Most Popular
1500 questions
17
votes
4 answers
Why do rhotics pattern together?
Looking at the IPA, many different types of sounds are given symbols based of of the Latin R,r: approximants, trills, taps/flaps; both coronal and uvular segments.
Sometimes, these sounds are historically related, for example the French uvular…
user325
17
votes
3 answers
Are word classes universal?
I'm working on an application that takes a special database of words and its word class and determines the such from a given sentence. I'm now working to see if word classes that are found in English are found in other non-European languages. If…
jackyalcine
- 271
- 1
- 7
17
votes
1 answer
Are first words in signed languages composed of signs that babies frequently babble?
In many spoken languages, the words for "mother" and "father" are composed of sounds that babies make very early. Is there a similar trend for early words that babies babble across signed languages?
Adele- Nexus of Potlucks
- 477
- 3
- 10
17
votes
3 answers
How did the Arabic word "allah" come to have an /lˤ/ ("emphatic l")?
In Modern Standard Arabic, phonemic /lˤ/ (a.k.a. "emphatic l") only occurs in one native word: Allah /ʔalˤˈlˤaːh/. (According to the linked article, it also occurs in a few loanwords.)
This seems like a profoundly weird situation. If a phoneme…
Leah Velleman
- 4,585
- 22
- 35
16
votes
2 answers
Why do neuter nominative and accusative always agree in IE languages?
The question that I have is a simple one.
Of every neuter noun, pronoun, or adjective, in any IE language (as far as I know), the nominative and accusative cases agree in all numbers. Why is this?
In the IE languages, case syncretism seems to be a…
R.P.
- 271
- 1
- 8
16
votes
2 answers
How could one generate gibberish that mimics a specific language?
If given a list of languages the listener was able to understand or classify, how would you generate textual output using a standard phonetic alphabet, for example IPA, that would sound like a language if read by someone familiar in reading the…
blunders
- 1,315
- 1
- 9
- 24
16
votes
9 answers
Are there any languages or cultures where people speak while inhaling?
In English, a 'gasp' exclamation seems to be the only word spoken while inhaling. Though it is sometimes implied that the expression is not voluntary, it typically is in most conversations.
I was curious though, are there other languages and…
coffeematt
- 263
- 1
- 2
- 5
16
votes
3 answers
What languages are expected to "die off" in the near future and why?
I am curious about what languages are projected to "die off" in the near future, say within 10, 50, or 100 years from now.
My questions in particular:
What and where are these languages exactly?
What are the major reasons for this?
(a little more…
DuckMaestro
- 269
- 1
- 4
16
votes
1 answer
Why isn't there a letter for /b/ sound in Greek alphabet while they have the sound?
In Greek the letter B sounds /v/; for example we have Vanadium which is Βανάδιο in Greek which in turn is transliterated as Vanάdio in English.
But what about when we have a /b/ sound? For example, we have Beckham which is Μπέκαμ in Greek which in…
Snack Exchange
- 377
- 2
- 12
16
votes
5 answers
What is the relation between the words "Cossack" and "Kazakh"?
These two words in English would appear to refer to foreign peoples / cultures known to the Rus within recorded history.
The Russian wikipedia pages indicate a surface similarity in spelling:
Казахи
Казаки
Are the etymologies (and, by extension,…
Marc Cenedella
- 262
- 1
- 2
- 8
16
votes
6 answers
Should orthographies represent phonemes or phones?
I am currently working with Salvadoran Nawat, an endangered language that has never had a standardized orthography due to being primarily oral. As part of the revitalization process, we need to standardize an orthography for this language. However,…
Sigfredo Olmedo
- 161
- 4
16
votes
2 answers
Development of Old Norse 2nd and 3rd person sg. (present indicative) forms of "to be"
I was comparing the conjugations of "to be" in Old Norse and Proto-Germanic, and it looks like ON has flipped the 2nd and 3rd person singular forms. Is this what happened, or is there some other development that led to the ON…
guest75643
- 161
- 3
16
votes
8 answers
Native English speakers: worse understanding of other accents?
In this video, Lily Tomlin (an American) doesn't really understand what Kevin Bridges is saying at all with his Scottish accent. She also says she doesn't fully understand what Chris Hemswoth (an Australian) is saying either. Chris Hemsworth says…
Alex
- 300
- 2
- 6
16
votes
4 answers
Can you have two first languages?
I was born in Germany but my mother is from Brazil. Therefore, I speak with her in Portuguese and everyone else in German. The thing is, I moved to Brazil when I was 13-14. I never had much difficulty in school, besides the initial transition. I…
kah
- 169
- 1
- 3
16
votes
7 answers
Alternatives to IPA?
Are there any other graphic systems that attempt to be as complete as the International Phonetic Alphabet?
blunders
- 1,315
- 1
- 9
- 24