Sunday, March 27, 2011

Can you name the languages spoken in the sound clips? by 1447 | Online Games & Trivia by Sporcle

Can you name the languages spoken in the sound clips? by 1447 | Online Games & Trivia by Sporcle

I doubt I have very many linguists in my readership, I don't often write about my love of language and linguistics. I found this via a language and linguistics blog that I read regularly. If nothing else, its fun to hear the same phrase in 30 different language and to compare the basic sounds and intonation you hear.

I got 5 of the 30 correct: English, French, Japanese, German and Thai. Surprisingly, I missed Mandarin (I lived in China and speak some Chinese) and, less surprisingly, Korean (I studied it for a project during my M.A. work) and Arabic (which I studied for a class project).

If you feel intimated, just go and listen -- if only to see what its like to know its language but understand nothing. Its humbling.

4 comments:

  1. I'll go and listen later... I AM interested in languages! I study languages!
    I guess, though, that that humbling effect won't be so big on me. I've travelled to countries whose languages I don't undestand, and listened to songs I did not understand... and watched a Saami film with Norwegian subtitles at one point, which I also did not understand that much. :-) Plus lots of shops in my hometown are operated by Vietnamese people, and when they talk between themselves, I also don't understand a word.
    Still, it will be interesting. Thank you for the link!

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  2. I got 13 out of 30 correct- with a baby wanting my attention :)

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  3. I'm impressed, Priest's Wife! Are you lucky enough to have exposure to these various languages, or are you just well versed in the languages of the world.

    I think I might head back after a week and see what I can still remember. I love being able to ID a language just by its intonation and sounds (as I did for Japanese and German and Thai).

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  4. You've got at least one linguist-type reader here! Thanks for the fun link. I got half right 15/30. Imagine, missing Mongolian or Esperanto! What kind of linguist am I?? :-)

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