tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post112721949303370439..comments2023-11-19T17:31:49.939+00:00Comments on Bristling Badger: cunning linguistUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-66749183011962195742007-11-29T21:10:00.000+00:002007-11-29T21:10:00.000+00:00I am half faroese so if u need a translation...Lif...I am half faroese so if u need a translation...<BR/><BR/>Life is that, which happens while you make other plans..<BR/><BR/>Lívið=Life<BR/>Er=Is<BR/>Tað=The<BR/>Sum=Which<BR/>Hendir=Happens<BR/>Meðan=While<BR/>Tú=You<BR/><BR/>Leggur= this one actually translates to laying, as in laying plans or making plans.<BR/><BR/>Aðrar=Other<BR/>Ætlanir=Plans<BR/><BR/>Gull means Gold not Gulls :)Edvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04608037044223975619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-52006466069576741842007-03-22T10:51:00.000+00:002007-03-22T10:51:00.000+00:00The Faroe Islands or simply Faroes (Faroese: Føroy...The Faroe Islands or simply Faroes (Faroese: Føroyar, meaning "Sheep Islands", Danish: Færøerne)<BR/><BR/>That's why there is a sheep on the bottle!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-1131123250048312922005-11-04T16:54:00.000+00:002005-11-04T16:54:00.000+00:00Thanks for the Japanese info there, astvinr, and w...Thanks for the Japanese info there, astvinr, and welcome aboard the Badgerwagon.<BR/><BR/>I'd still contest that having a word meaing 'foolish' or 'you have let me down' is not really swearing.<BR/><BR/>Swearing is not only derogatory and offensive, but largely devoid of literal meaning. When someone's called a bastard or a cunt, we don't say they've let us down or anything, we merely declare in very strong terms that we don't like them.<BR/><BR/>If I call something a fucker, it tells you nothing of why I dislike it, only that I do.<BR/><BR/>It's that purity of offensiveness that I understand is missing from Japanese as a language.<BR/><BR/>If I may, I really would like to get you started on 'cunt'. My own half-arsed forays into the word have been fascinating (mentioned a bit <A HREF="http://bristlingbadger.blogspot.com/2005/03/cunt.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>).<BR/><BR/>Do please add owt you can.merrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10959849087751101034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-1131122573686792742005-11-04T16:42:00.000+00:002005-11-04T16:42:00.000+00:00Astvinr, I have a confession. I thought the gull/s...Astvinr, I have a confession. <BR/><BR/>I thought the gull/sheep thing was odd and funny. Then when I looked at the back label I saw the beer had won a 'gull medal', and realised gull meant gold. But I feigned ignorance for this post in order not to ruin the gag.merrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10959849087751101034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-1131118932368549652005-11-04T15:42:00.000+00:002005-11-04T15:42:00.000+00:00Oh, and as for the other bottle... If Faroese is a...Oh, and as for the other bottle... If Faroese is as similar to Icelandic as the other one suggests, then 'Gull' means 'Gold', I think. Still doesn't explain why it's got a sheep on it, though!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-1131118776283674342005-11-04T15:39:00.000+00:002005-11-04T15:39:00.000+00:00I'm glad Krizz got it, because I was going to post...I'm glad Krizz got it, because I was going to post the same solution - but should add that, in fact, it does rhyme (both lines end in an '-ir' plural which counts as a rhyme I think!)<BR/>But the real thing I wanted to comment on was...<BR/><BR/>"...There are no swearwords in Japanese..."<BR/><BR/>Ah, a common misconception. From my diary: Saturday, January 22, 2005:<BR/>In the morning I talked to Mr Yamamoto*. He is reading Tom Sharp's Wilt in Nowhere. He has a remarkable talent for finding the most challenging and culturally rich items to help him with his English, but this one takes the cake. Unsurprisingly, he had some questions about the language, especially words like 'bastard' and 'fuck'. I found out a good bit about Japanese swear words too, in the process of explaining what Sharp meant.<BR/>There is a marvellous word "chikashoo", which is sort of like an equivalent to 'bastard' but in a very specific way.<BR/>'This word means, you have let me down,' Mr Yamamoto explained. 'You have made a promise and you have not kept it and I feel very upset and injured. It's a Buddhist word, and it originally meant 'animal' or 'devil'.'<BR/>There is also a word "baka", meaning foolish, but this is also very specific. It can mean a foolish person, or foolish behaviour, but... <BR/>'For example, suppose you spoke very good Japanese,' Mr Yamamoto said. I don't, by the way, I regret to say. 'Suppose you spoke very good Japanese and you tried to use the word "chikashoo". You would then sound "baka".'<BR/>There is another word that means something like the same as "baka", namely "ahoo", but if it is used by the people of Osaka, it is only moderately insulting. However, if you use the same word in Tokyo, you will be committing a considerable offense to people. <BR/>*[not his real name]<BR/><BR/>As for the origins of the word 'cunt'... don't get me started on that one. I've come to the conclusion that it is a word we brought with us out of Africa, and that it may even be pre-Human.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-1129033410183876332005-10-11T13:23:00.000+01:002005-10-11T13:23:00.000+01:00Yay Krizz! Mystery solved! Thankyou!Yay Krizz! Mystery solved! Thankyou!merrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10959849087751101034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-1128966332998008772005-10-10T18:45:00.000+01:002005-10-10T18:45:00.000+01:00"Life is what happens to you while you're busy mak..."Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." John Lennon<BR/><BR/>Not so hard for a Swede!KBzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09347564581575321203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-1128554827901682132005-10-06T00:27:00.000+01:002005-10-06T00:27:00.000+01:00That was really funny Merrick! To add to the theme...That was really funny Merrick! To add to the theme I thought I'd try a Julian Cope song...<BR/><BR/>Firstly, English to French to English...<BR/><BR/>I saw my old man bursting of the tunnel. I knew what came afterwards. With identified the fresh scene which brought the fall of the distant days. Days distant accomodating the son from Claudius Rufus. Just another Sheepboy, call of duck, swansong. Wire of idiot of Kong ass. And I say, you should not be frightened love, ' cause I am a sure darling of surfer<BR/><BR/>Or how about Russian?<BR/><BR/>I saw, that my old person exploded from the tunnel. I knew it arrived then. Learned cold place it brought downfall distant days. Distant days greeting son Claudius Rufus. Exactly another Sheepboy, the bell of duck, swansong. Son of the idiot of donkey Kong. And I speak, you must not be the frightened love, ' reason I will be the safe darling surfer<BR/><BR/>Finally, through Greek...<BR/><BR/>My Evle'j'da ilikjwme'no from the tunnel. I knew what came then. It recognized the cool scene that brought the fall of distant days. Distant days that welcome the son Claudius Rufus. Precisely a other Sheepboy, call of ducks, swansong. Idiotic son of donkey Kong. And say, they is not essential you are fearred love, "cause that am sure love surfer.<BR/><BR/>To the best of Babelfish's knowledge, neither Russian nor Greek have a word for "Surfer".<BR/><BR/>I once came back from Holland on the ferry, and overheard an amusingly stereotypical rich American tourist (loud check trousers, camera, etc) telling a German guy (in English) why English is the best language in the world. It's certainly the most widespread, but this is down to history, and the imperial adventures of first the British, then of the Americans. It's the language of commerce, of air-traffic control, of a zillion and one things, but since the purpose of language is to communicate, any old tongue will do. If things had been different, the loud guy on the boat would have been proclaiming that Swahili or Spanish, or even Faroese was undoubtedly the best language in the world.<BR/><BR/>For many myths and stereotypes explored and exploded, I recommend a book called Language Myths, by Peter Trudgill and Laurie Bauer<BR/><BR/>http://dannyreviews.com/h/Language_Myths.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441439.post-1128522095778549552005-10-05T15:21:00.000+01:002005-10-05T15:21:00.000+01:00My favourite translator anomaly was from a German ...My favourite translator anomaly was from a German review of a Simon Ings novels, which apparently described the book as "packing, bang-hard cyberporno".<BR/><BR/>Packing book, Simon! Well fucking bang-hard!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com