Languages by J. S. Marlo

 

The Red Quilt 

Sweet Christmas Story

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J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

My European ancestors arrived to Canada in the early 1600s, and some found romance with Native women. Since then, thirteen generations have passed, and I don't have more than a few diluted drops of Native blood left in my veins. Still, I grew up in Quebec speaking the same language as my European ancestors. French.

They say 'Necessity is the mother of invention'. Well, in my twenties after my husband was posted to Nova Scotia, necessity became the driving force behind me learning English, mostly thanks to my very patient friends & neighbours. 

Today, I fluently speak English with a French accent, and according to my relative back in Quebec, I speak French with a slight English accent.

I wish I knew more than French & English, but unless you speak a language regularly, you tend to forget it. Interestingly, there are over 7,000 different languages spoken in the world. 

Which language is the most spoken on earth? Mandarin Chinese. Spoken by 1.1 billion people, it's the official language of mainland China.

What is the second most spoken language? Spanish. Spoken by 400 millions people, it is an official language in 20 countries.

The third most spoken is the one I learned as a second language. English. Spoken by nearly 360 millions people, it's an official language in more than 80 countries and is also the international business language.

Are there any dead languages? Yes, many. A dead language is defined as a language no longer spoken as first or second language, such as Latin or Old Norse. Interestingly enough, I had two years of compulsory Latin in high school. 

What are the hardest and easiest languages to learn for English speakers?

According to Berlitz, Hungarian is the hardest, but according to Babbel, it's Mandarin Chinese. Berlitz lists Frisia (second official language in the Netherlands) then Dutch as the easiest to learn, but according to Babbel, it's... Norwegian (I didn't see that one coming).

Happy Holiday Season! Joyeux Temps des Fêtes!

J. S.

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

The confusing world of idioms by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

I love idioms. They can be colorful, sarcastic, and more often than none, impossible to translate in a different language. 

The first idiom I encountered in English was When pigs fly. I was in my twenties slowly learning English when one of my friends said it. I understood the when, the pigs, and the fly, but I couldn't figure out how or when she switched the conversation to pink farm animals. She explained, but then she was also surprised we didn't use that expression to say never in French. I told her we do have a similar expression, which also features a farm animal. In French we say Quand les poules auront des dents, which translate to When hens will have teeth. 
That's when I learned I couldn't translate idioms words for words. At the same time, it was fascinating to discover how two different languages use two different images to convey the same meaning, like:

Love at first sight   is the equivalent to   Coup de foudre (lightning strike) in French.
Once in a blue moon   to   Tous les trente-six du mois (every 36th of the month)
To feel under the weather   to   Ne pas être dans son assiette (not to be in one’s plate)
To mind one’s own business   to   S'occuper de ses oignons (to take care of one’s onions)
To have other fish to fry   to   Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter (to have other cats to whip)
To put in two cents   to   Mettre son grain de sel (to put one’s grain of salt)

It just goes to show that every language is truly unique and meanings can really get lost in the translation.

Happy reading & writing!
JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website