Has anyone ever told you that you should talk like a girl? Here in Tokyo, this has become a phrase I have become all too acquainted with. For, in Japan, men and women not only have separate train cars, they have separate language codes as well.
Before I moved to Japan, my Japanese friends were mostly men, so I learned the language of the Japanese male. Instead of saying "watashi" (I), I would blurt out "ore" which means the exact same thing, but in what I like to call manspeak.
Before I knew that there were different types of "speak", I was often unsure as to why I was getting strange looks on the trains or in local restaurants. I was pretty confident that what I was saying was correct, so I chalked up all the stares to the typical "Oh my, a foreigner is speaking our language" curiosity.
Then, one day, my boss heard me say "ganbare" to another coworker. Ganbare is manspeak for ganbatte, which means "good luck" or "you can do it" in Japanese. He literally sat me down and told me not to speak that way. When I asked him why, he simply replied, "It just sounds too weird. You should speak like a girl!"
Since then, my female coworkers have been trying to show me how to speak properly, cutesy and in high tones, like a proper Japanese girl should. I don't think it's working. I like the trills that occur in Japanese manspeak, and the harshness of the words. It sound more real. At least more so than the over-the-top squeaking that occurs in the ideal speech of a Japanese woman.
I know a girl here who has a Japanese father and an American mother. She speaks in Japanese manspeak, and makes no apologies for it. When I asked her why she speaks that way, she simply replied, "I'm not going to try to change the way I talk based on silly gender rules."
Maybe I should take a cue from her.
Have any of you ever lived in a place where men speak differently from women? If so, did you change your speech patterns or did you just go with the flow?
Share your thoughts!
Showing posts with label miyaunna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label miyaunna. Show all posts
03 June 2009
18 March 2009
How in the Heck Do You Pronounce This Word?
Ayo!
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu.
How in the world do you pronounce this word? Here is a video of me trying it out. Give me some tips on how you think it should be pronounced, or try it yourself!
Oh, and here is a bonus video of me testing out the hardest tongue-twister in the English language.
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu.
How in the world do you pronounce this word? Here is a video of me trying it out. Give me some tips on how you think it should be pronounced, or try it yourself!
Oh, and here is a bonus video of me testing out the hardest tongue-twister in the English language.
11 March 2009
Buffalo buffalo
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
The above is a true sentence. Created in 1972 by William J. Rapaport, it is an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated sentences.
I came across this special sentence while browsing the internet with my twin sister a couple years ago. Since then, it has always captivated me.
So, what does this sentence mean? Can you figure it out?
Click here for the answer.
For all you Spanish speakers out there, here is a similar sentence:
¿Cómo como? Como como como.
There are more interesting sentences in many different languages at the above source.
Enjoy!
The above is a true sentence. Created in 1972 by William J. Rapaport, it is an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated sentences.
I came across this special sentence while browsing the internet with my twin sister a couple years ago. Since then, it has always captivated me.
So, what does this sentence mean? Can you figure it out?
Click here for the answer.
For all you Spanish speakers out there, here is a similar sentence:
¿Cómo como? Como como como.
There are more interesting sentences in many different languages at the above source.
Enjoy!
Poll Number 2 Results!
Hello everyone!
The results of our second poll are in!
Below are the responses to the poll question (which lanaguge family contains the hardest to learn langauges):
One voter chose Japonic.
Two voters chose Other.
So, how did you vote?
I chose Afro-Asiatic. I have found that languages in the Berber, Egyptian, Chadic and Cushitic branches of this family have been the hardest for me to wrap my head around. Some of these languages have no vowel or arbitrary vowel sounds, so words can be pronounced many different ways. This makes pronunciation and understanding very difficult! Afro-Asiatic languages are also some of the least taught languages in Western schools, which makes contact with these languages very difficult. Huasa, found in the Chadic language branch, has tones, which also complicates things for me.
I also chose Afro-Asiatic because I have found that Indo-European languages are generally easy to learn, followed by Japonic (although I do get tripped up by characters).
So, to all of you who voted, please tell me which language group you chose and why! And if you put "other" please describe the language family you chose.
Thanks!
The results of our second poll are in!
Below are the responses to the poll question (which lanaguge family contains the hardest to learn langauges):
Five voters chose Afro-Asiatic.
One voter chose Japonic.
Two voters chose Other.So, how did you vote?
I chose Afro-Asiatic. I have found that languages in the Berber, Egyptian, Chadic and Cushitic branches of this family have been the hardest for me to wrap my head around. Some of these languages have no vowel or arbitrary vowel sounds, so words can be pronounced many different ways. This makes pronunciation and understanding very difficult! Afro-Asiatic languages are also some of the least taught languages in Western schools, which makes contact with these languages very difficult. Huasa, found in the Chadic language branch, has tones, which also complicates things for me.
I also chose Afro-Asiatic because I have found that Indo-European languages are generally easy to learn, followed by Japonic (although I do get tripped up by characters).
So, to all of you who voted, please tell me which language group you chose and why! And if you put "other" please describe the language family you chose.
Thanks!
04 March 2009
Poll Number 1 Results
The results of our first poll are in!
35 of you voted, with a whopping 62% of you choosing Mandarin as the most spoken language in the world. In second place, came English, garnering 28%, with Spanish trailing behind at 8%.
But which is actually the most spoken language in the world?
English.
Or Mandarin.
It depends on who you talk to. And what you mean by "spoken".
Many of the numbers and figures change so constantly, that most linguists put English and Mandarin in a constantly evolving dance for being the top language dog.
This may surprise the 62% of you who voted for Mandarin, but it is quite possible that English may have won this round.
While Mandarin dwarfs English when counting only native speakers of each individual language, English sweeps past Mandarin when comparing total number of speakers worldwide, regardless of whether they are native speakers or speak it as a second or third tongue.
As a native language, Mandarin comes in first in the world at nearly 1 billion*.
As a native and second language, Mandarin comes in second at 1.15 billion (with the majority being native speakers).
As a native language, English comes in fourth in the world at nearly 310 million.
As a native and second language, English comes in first, reaching into the 1.8 billion range(with the majority being non-native speakers).
(Some of these charts add in all Chinese dialects, so be careful in your calculations!)
You can find more information and stats at the Ethnologue and here.
So, what do you all think? Am I crazy? Is my math wrong? How did you vote?
35 of you voted, with a whopping 62% of you choosing Mandarin as the most spoken language in the world. In second place, came English, garnering 28%, with Spanish trailing behind at 8%.
But which is actually the most spoken language in the world?
English.
Or Mandarin.
It depends on who you talk to. And what you mean by "spoken".
Many of the numbers and figures change so constantly, that most linguists put English and Mandarin in a constantly evolving dance for being the top language dog.
This may surprise the 62% of you who voted for Mandarin, but it is quite possible that English may have won this round.
While Mandarin dwarfs English when counting only native speakers of each individual language, English sweeps past Mandarin when comparing total number of speakers worldwide, regardless of whether they are native speakers or speak it as a second or third tongue.
As a native language, Mandarin comes in first in the world at nearly 1 billion*.
As a native and second language, Mandarin comes in second at 1.15 billion (with the majority being native speakers).
As a native language, English comes in fourth in the world at nearly 310 million.
As a native and second language, English comes in first, reaching into the 1.8 billion range(with the majority being non-native speakers).
(Some of these charts add in all Chinese dialects, so be careful in your calculations!)
You can find more information and stats at the Ethnologue and here.
So, what do you all think? Am I crazy? Is my math wrong? How did you vote?
01 March 2009
Music Set to Speech Patterns
Ayo!
My sister sent me a link to a couple of videos where Henry Hey has composed music based on the speech patterns and intonations of George W. Bush, Sarah Palin and John McCain. It is so interesting to hear how the music follows the rhythms of speech, and could actually be cut into a real song.
I am interested in the language side of it (speech patterns), but anyone interested in Music Theory might also find this interesting as well!
Enjoy!
BUSH SONG:
PALIN SONG:
PALIN AND MCCAIN SONG:
My sister sent me a link to a couple of videos where Henry Hey has composed music based on the speech patterns and intonations of George W. Bush, Sarah Palin and John McCain. It is so interesting to hear how the music follows the rhythms of speech, and could actually be cut into a real song.
I am interested in the language side of it (speech patterns), but anyone interested in Music Theory might also find this interesting as well!
Enjoy!
BUSH SONG:
PALIN SONG:
PALIN AND MCCAIN SONG:
24 February 2009
How Battlestar Galactica Changed My Vocabulary
Ayo!
Based on an 70's show of the same name, Battlestar Galactica is an Emmy and Peabody-winning science fiction television show chronicling the struggle of the last surviving Humans against their mortal enemies, the Cylons.
Wait, wait, don't go! I know that might be a little too nerdy for you, but I'm just getting to the good stuff!
Battlestar Galactica is an intense, high brow show, but since it airs on basic cable's SciFi Channel, and can subsequently be broadcast on network television, there can be no extreme nudity or naughty language. While it is easy to skirt around certain nudity issues, it is much harder to get away with foul language on television.
So, what did the writers of Battlestar Galactica do, faced with such puritan choices? They created an entirely new word.
Frack.
Frack you. Frack your mom. What's the big fracking deal? Wanna frack? I was so fracked last night! I think you can guess which word it's replacing.
In the original 1970's series, frack was more of a descriptor of a person than a four letter expletive. In the new, re-imagined series, frack has every bit as much power as its counterpart, and has even garnered a real-life following. Well, at least with me and my sister, to say the least.
Now, I often find the word frack has more bite to it than the word it has replaced.
Even in social settings I have been known to squeeze out an occasional frack at the lack of variety at the food crafts table. "Frack this", I might mutter, at the thought of waiting in an extremely long line at the grocery store. This sends some into knowing chuckles while others will raise an eyebrow, having no clue as to the meaning of what I've just said. Ah, Nerdom. Such hidden power.
Frack will never replace the original word, of course, but it has a lifelong fan in me, and is a testament to how even a television show has the power to change language. Well, at least in me, anyway.
Oh, and if you haven't already, check out Battlestar Galactica every Friday at 9pm Eastern on the SciFi Channel, for frack's sake!
ETA
Just to note, in the original series, the word is spelled, "Frack." In the re-imagined series, it's spelled "frak".
Based on an 70's show of the same name, Battlestar Galactica is an Emmy and Peabody-winning science fiction television show chronicling the struggle of the last surviving Humans against their mortal enemies, the Cylons.
Wait, wait, don't go! I know that might be a little too nerdy for you, but I'm just getting to the good stuff!
Battlestar Galactica is an intense, high brow show, but since it airs on basic cable's SciFi Channel, and can subsequently be broadcast on network television, there can be no extreme nudity or naughty language. While it is easy to skirt around certain nudity issues, it is much harder to get away with foul language on television.
So, what did the writers of Battlestar Galactica do, faced with such puritan choices? They created an entirely new word.
Frack.
Frack you. Frack your mom. What's the big fracking deal? Wanna frack? I was so fracked last night! I think you can guess which word it's replacing.
In the original 1970's series, frack was more of a descriptor of a person than a four letter expletive. In the new, re-imagined series, frack has every bit as much power as its counterpart, and has even garnered a real-life following. Well, at least with me and my sister, to say the least.
Now, I often find the word frack has more bite to it than the word it has replaced.
Even in social settings I have been known to squeeze out an occasional frack at the lack of variety at the food crafts table. "Frack this", I might mutter, at the thought of waiting in an extremely long line at the grocery store. This sends some into knowing chuckles while others will raise an eyebrow, having no clue as to the meaning of what I've just said. Ah, Nerdom. Such hidden power.
Frack will never replace the original word, of course, but it has a lifelong fan in me, and is a testament to how even a television show has the power to change language. Well, at least in me, anyway.
Oh, and if you haven't already, check out Battlestar Galactica every Friday at 9pm Eastern on the SciFi Channel, for frack's sake!
ETA
Just to note, in the original series, the word is spelled, "Frack." In the re-imagined series, it's spelled "frak".
Fake English?
Ayo!
Can you speak fake English?
That's the question a Youtuber called Crenquist asked his subscribers nearly two years ago, after giving them his own impressions of what French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish sound like to his non-native speaking ears.
The video is not meant to offend, nor reinforce stereotypes about the speakers of those languages, but is actually being used as "edutainment" piece. Not only is it a fun activity, but you can learn something from it. It offers a real glimpse into what certain languages sound like to non-native speakers.
We've all heard that English speakers have this retroflex "r" thing going on, that German has a biting edge, and that the French language sounds like a rush of syllables, but nothing is as honest as seeing another person from another part of the world imitate your language.
Here is Crenquist giving us his impression of 7 fake languages, each based on Chinese, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, German and Japanese.
.
You can click around Youtube to watch other videos of people imitating what English sounds like to them. All of those videos are insightful, not to mention hilarious, but I will leave you with a cute young girl from Quebec. She really hits the nail on the head with the sounds and idosyncrasies of English phonetics.
Once I get my camera up and rolling, I will upload myself speaking fake Italian and fake Arabic. I invite all of you out there to do the same!
Until next time, peace out!
Can you speak fake English?
That's the question a Youtuber called Crenquist asked his subscribers nearly two years ago, after giving them his own impressions of what French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish sound like to his non-native speaking ears.
The video is not meant to offend, nor reinforce stereotypes about the speakers of those languages, but is actually being used as "edutainment" piece. Not only is it a fun activity, but you can learn something from it. It offers a real glimpse into what certain languages sound like to non-native speakers.
We've all heard that English speakers have this retroflex "r" thing going on, that German has a biting edge, and that the French language sounds like a rush of syllables, but nothing is as honest as seeing another person from another part of the world imitate your language.
Here is Crenquist giving us his impression of 7 fake languages, each based on Chinese, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, German and Japanese.
.
You can click around Youtube to watch other videos of people imitating what English sounds like to them. All of those videos are insightful, not to mention hilarious, but I will leave you with a cute young girl from Quebec. She really hits the nail on the head with the sounds and idosyncrasies of English phonetics.
Once I get my camera up and rolling, I will upload myself speaking fake Italian and fake Arabic. I invite all of you out there to do the same!
Until next time, peace out!
15 February 2009
Miyaunna, checking in!
Ayo!
In my neck of the woods, that means, "Hey, you!". This is my first venture into group blogging, and I can say that I am ready to have some fun along the way!
I'm a pretty outgoing Midwestern girl, currently teaching English and (half-arsed) French in Tokyo, Japan. I love languages, and so far, they seem to love me...although I've never really asked. I am a native English speaker, but also spoke a little AAVE and Louisiana French (thanks to my late Grandma who thought it was *just adorable* hearing us swear in another language) while growing up.
In college, I studied Film, Linguistics and International Relations but spent most of my time getting into philosophical arguments with my friends while simultaneously drowning out my rowdy next door neighbors with my Amadou et Miriam CD.
When not ranting about some linguistic rarity, I can be found with a film camera and a microphone or can be caught strumming my guitar next to my twin sister as we both veg out on my couch. You can also check up on me at my blog.
During my time here at Language Nerds, I will write on the origins of language, upload videos and interviews of second generation speakers and try to generally explore all the oddities and idiosyncrasies of the English language.
I speak English, Spanish, am pretty good at Portuguese and French, and have had varying degrees of experience with Arabic, Chinese, and German. Drop me a line in any of these languages and we'll see what I come up with!
I hope you'll join me and maybe we just might figure this whole "language thing" out.
Stay tuned!
In my neck of the woods, that means, "Hey, you!". This is my first venture into group blogging, and I can say that I am ready to have some fun along the way!
I'm a pretty outgoing Midwestern girl, currently teaching English and (half-arsed) French in Tokyo, Japan. I love languages, and so far, they seem to love me...although I've never really asked. I am a native English speaker, but also spoke a little AAVE and Louisiana French (thanks to my late Grandma who thought it was *just adorable* hearing us swear in another language) while growing up.
In college, I studied Film, Linguistics and International Relations but spent most of my time getting into philosophical arguments with my friends while simultaneously drowning out my rowdy next door neighbors with my Amadou et Miriam CD.
When not ranting about some linguistic rarity, I can be found with a film camera and a microphone or can be caught strumming my guitar next to my twin sister as we both veg out on my couch. You can also check up on me at my blog.
During my time here at Language Nerds, I will write on the origins of language, upload videos and interviews of second generation speakers and try to generally explore all the oddities and idiosyncrasies of the English language.
I speak English, Spanish, am pretty good at Portuguese and French, and have had varying degrees of experience with Arabic, Chinese, and German. Drop me a line in any of these languages and we'll see what I come up with!
I hope you'll join me and maybe we just might figure this whole "language thing" out.
Stay tuned!
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