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Europe
Linguistic Respect for the People Once Derided as Gypsies
The Roma in Romania have long been called Tigan or Gypsy. Now, the country has made Roma the official term and hopes to reduce stereotypes and discrimination.
A Dubious Award for the Squeezed Middle
‘Squeezed middle’ beats out ‘occupy’, ‘Arab Spring’ and ‘tiger mother’ to win the OED’s word of the year
Oh My Lady Gaga, and Other Linguistic Exchanges
Hengeilivable! Nonsensical English words and phrases are all the rage among young Chinese.
Translators Past, Present and Future
Why human translators aren’t afraid of machine translators. Also, a history of translation, and a new novel that draws on The Iliad.
Corporate Spelling Experiments and Fear of a Chinese-Speaking Planet
Corporations love to tinker with spelling, often with disastrous consequences. Also, a film explores fears about Chinese.
Fry’s Planet Word, and the Rise of Belizean Creole
An interview with writer and actor Stephen Fry, who has made a series on language for BBC TV.
An Inuit Dialect, a Grammar for Cities, and Zappa’s Lyrics
Podcast: Almost no place on earth is remote any more, as a linguist discovers when he spends a year in an Inuit village.
Slipping in out of foreign tongues with Sherard Cowper-Coles and Yang Ying
Should diplomats learn the languages of the countries they’re assigned to? And how easy is it to learn a foreign musical language?
Does Banning Bilingual Education Change Anything?
In this week’s World in Words podcast, what happens after a state bans bilingual education? And toilet talk with a US vs UK English expert.
Twanging with Lynne Murphy aka Lynneguist
A conversation with University of Sussex linguist Lynne Murphy aka Lynneguist. An American in Britain, Murphy maintains the Separated by a Common Language blog.
Damage Control in Full Swing for Britain’s Tourism
There’s concern that the tourism industry in London could be hurt by the bad publicity surrounding the riots.
Londoners Respond to Riots with Brooms not Brawn
Brooms are becoming a symbol of people’s disapproval of the riots in London
Podcast: Memorizing the Koran and a New ‘Speak English’ Test
A Spelling Bee for Muslim World, a language proficiency test for immigrants to Britain, and Alaskans learn an African language.
The Words that Armed Anders Breivik
How much we should blame extreme political rhetoric for the actions of Anders Breivik? Did words help pull the trigger?
Punjabi immersion, Nigerian pidgin radio, and Annoying “Americanisms”
Top five language stories this month including: The first Punjabi public school in the US, a and a British journalist rails against the invasion of what he calls Americanisms into British English.
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