Tag: language
-
Where does the expression “Ok” come from?
I watched this Vox video about the origins of one of the most common expressions I use each day, “Ok”: I use this so often, I rarely pause to think about its origins. It’s a pretty interesting story too! OK (or okay, ok, or k) might just be the most widely spoken word in the…
-
Why Harry Potter wasn’t lost in translation
Some of the most widely translated books are the Harry Potter book series. It turns out that the translations weren’t a simple matter.
-
Learning to code and the argument for bribing our kids to read
Our son’s new interest in learning to code prompted me to think about how I could link this hobby to persuading him to read more. In doing so, it seems to me that there is a strong argument to be made for bribery.
-
Becoming Israeli is the hard part
Becoming an Israeli citizen was the easy part. Becoming an Israeli is the hard part. Part of it is tied to Hebrew (for me at least) and the rest is about internalising my people’s history.
-
When not knowing more Hebrew than your kids do can hurt them
Knowing more Hebrew is as much about helping your kids progress as it is about being able to order your morning coffee.
-
Yes oui כן
I attend ulpan classes two evenings a week to learn Hebrew. As you can imagine, the other people in my class come from different countries and there is a mix of languages in between the Hebrew lessons. Last night, our teacher wrote this on the board and it really appealed to me for a couple…
-
The secret, drunken origins of legalese
There are times when I wonder if the language used in legal documents is an offshoot of the English language conceived in a drunken but well-meaning haze …