Mario like the others, Adriana steps Best Screenplay and Best Actor by the Spanish in and both decline the bribe. Critics (CEC). Being pressed by both the newspaper pro- I was a bit hesitant about seeing this movie at moter and Adriana to produce the prize money be- first, because I am not really one that enjoys dra- fore the fight, Orsini becomes increasingly mas, finding them often too depressing, but I did nervous. The night before the fight, he tries to get enjoy this movie. The interactions between the Jacob to leave with him, explaining to Jacob that characters is very touching and believable and we his previous “wins” had been rigged by him. never really know which way things will end up. Rather than scaring the aged fighter into leaving, For example, right before the fight, we see Orsini, however, it stirs his pride and he is now totally de- desperate to come up with the prize money, engage termined to beat Mario. in a card game in which he keeps raising the The movie starts with a scene immediately fol- stakes. This is a cliche for many movies, because lowing the fight, in which someone is rushed from our man would then miraculously win all the the theatre, in which fight is held, to the hospital, money he needs. However, in this movie, Orsini with the doctor announcing that there is little proves to be a bad gambler and loses everything chance ofsurvival. But who is it? he had left, unable to even buy a round ofdrinks. The languages used in the movie are Spanish Ifyou do like human dramas with twists and with English being used between Jacob and turns, you should definitely see Mal Día Para Pes- Orsini. A little Italian is tossed in with the singing car. Just watching Orsini squirm up to the end of the song “Funiculi , Funicula”. and seeing Jacob find his way are well worth it. A key theme to this movie is doing whatever is PT needed to survive. Jacob desperately wants to be in his glory days again, and Orsini has convinced him that taking this “tour” will get him a wrestling contract. Orsini has apparently had some kind of fine upbringing, reflected in the way he dresses and presents himself, even using the title “Prince”, and is doing what he can to get back some level of prestige, even if that means lying and scamming everyone around him, including Jacob. Adriana is strong willed and pregnant, and she wants the money so she and Mario can be married and start a family. More important to the movie is seeing the way the two main characters really interact with each other, out ofthe sight ofother people. Jacob is at times both an man old before his time and a child. Adriana and Orsini talking about the fight.

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 17 MMaannddaarriinn CChhiinneessee MMaannddaarriinn CChhiinneessee

...because they pretty much own the world. Atree full of tanzaku during the Tanabata festival in Tsu- zuki, Yokohama Japan. Cel- ebrators write their prayers and wishes on strips ofpaper and tie them to trees. These are later set adrift in a river or burned, taking the prayers to the gods. Celebrations - Tanabata CCeelleebbrraattiioonnss TTaannaabbaattaa

apan has many festivals throughout the year, ﬁrst time they tried to meet, they found there was but one ofthe most visually striking is the no bridge across the river, and Orihime began cry- Tanabata festival, held each year in July. It ing again. This time, her weeping fell upon the celebrates the story of two lovers among the stars, ears ofall the world’s magpies, who came to the a princess and a cow herder, and how they get to lovers and formed a bridge with their wings, so the meet for this one time each year. weaver and the cow herder could meet. It is believed that ifit rains on the day ofthe festival, the Chinese Origin magpies can’t come, and so the couple must wait Originally, the Tanabata festival was a celebration another year before meeting. of a Chinese folktale, “The Princess and the A slight variant on this is that on the evening Cowherd”, which told oftwo lovers. Orihime spent ofthe meeting, a boatman will arrive to take Ori- all her time weaving beautiful cloth on the banks hime across the river. Ifthe princess has not given of the Amanogawa river for her father Tentei , who her best weaving, however, Tentei might make it loved it. While it made him happy, she was sad, rain so the river ﬂoods and the boatman cannot because she never had the time to meet anyone come. In that case, the magpies will come and and fall in love. make the bridge. Tentei wanted her to happy too, so he ar- All of the characters are represented as objects ranged a meeting between her and Hikoboshi, a in the sky. Orihime is the star Vega; Hikoboshi, cow herder who worked on the other side ofthe also known as called Kengyū, is the start Altair; Amanogawa. They fell in love the moment they met the river Amanogawa is the Milky Way constella- and soon were married, but it didn’t work out well. tion; Tentei is the universe; and the boatman is As lovers will, they spent all their time together and neg- lected their tasks. Orihime no Musiiciians performiing longer wove any cloth for her duriing the festiivall.. father, and Hikoboshi left his cows unattended, so that they were soon wandering freely all over. In anger, Tentei forbid the two from being together, and separated them again across the river. When Orihime became extremely upset and cried over being apart from her husband, his anger faded a bit, and he gave the couple permission to meet once a year, on the seventh day ofthe seventh month, as long as Orihime continued working hard on her weaving. The legend says that the

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 21 Celebrations - Tanabata

Some places even have a “Miss Tanabata” beauty contest. At night, firework shows are common in many places.

the moon. For this reason, the celebration was called “Star Festival”. It was celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunisolar calendar, so it was written written as“sevenevening”, , or Qīxì. This celebration was also known as “The Festival to PleadforSkills”, , Kikkōden, in which young people would pray for abilities that would aid them, such as girls wishing for better sewing, weaving and crafting skills and boys wishing for better hand- writing. These prayers would be written on strips ofpaper and tied to trees. Many tanzaku hanging from a large branch. Japanese Adoption Empress Kōken of Japan adopted this festival in month, February, so the original date for Tanabata 755, during the feudal period, making it an official was actually in August. For this reason, Tanabata event at the Imperial court. It became popular is celebrated in July in some places, and in August among the people and was mixed with other tradi- in others. Obon was similarly celebrated on the tions, like Obon (a Japanese Buddhist tradition to 15th ofthe seventh month, but it was moved back honor the spirits of one’s deceased, similar to Mex- to it’s lunisolar position of being in August. ico’s Day ofthe Dead). Obon was at that time celebrated on the 15th ofthe seventh month, so people tended to celebrate them together. Ateji Around this time, there was a Shinto purifica- Ateji is the process in modern Japanese ofusing tion ceremony in which a Shinto miko, or priest- kanji phonetically to represent native words or ess, would weave a special cloth made on a loom. words taken from other languages. This is done This special loom was smaller than normal, and without consideration to the meaning of the indi- could be kept on a shelf, so it was called a “shelf vidual characters. In the case of Tanabata, the loom”, , or “Tanabata”. This name then be- Japanese took the Chinese word for the festival, came attached to the new festival, which celeb- , or Qīxì, and reassigned that particular word rated a princess weaver, and the Tanabata festival to be pronounced “tanabata”, the same as . was born. The Japanese then took the Chinese This can become confusing to an outsider, be- characters of and began pronouncing them as cause it seems that a great coincidence has oc- “Tanabata” through a process known as ateji. curred that these words relate in some way to the same event, are pronounced the same, but have Date completely different meanings. The date for Tanabata can be a bit confusing. Ori- ginally it was set for the seventh day ofthe sev- Another example is the word “Paris”, referring to enth month, but that was based on the lunisolar the capital of France. In katakana, it is usually calendar, which sets its months according to the writtenas , whichbreaks downto “pa” and cycles ofthe moon. The modern Gregorian calen- “re”, which is a close pronunciation. It can also be dar is a solar calendar, which was created to written as using ateji, but those characters match with the seasonal changes. The first lunar don’t translate into anything regarding the city. month starts in what is the second Gregorian

22 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Drummers performing outside of a building as part of the festivites.

Street performers and entertainers interacting with people on the street. Celebrations - Tanabata

Celebration can see these in many places several days before The festival is celebrated in slightly different ways the actual festival. There is often a competition for according to region. The tradition of praying for the best decorations as well. skills has been expanded to be prayers and wishes Throughout the festivities there are parades, for anything. During Tanabata, branches of bam- vendors selling food and treats, and a general car- boo are erected all over, some ofthem small while nival atmosphere. Some places even have a “Miss others are as big as trees, and the prayers, written Tanabata” beauty contest. At night, firework on coloured strips of paper called tanzaku (), shows are common in many places. are tied to these. Other paper ornaments may be The most famous Tanabata festival happens in hung as well. These will eventually be burned, Sendai from August 6-8. São Paulo, Brazil, also thus sending the wishes directly up to the gods, or has a Tanabata festival in the first weekend ofJu- cast into rivers and streams, to float away with the ly. PT current. This water sending is a variant ofthe Obon tradition of setting illuminated paper lan- terns afloat. Another common site are the Tanabata orna- Vocabulary mental balls, called Kusudama ( ). They are a relatively recent addition to the festival, being first created in 1946 by a shop owner in Sendai. - Weaving Princess / Orihime The balls are normally made by tying dozens of tis- - Heavenly King / God sue paper flowers to a round bamboo frame, al- - Heavenly River / Milky Way though more recently, box-shaped ornaments have - Cow Herder Star / Hikoboshi also become popular. The balls are hung with streamers coming down from them, which are sup- - Cow Herd / Kengyū posed to symbolize the weaving of threads. You

Street showing a variety of festival decorations.

24 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Celebrations - Tanabata

Various sites (clockwise from top left): Festival balls in the street; Tanabata dancers; Fireworks at night; Various other decorations; Tanabata Festival at night; Kids playing a festival game; Wishes on a tree; People getting food from vendors

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 25 ““TTwweennttyy yyeeaarrss ffrroomm nnooww yyoouu wwiillll bbee mmoorree ddiissaappppooiinntteedd bbyy tthhee tthhiinnggss yyoouu ddiiddnn’’tt ddoo tthhaann bbyy tthhee oonneess yyoouu ddiidd ddoo.. SSoo tthhrrooww oofffftthhee bboowwlliinneess,, ssaaiill aawwaayy ffrroomm tthhee ssaaffee hhaarrbboorr.. CCaattcchh tthhee ttrraaddee wwiinnddss iinn yyoouurr ssaaiillss.. EExxpplloorree.. DDrreeaamm.. DDiissccoovveerr..”” –– MMaarrkk TTwwaaiinn IIttaalliiaa LLaanngguuaaggeess iinn PPeerriill The Romanian Relatives ne of the less explored which is what we now call Ro- There are also speakers in other branches of the Indo- manian. The other three were Is- countries where the Istro-Ro- European languages is the East- tro-Romanian, Aromanian, and manian people settled, mainly ern Romance one, sometimes re- Megleno-Romanian. While Daco- the United States, Italy, Argen- ferred to as the Vlach languages. Romanian remained strong, the tina, Australia, Germany, They developed in southeastern other three have declined to the Sweden and Canada. Europe from the local variant of point ofbeing in danger ofex- Some consider Istro-Ro- Vulgar Latin. tinction today. manian to be a dialect ofRo- The Roman Empire domin- manian, but it has independent ated this region east ofItaly in Istro-Romanian traits and is actually related to what is now modern Croatia, Istro-Romanian is an Eastern the Dalmatian language, which Bulgaria, Albania, Greece and Romance language with less was spoken several centuries Romania for a long time. Latin than 500 speakers, making it ago in Dalmatia but is now ex- affected most of the languages the smallest ethnic group in tinct. there, and one major form which Europe with a seriously en- It is believed that the Istro- developed was Proto-Romanian, dangered language. The speak- Romanian people migrated ori- the basis for modern Romanian. ers live in some villages in the ginally from Transylvania, Ro- From this Proto-Romanian, four peninsula of Istria, located on mania. The earliest possible major languages emerged. The the northern part of the Adriatic historical record of Romanians strongest was Daco-Romanian, Sea, in what is now Croatia. in the Istria region is from 940 Languages in Peril - The Romanian Relatives

AD, when Constantine VII recor- ded the Romance-language speakers there, saying that they called themselves Romans. Dal- matian was one ofthe stronger languages being spoken in that region, but these Roman settlers in Illyria brought Latin to this region, and it mixed with the Il- lyrian and Ventic languages already there, including Dalma- tian. Later inclusions of Slavic created a unique structure and vocabulary which became a basis for the Istro-Romanian language. One of these dialects was Istriot, which is spoken in the towns of Rovinj and Vodnjan in Croatia. Dalmatian became used less and less, replaced by Ulahs. Now, the Vlach languages cent information suggest that these Latin creations, and even- are more commonly referred to these people existed in other tually became extinct in 1898. as the Eastern Romance lan- parts before that, including Fri- The Latin people that de- guages, and since the creation of uli, which is located in northern veloped in this region of Croatia Romania as a nation, Vlachs is Italy. became known collectively as used to mainly refer to those liv- So if the Istro-Romanian Vlachs. There are many variants ing outside Romania, not just in people covered such a large on this name in English, like this region. Serbian chronicles area, how did they come to the Vlahs, Wallachians, Walla, from 1329 refer to the Vlach edge of extinction? After World Wlachs, Wallachs, Olahs or population in Istria, but more re- War I, Italy gained Istria, but

The Carnival of the Istro-Romanians

30 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Languages in Peril - The Romanian Relatives

of the region, mainly Bulgarian, Greek and Albanian. It has many ofthe same features of modern Romanian, with both having their roots in Latin. As is the case with Istro-Romanian, some linguist try to claim that Aromanian is a dialect of Ro- manian. However, while Ro- manian has been greatly inﬂuenced by Slavic languages, Aromanian has been more affected by Greek. The Aromanians may have originated from the colonisation ofthe Balkans by the Romans in the second century BC, but some evidence also suggests that the Aromanians may have been there even before then. In Greece, it is believed that the Cultural festival of the Aromanians in Macedonia Aromanians were descended they did not have it for long. The dren speak it now, and without from the Greek tribes that were Paris Peace Treaty with Italy new generations learning it, a Latinized when Rome conquered after World War II took Istria language can not survive. Unless Greece. In the countries around and gave it to Yugoslavia, who there is an urgent and active ef- Greece, the Aromanians are be- split it into two parts. Italy kept fort with international support, lieved to have come from the the part near Trieste. it will probably become extinct Thracian people that migrated to With their land divided and within the next few generations. the mountains of the southern facing the threat of communism, Balkans because of the Avar and the majority of speakers of Istro- Aromanian Slavic invasions between 6th Romanian left as political Aromanian is an Eastern Ro- and 8th centuries AD. refugees, migrating to various mance language spoken in the With the rise ofthe Ottoman parts around the world. They be- Southeastern part of Europe. Empire in the 1 3th century, all came minorities in every country Most are in Greece, but there are they moved to, and so their cul- also many in other countries, ture and language began to de- like Albania, Bulgaria and Ser- cline. The ones that remained bia. In the Republic ofMacedo- adopted other names, including nia, Aromanian is ofﬁcially Vlahi, Rumeni and Romeni. recognized as a national minor- More recently, their Romanian ity. There are large Aromanian- origins are being diluted all the speaking communities in Ro- more as regional Croatian labels mania as well, because many for them are replacing Romanian migrated there from these coun- ones and their towns are broken tries after 1925. The Aromanians up into different districts. are also called Vlachs, mainly in It is yet to be seen whether Greece. Istro-Romanian can survive. Of Aromanian is derived from those in Istria, only about 350 Latin, like Romanian. It comes people partially understand it from the vulgar Latin which was while the number of active bilin- spoken by native Balkan people gual speakers are fewer than under Roman rule, and was 200. Worse, fewer than 30 chil- mixed with the other languages

Today, most Aromanians identify themselves both as Aromanian grammar book, with the title in Vlachs and as members oftheir Balkan nations. Greek and German, 1813

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 31 Languages in Peril - The Romanian Relatives

like Moscopole, Muzachiar, and Crushuva. The only place where Aro- manian has any ofﬁcial status as a language is in the Republic of Macedonia. There, it is taught as a subject in some primary schools. It may also be allowed usage in court proceedings. However, it is still largely en- dangered, with under 250 thousand native speakers. Megleno-Romanian The third of these Eastern Ro- mance languages is Megleno- Romanian. It is also sometimes described as a dialect ofRo- manian, but others claim it is an intermediary between Aromani- an and Romanian. It is spoken by the Megleno-Romanians, al- of these people fell under Otto- inhabited, and they became in- though they call themselves man rule. During the Middle evitably suppressed by the grow- Vlahi, who live in a few villages Ages, the Aromanians developed ing nations of Bulgaria, Greece in the Moglena region ofMace- semi-autonomous states in the and Albania. While they lost donia in Romania as well as by a region of modern Greece. These property and recognition, there very small Muslim group in Tur- included Great Wallachia, Small was still some hope from Ro- key, the Karadjovalides. Wallachia and Upper Wallachia manian. In 1925, King Ferdin- The preﬁx Megleno comes (Wallachia being an alternative and offered Aromanians land from the Moglen district north of form of Vlachs). They played a and privileges if they settled in the Gulf of Salonica in northern large role in the wars ofinde- the region of Dobruja, which was Greece, at the border with pendence for Bulgaria, Greece a much contested piece ofland and Albania against the Otto- which, at that time, was under Romanian rule. This caused a Later inclusions of Slavic large migration, and now there created a unique structure are between 50,000 and and vocabulary which 100,000 Aromanians in Ro- mania. became a basis forthe After the Nazi occupation of Istro-Romanian language. Greece in 1941, an autonomous Aromanian state under Fascist man Empire. In 1 905, the Aro- Italian control was established manians were recognized as a in Greece. Similarly, after the fall separate nation of the Ottoman of communism in Albania and Empire, which enabled them to Bulgaria in 1 989, the Aromani- establish their own schools in ans formed its own cultural and the Aromanian language. The political societies in the Balkans. day ofthe signing ofthe Aro- Today, most Aromanians identify manian Iradeo, which allowed themselves both as Vlachs and this, by Turkish Sultan Abdul as members oftheir Balkan na- Hamid II, May 23, is celebrated tions. today as the National Day ofthe Aromanian has three main Aromanians. dialects: Gramustean, Pindean, Despite all this, the Aro- and Farsherot. There are also a manians were considered minor- large number of regional vari- ity groups in the countries they ants, named after their regions, Vlach Shepherd in traditional clothes

32 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Languages in Peril - The Romanian Relatives

Another migration happened in 1926 when about 450 families of Megleno-Romanians in Greece moved to Romania, settling in southern Dobruja, which was also called Cadrilater. This didn’t last long, for southern Dobruja was given back to Bulgaria in 1940, after which the Megleno- Romanians moved to other parts of Romania, including northern Dobruja, where they mixed with the Aromanians already there. Even then, more moving was done, for between 1947 and 1948, right after Romania fell under communist rule, forty Megleno-Romanian families were deported from Cerna. A few would return in later years, Wallachia family in Macedonia during the First World War. leaving about 1,200 speakers there. Macedonia. While once there converting to Islam. They were While there are Megleno-Ro- were an estimated 26 thousand expelled by force to Turkey in manians in both Greece and Ro- speakers, there are now less 1923, as part ofthe population mania now, they do not have than 5 thousand. exchange between Greece and any official status in either The Megleno-Romanians Turkey. The exchange was reli- country. As a minority, they find may have originated in the Axios gious based, between the Greek their culture and language dying valley in the Republic of Macedo- Orthodox citizens of Turkey and off. Unless it can gain some kind nia and they became Latinized the Muslim citizens ofGreece, in ofofficial status or have a sig- like the others when the Roman which the two groups essentially nificant revival attempt begun, it Empire expanded. Judging by swapped places. Most of the is unlikely that Megleno-Ro- the way it has more influence by Moglen Vlachs settled in Kırk- manian will survive. PT the south Slavic languages, they lareli and Şarköy, and they be- most likely separated from the came known as Karadjovalides, other Latinized languages of the which is the Turkish name of region at a different time. Some Moglen. historians argued that they were a mix ofRomanians and Pe- cenegs (a semi-nomadic Turkic people of the Central Asian steppes). Still others believe they were descendants of the Ro- manian-Bulgarian Empire (circa 1185 -1396 AD) who had re- treated to the Moglen region. While most Megleno-Ro- manians, or Moglen Vlachs, are Orthodox Christians, there have been some historical deviants. Most notable is that ofthe village ofNânti in the Upper Karadjova Plain which converted to Islam in the 17th or 18th century, making it the only instance among the Eastern Romance peoples of an entire community Church of St. Zlata of Meglen in the village of Saraj, Macedonia.

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 33

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s we have seen, languages ary words. Editor’s note: while they are living are al- The first great English poet was This article is a ways growing and changing. Chaucer, and the great English philo- reprint from We have seen how new names logists feel sure that he must have have been made as time went made many new words and made many “Stories That on. But many new words be- rare words common; but it is not easy Words Tell Us” sides names are constantly being ad- to say that Chaucer made any particu- By Elizabeth ded to a language; for just as grown-up lar word, because we do not know people use more words than children, enough of the language which was in O’Neill. It was and educated people use more words use at that time to say so. One famous originally than uneducated or less educated phrase of Chaucer is often quoted now: published in people, so, too, nations use more words “after the schole of Stratford-atte- as time goes on. Every word must have Bowe,” which he used in describing the 1 91 8. been used a first time by some one; but French spoken by one ofthe Canter- ofcourse it is impossible to know who bury Pilgrims in his great poem. He were the makers ofmost words. Even meant that this was not pure French, new words cannot often be traced to but French spoken in the way and with their makers. Some one uses a new the peculiar accent used at Stratford (a word, and others pick it up, and it part of London near Bow Church). We passes into general use, while every- now often use the phrase to describe body has forgotten who made it. any accent which is not perfect. But one very common way in which But though we do not know for people learn to use new words is certain which words Chaucer intro- through reading the books of great duced, we do know that this first great writers. Sometimes these writers have English poet must have introduced made new words which their readers many, especially French words; while have seen to be very good, and have Wyclif, the first great English prose then begun to use themselves. Some- writer, who translated part of the Bible times these great writers have made from Latin into English, must also have use ofwords which, though not new, given us many new words, especially were very rare, and immediately these from the Latin. The English language words have become popular and ordin- never changed so much after the time

36 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Revisted - Words Made By Great Writers

of Chaucer and Wyclif as it had done before. Thanks to Shakespeare, this isn't The next really great English poet, Edmund just a ball or a globe; it’s an orb. Spenser, who wrote his wonderful poem, “The Faerie Queene,” in the days of Queen Elizabeth, invented a great many new words. Some ofthese were seldom or never used afterwards, but some became ordinary English words. Sometimes his new words were partly formed out of old words which were no longer used. The word elfin, which became quite a common word, seems to have been invented by Spenser. He called a boasting knight by the name Braggadocio, and we still use the word braggadocio for vain boasting. A common expression which we often find used in romantic tales, and especially in the novels of Sir Walter Scott, derring-do, meaning “adventurous action,” was first used by Spenser. He, however, took it from Chaucer, who had used it as a verb, speaking of the dorring-do (or “daring to do”) that belonged to a knight. Spenser made a mistake in thinking Chaucer had used it as a noun, and used it so himself, making in this way quite a new and very well-sounding word. Another word which Spenser made, and which is still sometimes used, was fool-happy; but other words, like idlesse, dreariment, drowsihead, are hardly seen outside his poetry. One reason for this is that Spenser was telling stories of quaint and curious things, and he used quaint and curious words which would not naturally pass into ordinary language.

The next great name in English literature, and the greatest name of all, is Shakespeare. Shakespeare, and also the common word dwindle. Shakespeare influenced the English language Some other words which Shakespeare made are more than any writer before or since. First ofall he lonely, orb (meaning “globe”), illumine, and home- made a great many new words, some very simple keeping. and others more elaborate, but all ofthem so suit- able that they have become a part ofthe language. Many others might be quoted, but the great Such a common word as bump, which it would be influence which Shakespeare had on the English difficult to imagine ourselves without, is first language was not through the new words he made, found in Shakespeare’s writings. Hurry, which but in the way his expressions and phrases came seems to be the only word to express what it to be used as ordinary expressions. Many people stands for, seems also to have been made by are constantly speaking Shakespeare without knowing it, for the phrases he used were so exactly right and expressive that they have been repeated Did You Know? ever since, and often, ofcourse, by people who do not know where they first came from. We can only During his lifetime, William mention a few ofthese phrases, such as “a Daniel Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and come to judgment,” which Shylock says to Portia 154 sonnets. in the “Merchant ofVenice,” and which is often That means that between when used now sarcastically. From the same play comes he first started writing in 1589 the expression “pound offlesh,” which is now often and his death in 1616, he used to mean what a person knows to be due to averaged 1.5 plays a year! him and is determined to have. “Full ofsound and fury, signifying nothing,” “to gild refined gold,” “to wear one’s heart upon one’s sleeve,”--these and

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 37 Revisited - Words Made By Great Writers

Browne may not have given Browne, is looked upon as a us electricity, but he did give classical writer, but his works us the name for it. are only read by a few, not like the great works of Shakespeare and Milton. Yet Sir Thomas Browne has given many new words to the English language. This is partly because he delib- erately made many new words. One book ofhis gave us several hundreds of these words. The reason his new words remained in the language was that there was a real need of them. Many seventeenth-century writers of plays invented hundreds of new words, but they tried to invent curious and queer-sounding words, and very few people liked them. These words never really became part of the English language. They hundreds of other phrases are that they come from Milton’s are “one-man” words, to be known by most people to come writings. Some ofthese are “the found only in the writings of from Shakespeare; they are used human face divine,” “to hide their inventors. Yet it was one of by many who do not. They de- one’s diminished head,” “a dim these fanciful writers who inven- scribe so splendidly so many religious light,” “the light fant- ted the very useful word dram- things which are constantly hap- astic toe.” It was Milton who in- atist for “a writer of plays.” pening that they seem to be the vented the name pandemonium But the words made by Sir only or at least the best way of for the home ofthe devils, and Thomas Browne were quite dif- expressing the meanings they now people regularly speak of a ferent. Such ordinary words as signify. state ofhorrible noise and dis- medical, literary, and electricity But not only have hundreds order as “a pandemonium.” were ﬁrst used by him. He made of Shakespeare’s own words and Many ofthose who use the ex- many others too, not quite so phrases passed into everyday pression have not the slightest common, but words which later English, but the way in which he idea ofwhere it came from. The writers and speakers could turned his phrases is often imit- few words which we know were hardly do without. ated. It was Shakespeare who made by Milton are very express- Another seventeenth-cen- used the phrase to “out-Herod ive words. It was he who inven- tury writer, John Evelyn, the Herod,” and now this is a com- ted anarch for the spirit of author of the famous Diary mon form ofspeech. A states- anarchy or disorder, and no one which has taught us so much man could now quite suitably has found a better word to ex- about the times in which he use the phrase to “out-Asquith press the idea. Satanic, moon- lived, was a great maker of Asquith.” struck, gloom (to mean “dark- words. Most ofhis new words The next great poet after ness”), echoing, and bannered were made from foreign words, Shakespeare was Milton. He also are some more well-known and as he was much interested gave us a great many new words words invented by Milton. in art and music, many ofhis and phrases, but not nearly so It is not always the greatest words relate to these things. It many as Shakespeare. Still there writers who have given us the was Evelyn who introduced the are a few phrases which are now greatest number of new words. A word opera into English, and so common that many people great prose writer of the seven- also outline, altitude, mono- use them without even knowing teenth century, Sir Thomas chrome (“a painting in one

Many of those who use the expression have not the slightest idea of where it came from.

38 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Revisted - Words Made By Great Writers shade”), and pastel, besides many other less Shakespeare influenced the common words. Robert Boyle, a great seventeenth-century English language writer on science, gave many new scientific words to the English language. The words more than any writer before or since. pendulum and intensity were first used by him, and it was he who first used fluid as a noun. been used to describe the institutions connec- The poets Dryden and Pope gave us many ted with knighthood, he used in a new way, new words too. and the word has kept this meaning ever Dr. Johnson, the maker ofthe first great since. It has now always the meaning ofcour- English dictionary, added some words to the tesy and gentleness towards the weak, but language. As everybody knows who has read before Sir Walter Scott used it it had not this that famous book, Boswell’s LifeofJohnson, meaning at all. Scott also revived words like Dr. Johnson was a man who always said just raid and foray, his novels, ofcourse, being full what he thought, and had no patience with ofdescriptions offighting on the borders of anything like stupidity. The expression England and Scotland. It was this same writer fiddlededee, another way oftelling a person who introduced the Scottish word gruesome that he is talking nonsense, was made by him. into the language. Irascibility, which means “tendency to be eas- Later in the century another Scotsman, ily made cross or angry,” is also one ofhis Thomas Carlyle, made many new words which words, and so are the words literature and later writers and speakers have used. They comic. are generally rather forcible and not very dig- The great statesman and political writer, nified words, for Carlyle’s writings were critic- Edmund Burke, was the inventor ofmany of al of almost everything and everybody, and he our commonest words relating to politics. Co- seemed to love rather ugly words, which made lonial, colonization, electioneering, diplomacy, the faults he described seem contemptible or financial, and many other words which are in ridiculous. It was he who made the words everyday use now, were made by him. croakery, dry-as-dust, and grumbly, and he introduced also the Scottish word feckless, which describes a person who is a terribly bad At the beginning of the nineteenth century manager, careless and disorderly in his af- there was a great revival in English literature, fairs, the sort of person whom Carlyle so since known as the “Ro- mantic Movement.” After the rather stiff manners and writing of the eight- eenth century, people began to have an enthusi- asm for all sorts ofold and adventurous things, and a new love for nature and beauty. Sir Walter Scott was the great novelist of the movement, and also wrote some fine, stirring ballads and poems. In these writings, which dealt chiefly with the adventurous deeds ofthe Middle Ages, Scott used again many old words which had been forgotten and fallen out ofuse. He made them everyday words again. We can thank the Bard for the name The old word chival- of this traffic device: the bump. rous, which had formerly

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 39 Revisited - Words Made By Great Writers

Burke gave us the word diplomacy, which is a big political game.

In the poem “The Jabberwocky”, author Lewis much despised. English people. Carroll created many odd and The great writers of the One maker of new words in new words. Most ofthem, like present time seem to be unwilling the nineteenth century must not brillig, mimsy, and frabjous did to make new words. The chief be forgotten. This was Lewis Car- not make it into English. Some, like galumph and word-makers of to-day are the roll, the author of“Alice in Won- chortle, however, are now part people who talk a new slang (and derland” and “Through the of our modern language. ofthese we shall see something in Looking-Glass.” He made many another chapter), and the sci- new and rather queer words; but entific writers, who, as they are they expressed so well the mean- constantly making new discover- ing he gave to them that some of ies, have to find words to describe them have become quite common. them. This writer generally made these Some ofthe poets ofthe curious words out oftwo others. present day have used new words The word galumph (which is now and phrases, but they are gener- put as an ordinary word in Eng- ally strange words, which no one lish dictionaries) he made out of thinks of using for himself. The gallop and triumph. It means “to poet John Masefield used the go galloping in triumph.” Another word waps and the phrase bee- of Lewis Carroll’s words, chortle, is loud, which is very expressive, but even more used. It also has the which we cannot imagine passing idea of “triumphing,” and is gen- into ordinary speech. Two poets of erally used to mean “chuckling the Romantic Movement, Southey (either inwardly or outwardly) in and Coleridge, used many new triumph.” It was probably made and strange words just in this out of the words chuckle and way, but these, again, never snort. passed into the ordinary speech of But great writers have not

40 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Revisted - Words Made By Great Writers

only added new words and Don Quixote used to charge at windmills. People doing phrases to the language by in- similarly strange activities are now quixotic. venting them; sometimes the name ofa book itselfhas taken on a general meaning. Sir Thomas More in the time of Henry VIII. wrote his famous book, “Utopia,” to describe a country in which everything was done as it should be. Utopia (which means “Nowhere,” More making the word out oftwo Greek words, ou, “not,” and topos, “place”) was the name of the ideal state he described, and ever since such imaginary states where all goes well have been described as “Utopias.” Then, again, a scene or place in a great book may be so in the novel ofthe great Spanish Holmes” when we mean to de- splendidly described, and in- writer, Cervantes. Don Quixote scribe some one who is very terest people so much, that it, was always doing generous but quick at ﬁnding out things. too, comes to be used in a gener- rather foolish things, and the Sherlock Holmes is the hero of al way. People often use the adjective quixotic now describes the famous detective stories of name Vanity Fair to describe a this sort of action. A quite differ- Conan Doyle. frivolous way of life. But the ori- ent character, the Jew in It is a very great testimony ginal Vanity Fair was, of course, Shakespeare’s play, “The Mer- to the power ofa writer when the one of the places of temptation chant ofVenice,” has given us names ofpersons or places in through which Christian had to the expression “a Shylock.” From his books become in this way pass on his way to the Heavenly Dickens’s famous character Mrs. part of the English language. City in John Bunyan’s famous Gamp in “Martin Chuzzlewit,” PT book, the “Pilgrim’s Progress.” who always carried a bulgy um- Another of these places was the brella, we get the word gamp, Slough ofDespond, which is now rather a vulgar name for “um- quite generally used to describe brella.” a condition of great discourage- ment and depression. The ad- We speak of“a Sherlock John Martin’s depiction of Milton’s jective Lilliputian, meaning “very pandemonium, the home of the devils. small,” comes from Lilliput, the land of little people in which Gulliver found himself in Swift’s famous book, “Gulliver’s Travels.” Then many common expressions are taken from characters in well-known books. We often speak of some one’s Man Friday, meaning a right-hand man or general helper; but the original Man Friday was, ofcourse, the savage whom Robinson Crusoe found on his desert island, and who acted afterwards as his ser- vant. In describing a person as quixotic we do not necessarily think of the original Don Quixote

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 41 Where Are You? Where Are You? This city is located in the central area of its country, but it is not the capital. Once, it belonged to a different country entirely. Over the centuries, it has been called a few different names. During the Middle Ages, the Germans called it Kronstadt, meaning “Crown City”. Another name it used at the time was Corona, and in the 20th century, it at one time bore the title of Oraşul Stalin (“Stalin City”). German colonists were important to the development of this city. During the 12th century, they developed towns, built mines, and cultivated lands, eventually becoming settlers to the region. The Teuton- ic Knights were called upon to fortify the region in 1211. That is when they built, as it was called then, Kronstadt. They were evicted by 1225, but the colonists that had come with them stayed, joining with the existing population. They were involved in trading, and the city became the junction of trade routes between Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Fortiﬁcations around the city were built up and expanded as a result of its rising importance.

After World War I, the city adopted a proclamation and swore allegiance to another country. After that, they enjoyed a good economy and cultural life. World War II brought an end to that. The country fought on both sides, ﬁrst with the Axis countries, then with the Allies. At the end of the war, the country fell under communist rule. Many ethnic Germans were deported by force to the Soviet Union while others emigrated to West Germany. In 1965, harsh austerity measures and political repression began under the communist party and the country became the most Stalinist police state in the Eastern bloc. This author- itarian government was ﬁnally overturned December of 1989 during a revolution.

Jews have lived in the city since 1807. A Jewish community was ofﬁcially established in 1826, and the ﬁrst Jewish school was built in 1864. Today, the Jewish community here has a population of around 230. The city is also home to a large number of ethnic Hungarians. According to the 2011 census, this city is the 8th most populous one in its country. To its fame, the city is the birthplace of the country’s national anthem. It also hosted the 2013 European Youth Winter Olympic Festival.

Can you name this city and country?

Last month's answer: Lyon, France

42 Parrot Time | Issue#6 | June2013

Language Learning Methods - Immersion

LLaanngguuaaggee LLeeaarrnniinngg MMeetthhooddss

IInntteerrnneett

erhaps the best method for the word for it before handing it mally a “g” or a “c”) should be learning a new language is to us (or telling us “no!” ifthey altered. The ci in ciliegia is pro- that of immersion. It is gen- we aren’t allowed to have it, nounced like the ch in the Eng- erally described as the way we which just makes us want it lish word church, but by adding all learn our first language as even more). the “h”, we turn it into a hard children. The process is that a During this time, we also “k” sound. Chilo is pronounced person is constantly surrounded learn some ofthe rules ofsociety like the English kilo. by the new language, with by observing how people ask for Not a problem there, really, people speaking only it, all the things, how they greet each oth- because the woman knows both media being in it, and the per- er, and how they interact in gen- those sounds already. However, son will only be understood eral. We learn to say “please” the English sound of th is com- properly when they speak it. while pointing at the desired ob- pletely foreign and likely never They are “immersed” in a com- ject, as we have seen others say used, except in some rare bor- plete environment with the lan- “please” to receive things. rowed words. guage. New sounds are a problem While it may be considered Sounds Like no matter what learning method the best, it is also probably the It isn’t all just words and ges- is used, and immersion as an hardest to obtain and maintain. tures, though. We are also learn- adult isn’t likely to make it any Most ofus don’t have the oppor- ing how to make the sounds of easier. The only possible ad- tunity to travel to a place where the language. This is something the language we are studying is we often take for granted, but it spoken by most ofthe popula- is vital to making oneself fully tion, and we certainly don’t get understood. As children, we to spend a long enough time learn to mimic the sounds from there to really learn the language those around us. As adults, it is fluently. Other, lesser measures much harder to do, for the are possible, but those can’t pos- sounds for our native tongue sibly be as effective. have already been developed and solidified while the sounds of the Child’s Play new language may be completely As children, we must learn to different or, worse, having a very speak by listening and watching slight variance that we have a everyone and everything around hard time detecting yet practic- us. We learn the language by not ally shouts out to natives ofour only hearing it but also by see- foreignness. ing what is referenced. For ex- Think of an Italian woman ample, ifan adult holds out an who is learning to speak Eng- object to us and says “cookie”, lish. While Italian has the letter we associate that word with the “h” in its alphabet, it has no object in their hand. When we sound itself. It is used as a want something, we point to it, sound modifier, telling how the Babies learn to their languge by listening to and the adult will often tell us sound of an adjacent letter (nor- and watching the people around them.

44 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Language Learning Methods - Immersion

Would you be daring enough to dive into an immersion course? vantage is that you hear the new possibly learn some new words, greatly dilute the immersion sounds as part ofthe entire pro- a long stay is really required. A process. cess, so they aren’t separated few months would be the minim- out first, as might be done in um amount oftime spent in an- Immersion Schools with other methods. That is, if other country. For those that can afford both the first thing about a language Another factor in how effect- the time and money, immersion you learn is the sounds as they ive the experience will be is how schools could be very beneficial are applied to each letter or to them. These are normally held group of letters, your mind It can't truly replace the in a country in which the target might balk at the strange experience everyone language is spoken natively, but sounds and make you more hes- has in learning their they also could be found in the itant. Immersion might remove native tongue, because student’s homeland. that hesitancy quicker and more we can never go back to In these schools, many sub- naturally because these sounds jects are normally taught, not aren’t being given any special at- being blank slates, but it just a language. The students tention. is probably the closest are taught in the new language, one can get to that which means that they truly Travel situation. need to learn the language in or- The best way to achieve immer- der to learn the material and sion is, obviously, to travel to pass the classes. where one can surround oneself truly isolated a person is. Ifthe Some schools might mix the with native speakers. Our Italian Italian woman travels to London new language with another, woman would therefore benefit and stays with her Italian relat- making the students bilingual the most by traveling to the ives there, she might not benefit over time. For example, the United Kingdom or the United as much ifshe speaks Italian school might teach classes in States for a long period oftime. with her family while there. Any 90% Spanish for the first year, While a short trip will get amount oftime spent on speak- then change to a mix of80% someone used to the sounds and ing one’s native language can Spanish and 20% English the

Parrot Time | Issue#6 | July2013 45 Language Learning Methods - Immersion

next year. Eventually, the bottom and drowned, immersion rarely any explanations in the classes could be being taught in is dropping a person into a com- native language, although that 50%/50% of both languages. pletely foreign environment and will depend on the intensity of This mixing can help in both forcing them to learn to commu- the course. the languages and the class ma- nicate with the natives or remain As can be expected, this has terials. As the students progress an outsider. As can be expected, other problems besides being in the Spanish, the English can this is not a process that every- just a part time event. Even if be used to assist in learning one would wish or dare to at- the teacher is a native or suf- more complicated or abstract tempt. ficiently fluent speaker to make concepts of Spanish. The Eng- the learning worthwhile, he or lish could also help in the learn- Partial Drowning she is likely to be the only real ing ofthe subject ofthe class, For those that can’t really afford source available to the students. enabling the students to learn to move to another country for a Interaction with the other stu- the words in both languages. few months or longer, there are dents will only repeat whatever There are also some at- ways in which at least partial the teacher has taught, while in tempts being made at creating immersion can be achieved. As true immersion, a learner would “Villages”, in which a person will was noted, any amount oftime have the chance to interact and go to live in a facility in which not immersed will decrease the learn from a much larger num- they only use the taught lan- efficiency, since the student’s ber of people. guage. These might me less in- mind will go back to using their Some of this limited diversity native tongue and the new ma- can be reduced by bringing in New sounds are a terial will slip into the back of other fluent or native speakers problem no matter what their mind. for a large portion ofthe class, learning method is Partial immersion is done by allowing for the students to have used, and immersion placing the learner in an envir- other sources to interact with. onment which uses the target Outside media should also be as an adult isn't likely to language for a part of the day. highly accessible, such as TV make it any easier. How this differs from a normal and radio programs from the language class is that everything country of the language. News- is presented in the language. papers and magazines can also tensive in terms of learning The teacher will address the stu- play an important role because a other subjects while offering res- dents only in the new language student must also learn to read idents a less formal atmosphere and they are allowed to only re- the language. for learning, like they might get spond in it as well. There is With the internet, there is by living in another country for a time. These villages essentially become a much smaller version of another country. Some places even offer similar programs in the forms of summer camps. Normal summer camps are usually where young people get to participate in summer activities they may not normally have access to at home, like sleeping outside, swimming, boating, and hiking. A language camp would similarly offer various activities, but these would be done only in the target language. It truly is a “sink or swim” proposition. Like the rather bar- baric method of teaching a child to swim, which involved tossing them into a lake and thus forcing them to learn or sink to the Students ages 2 to 5 learn math, science and art in a Spanish language immersion school.

46 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Language Learning Methods - Immersion

also the opportunity to open up Costs a classroom to talking to native Since the most ef- speakers in their countries using fective form of im- computers. How such a program mersion involves is set up could be problematic, travelling and living however, since to be the most ef- in another country ficient, only the one language for a long period of would be spoken, so the native time, it could be- speakers wouldn’t really benefit come quite expens- from the exchange. ive. There are so many factors that Daily Life might affect this, Welcome sign at a bilingual immersion school. Some people, while studying a though, that the language, may already utilize true cost is impossible to estim- some aspect of partial immer- ate. For example, our Italian wo- Alternatives sion. They might listen all day to man might be able to live with Other learning methods often a foreign radio station, or watch relatives in London for several include some aspect of immer- foreign films without subtitles in months, costing her little more sion. For example, some books their language. They could try to than the trip to there and back. for teaching the language are read foreign newspapers and If she attends an immersion written only in the target lan- magazines without looking up school there, the cost would guage... no explanations or any words. They might stick suddenly increase greatly, be- vocabulary in one’s native lan- pieces ofpaper on objects cause she is then paying for the guage. Some software, like around their house with the time ofteachers and the use of Rosetta Stone, have the student name ofthe object in the new the facilities, plus the education learn using pictures instead of language written on them, thus in various courses. Even an im- their native language, sup- making them constantly think in mersion school just for the lan- posedly forcing the learner to that language. guage over a few months can be understand it “visually”. Some A learner could also use the costly. For example, a nine-week audio courses are even com- internet to communicate with a Spanish course in Spain could pletely in the new language. native by using a voice or text cost a student over 1500. That chat, a forum, or some other includes the cost ofa shared Conclusion system. Many language ex- apartment, but not food or No matter how someone chooses change programs exist online to travel, and the classes are a to learn a language, they will help people find others that will mere 45 minutes a day. undoubtedly benefit from any help them in their learning. amount oftime they can spend being immersed in the language itself, whether it’s intensely for several months, a few hours in a class each day, or even through self immersion at home. It can’t truly replace the experience everyone has in learning their native tongue, because we can never go back to being blank slates, but it is probably the closest one can get to that situation. This is the last article in our series on language learning methods. We hope you have found them beneficial to finding out what possible ways might best suit your own learning needs. PT

Friends at a French language immersion camp.

Parrot Time | Issue#6 | July2013 47 Paid for by the Committee for a Stupidity Free World and the Association to Prevent Cruelty to Electrical Appliances EEvveerryy yyeeaarr,, DDOOZZEENNSS ooff AAmmeerriiccaann ffeemmaalleess bbuurrnn oouutt tthheeiirr hhaaiirrddrryyeerrss..

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Paid for by the Committee for a Stupidity Free World and the Association to Prevent Cruelty to Electrical Appliances Sections - Links SSeeccttiioonnss LLiinnkkss Sections is a mothly column about different parts of Paleremo, explaining their purpose and how to use them.

robably the most common section on any Once a person has selected a category to web page is a list oflinks to other web browse, they just click on the title to be taken to pages. Most ofthe time, these will be re- the list. There is one link per line, with several lated to the main subject ofthe site. The pieces ofinformation. There might be an image or code in which pages are written in was actually banner to represent the site, depending on designed with the purpose ofbeing able to link whether or not one was added with the link. The from one page to the other by clicking on specific item will also have a title, description, the main text. These links are called “Hypertext”, which language the site focuses on (if that applies; not gives us the first halfofthe acronym HTML. all sites will be specific to a language), the num- A list ofthese links is usually done to help a ber oftimes a person has selected that link, a person visiting the site to find related materials, rating (as given by members), and the name ofthe much as a librarian might suggest to you other member that added the link to the category. Rat- books you might wish to read based upon what ings are done by clicking on a thumb up or you have checked out. Often, sites will exchange thumb down icon, representing a plus one or links, with each one putting up a link to the other minus one point. Clicking on the image (or title, if site, as a mutual way ofgetting more visitors. there is no image), will take the user to the site. Links Adding Your Own Parleremo is no exception in using links. Since we Now, on most sites, a link page is created and know that we will never be able to provide every- maintained solely by the creator of the page. With one all the material they might want or need, we Parleremo, we know that members will often have have a large link system set up to aid learners. To found their own links that they would like to make it easier to find what is wanted, the links share with others. For that reason, members can are stored in a number of different categories. add such links to this section. The simply need to These include General Language Learning, which select the appropriate category, click on “Add would be sites that contain information on many Link”, and fill in the necessary information. languages, Translators & Dictionaries, for sites The most basic data that needs to be added is with those kinds of resources, and Language the title ofthe new link, a description ofthe site, Communities, which would be sites that offer a and the actual link. The description editor is full group learning process, like Parleremo. There are also places for linguistic, cultural, member made and language course sites. As of this writing, there are fourteen separate categories of links. Each category is listed with an image, title, and description. The largest section is undoubtedly the Lan- guage Specific category, which has subcategories for dozens oflanguage. Links here are to sites that are devoted to a particular language, whether for teaching, resources, or just basic information. This is also the section that is always expanding as new languages are added to the site. Sites in One of the link categories is these sections will also be listed in the individual to language schools. catalogue listings for each language.

50 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Sections - Links

Statistics At the bottom ofthe main link index page is a series of statistics. This is where the rankings and number ofviews are most useful, because the top links in both of those are listed here specifically, making it easy for people to find what others have found the most useful. More Categories We understand that we may not have set aside categories for all possible links that people might wish to add. Ifyou have a link to add and you believe a new category should be created so that it and similar links can be added, please contact us and tell us about it. Also, ifyou wish to add some Some links are to communities for learning languages. links for languages that aren’t already in the list of languages or don’t yet have a section created for of options for enhancing the text with bold, colors, them, you should also let us know. While it is pos- fonts, etc., though it is often best to keep the de- sible to add links without specific language cat- scription short and simple enough to make read- egories already, it makes the job easier on the ing it easier for the person seeking help. A category administrators if they can add a subcategory or should also be selected. The default should be the language before the links are added. Otherwise, category ofthe section the user was in when each link may have to be edited before it can be choosing to add a link, but ifit’s not, or a person approved. thinks it might belong in another section, they can We hope that everyone finds the link system change that here. A list oflanguages is also given, useful to them, both as a resource and as a way to help further identify the purpose ofthe site. If with sharing their own findings with others. PT the language needed is not in the list, there is also a place to fill in one manually. Lastly, there is a place to enter the URL ofan image to be used. Once all this information is given, the user clicks on “Add Link”, and it will be submitted to Link lists are like the system. Before it appears in the list, however, signs, it must be approved by an administrator. This is to pointing prevent inappropriate links from being added as you toward well as to move links to the proper section ifthe what you want. user made a mistake. Once the link is approved, it will show up in the proper category. Searching Since it is possble that a link might be in the system and someone can’t find it where they might expect it, or someone might be looking for links of a certain type, there is a Search option. There, a person can search for keywords in the title and description. They can also further refine the search to a specific language, category, date added (last 30 days, 60 days, etc), or even by the member who added it. Results ofthe search will come back like a normal link listing, except that a person will not be able to rate a link from here. Ifa user has selected a language they are studying for the site, there may also be a button specifically for that language next to the Search button. It’s a shorthand method of getting all links relating to that language.

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 51 Credits

Letter From the Editor Writer: Erik Zidowecki Images: Ed Schipul / eschipul: Sword fight Special Feature - When Languages Meet Writer: Erik Zidowecki Images: Kippelboy: 2012 Catalan independence protest Samuel Scott: Table Bay and Table Mountain eGuide Travel: people in highlands of Papua new Guinea. Paula Rey: Bilbao, Basque Country cs.belgium: Walloon language on street sign in Liège Joxemai: Tourist Basque country banner Lucien Mahin / Lucyin: Meeting for more Walloon language Zakuragi: map of the official language forms of Norwegian At The Cinema - Mal Día Para Pescar - Bad Day to Go Fishing Writer: Erik Zidowecki Sources: • "Mal Día Para Pescar" Internet Movie Database • "Bad Day to Go Fishing" Wikipedia All images are copyright Baobab Films, Expresso Films, Telespan 2000 Celebrations - Tanabata Writer: Sonja Krüger Images: Toshihiro Oimatsu / OiMax: Tree covered in prayers Danny Choo Danny Choo: Ball decorations Noel Portugal: Performaing musicians allegro Takahi / neco: Branch with prayers; Fireworks at night Jeremy Eades / jeremydeades: Taiko drum performance; Festival balls in the street Kazunori Matsuo / chaojikazu: Street performers; Tanabata Festival at night Simon Cumming: Street decorations; People getting food from vendors nAok0: Tanabata dancers ajari: Various other decorations; Kids playing a festival game Hajime NAKANO / jetalone: Wishes on a tree Sources: • "Tanabata" Wikipedia • "Tanabata – Festival of Star Crossed Lovers" Shane Sakata - The Nihon Sun • "Tanabata" Leighton Buzzard Childminding Association • "Ateji" Wikipedia Languages in Peril - The Romanian Relatives Writer: Lucille Martin Images: Zeljko: Carnival of the Istro-Romanians from Jeiăn Olahus: Map ofthe Balkans Rašo: Church ofSt. Zlata ofMeglen Petey: Pazin, Istria, Croatia; Map of Istria; Cultural festival of the Aromanians in Macedonia; Aromanian grammar book; Vlach Shepherd in traditional clothes; Wallachia family in Macedonia during the WWI Sources: • "Istro-Romanian language" Wikipedia • "Istroromanian language" • "Language and Lexicon" istro-romanian.com • "Aromanian language" Wikipedia • "Aromanian language" • "Aromanians" Wikipedia • "Megleno-Romanian language" Wikipedia • "Megleno-Romanian" Blackwell Reference Online • "Megleno-Romanians" Wikipedia

52 Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 Credits

Revisited - Words Made By Great Writers Writer: Elizabeth O'Neill Images: Moyan Brenn / Moyan_Brenn: Old books (title) dsb nola: Large reflective bead Elliott Brown / ell brown: Electricity pylons Maxime Bonzi / Macsous: Diplomacy game JDrewes (see www.jandrewes.de): Two "Don Quixote"-Style Windmills Petey: Speed bump; Pandemonium painting; Shakespeare; Jabberwocky Sources: • "Words Made By Great Writers" Stories That Words Tell Us Elizabeth O'Neill, M.A. London: T. C. & E. C. Jack, Ltd. 35 Paternoster Row, E.C. And Edinburgh 1918 Where Are You? Writer: Sonja Krüger Images: Petey: Mystery picture Language Learning Methods - Immersion Writer: Erik Zidowecki Images: VISIONS Service Adventures Visions / Service Adventures Member since 2009: Group painting mural; Boys posing for camera Karpati Gabor: Baby and mother tat: Poolside J jseattle: El Cuento Spanish immersion school Cliff/cliff1066™: Wakefield bilingual sign Sections - Links Writer: Erik Zidowecki Images: holger: University's library mexikids: Classroom of students sumeja: Signpost

All images are Copyright - CC BY-SA (Creative Commons Share Alike) by their respective owners, except for Petey, which is Public Domain (PD) or unless otherwise noted.

Parrot Time | Issue #7 | January/February2014 53 German Learn it. Live it. Love it.