2017 blog - księżyc

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-20, 12:42

dEhiN wrote:
vijayjohn wrote:
księżycowy wrote:Eh, I don't feel at this point that it is very important to parse Irish. As long as I understand the sentence, grammar be damned (to a certain point, obviously :P ).

This has kind of been my attitude towards Syrian Arabic and Amharic lately.

I frequently face this with French, lately. Sometimes I try to parse a sentence or phrase I see, but then other times I just scan it and if I understand the gist, I'm good.

Well, with Syrian Arabic, I've been taking Saim's advice and not really bothering to learn all the vocabulary listed in the book but rather just listening to the dialogues and trying to make sure I understand them as intuitively as possible. It's been making the going a lot quicker. With Amharic, I've kind of been applying the same advice, paying little attention to the grammar notes in Colloquial Amharic (and then having to go back and read them over and over again :P although then, I'm never all that inclined to pay much attention to those notes anyway).

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby księżycowy » 2017-12-20, 14:17

I should note that I am paying attention to the grammar notes in my books. And, when push comes to shove, I probably will parse my stories in my various languages. I'm just frustrated with being so back logged.

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-20, 15:29

I was, too, except that with Syrian Arabic, the situation was completely hopeless. I kept trying to remember the words for various kinds of buildings (because of course the logical progression for learning a language is introducing yourself (to the dude in customs at the airport), then numbers, then phrases for taking a taxi, and then random types of buildings!), which took forever. Then I was trying to remember words like "traveler's checks" and stuff, which was just impossible. Finally I was like "fuck this, I'm taking Saim's advice." :P

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby księżycowy » 2017-12-20, 15:36

I'm selective with vocabulary for sure. Do I really need to know how to say what major I am in college when I'm not in college? :P

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby Luís » 2017-12-20, 15:38

vijayjohn wrote: Then I was trying to remember words like "traveler's checks" and stuff, which was just impossible.


Unless you plan on being transported back into the 80s, I don't think this is a word you need to know in any language... :P
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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-20, 15:44

Luís wrote:
vijayjohn wrote: Then I was trying to remember words like "traveler's checks" and stuff, which was just impossible.


Unless you plan on being transported back into the 80s, I don't think this is a word you need to know in any language... :P

Actually, I believe less than ten years ago, an uncle of mine lived in the British Virgin Islands, and IIRC my dad had to send him money in the form of traveler's checks to avoid someone stealing it.

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby dEhiN » 2017-12-22, 21:52

vijayjohn wrote:
Luís wrote:
vijayjohn wrote: Then I was trying to remember words like "traveler's checks" and stuff, which was just impossible.


Unless you plan on being transported back into the 80s, I don't think this is a word you need to know in any language... :P

Actually, I believe less than ten years ago, an uncle of mine lived in the British Virgin Islands, and IIRC my dad had to send him money in the form of traveler's checks to avoid someone stealing it.

But chances are, if you do need to talk about traveller's cheques in a target language, you could either look up the word in that moment or describe it using other, simpler vocabulary.

I have found this weird dichotomy with learning a language on your own: you frequently learn basic and intermediate, if not advanced, vocabulary side-by-side. Earlier today I had to look up the word face in Spanish, even though I know the word salpicadero! (I did realize after looking up the word that I have encountered it before, but just had forgotten it. And I remember salpicadero because it's in my Anki deck, so I review it regularly, while cara isn't and I haven't regularly used it either.)
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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-23, 2:56

dEhiN wrote:
vijayjohn wrote:
Luís wrote:
vijayjohn wrote: Then I was trying to remember words like "traveler's checks" and stuff, which was just impossible.


Unless you plan on being transported back into the 80s, I don't think this is a word you need to know in any language... :P

Actually, I believe less than ten years ago, an uncle of mine lived in the British Virgin Islands, and IIRC my dad had to send him money in the form of traveler's checks to avoid someone stealing it.

But chances are, if you do need to talk about traveller's cheques in a target language, you could either look up the word in that moment or describe it using other, simpler vocabulary.

Yeah, but I don't care about stuff like that when learning a language! :D Data is data, dammit!!! (Until I run into a roadblock like the one I did run into, that is, at which point I probably don't even think about it :lol:).
I have found this weird dichotomy with learning a language on your own: you frequently learn basic and intermediate, if not advanced, vocabulary side-by-side. Earlier today I had to look up the word face in Spanish, even though I know the word salpicadero! (I did realize after looking up the word that I have encountered it before, but just had forgotten it. And I remember salpicadero because it's in my Anki deck, so I review it regularly, while cara isn't and I haven't regularly used it either.)

Salpicadero is a word that's advanced enough that I barely even understand its equivalents in English. I only vaguely know what a "dashboard" is and have never heard of a "backsplash."

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby Bubulus » 2017-12-23, 3:29

It might be useful to know salpicadero is a Spaniardism. The normal word for a "dashboard" on a car is tablero... and I think I'd call a backsplash a protector (de la pared).

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-23, 3:41

Thanks! :)

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby dEhiN » 2017-12-23, 4:32

vijayjohn wrote:Salpicadero is a word that's advanced enough that I barely even understand its equivalents in English. I only vaguely know what a "dashboard" is and have never heard of a "backsplash."

I associate and only think of dashboard for cars. Up here it's often shortened to dash. I forgot what a backsplash was, because I don't use it often, and looked it up on Wiktionary. I gotta say, the Wiktionary definition was confusing and I had to read it several times before I realized I do know what a backsplash is! But if you've never heard of it, what have you called it?

Also, come to think of it, I think I've either heard or used (or both) backsplash as an alternative variant to splashback. One example that comes to mind is someone calling backwash that can occur when drinking from a bottle, backsplash.

Edit:
Ser wrote:It might be useful to know salpicadero is a Spaniardism. The normal word for a "dashboard" on a car is tablero... and I think I'd call a backsplash a protector (de la pared).

By Spaniardism, do you mean a term used specifically in Castilian Spanish?
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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-23, 4:37

dEhiN wrote:But if you've never heard of it, what have you called it?

I donno, wallpaper? :lol:
Also, come to think of it, I think I've either heard or used (or both) backsplash as an alternative variant to splashback. One example that comes to mind is someone calling backwash that can occur when drinking from a bottle, backsplash.

I didn't know what "backwash" was, either. :para: I've been secretly thinking lately that maybe I should add English words to my vocab list on my TAC. :lol:
Ser wrote:It might be useful to know salpicadero is a Spaniardism. The normal word for a "dashboard" on a car is tablero... and I think I'd call a backsplash a protector (de la pared).

By Spaniardism, do you mean a term used specifically in Castilian Spanish?

That's my understanding, yes.

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby Bubulus » 2017-12-23, 4:37

Yes. (Note: "spaniardism" is not a term that I've ever seen a linguist, or anyone else besides me, use.)

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby dEhiN » 2017-12-23, 4:51

vijayjohn wrote:
dEhiN wrote:But if you've never heard of it, what have you called it?

I donno, wallpaper? :lol:

In my experience, a backsplash is usually more than just regular wallpaper on a wall. I'm more apt to call it a splash guard because it tends to be another piece of material that's used to prevent splashes from staining the wall. (Also, it's not always used for a wall: I lived with an aunt once, and she covered the stove dials + display with cling wrap to prevent backsplash.)

vijayjohn wrote:I didn't know what "backwash" was, either. :para: I've been secretly thinking lately that maybe I should add English words to my vocab list on my TAC. :lol:

Nah, that's normal with English; I frequently learn new words through (usually linguoboy's) posts on the last word of mother tongue learned thread.
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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-23, 14:54

dEhiN wrote:
vijayjohn wrote:
dEhiN wrote:But if you've never heard of it, what have you called it?

I donno, wallpaper? :lol:

In my experience, a backsplash is usually more than just regular wallpaper on a wall. I'm more apt to call it a splash guard because it tends to be another piece of material that's used to prevent splashes from staining the wall. (Also, it's not always used for a wall: I lived with an aunt once, and she covered the stove dials + display with cling wrap to prevent backsplash.)

In that case, I don't think I have any clue what this thing is. :P
vijayjohn wrote:I didn't know what "backwash" was, either. :para: I've been secretly thinking lately that maybe I should add English words to my vocab list on my TAC. :lol:

Nah, that's normal with English; I frequently learn new words through (usually linguoboy's) posts on the last word of mother tongue learned thread.

Well, that thread will certainly do it. The foreign languages one, too, sometimes (especially when IpseDixit posts there).

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby linguoboy » 2017-12-23, 17:04

dEhiN wrote:In my experience, a backsplash is usually more than just regular wallpaper on a wall.

Yeah, where I am, they're typically tile. (I really need one for the downstairs bathroom because it's got one of those stupid raised vessel sinks.)
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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby dEhiN » 2017-12-23, 17:07

vijayjohn wrote:In that case, I don't think I have any clue what this thing is. :P

Here's a picture of a tiled backsplash for a kitchen.
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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-23, 17:16

Oh, that thing? I have one of those, just a less fancy one that's just white squares. :P I think we just pretend it's part of the wall.

EDIT: Well idk, at least I guess I always just assumed it was part of the wall. :hmm: I guess it may have to do with the fact that about half of the walls around our kitchen + dining room have wallpaper and the rest of the walls in the kitchen (and most parts of the house) don't, so I sort of take it for granted that the walls don't always have the exact same design even throughout the same room.

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby księżycowy » 2017-12-24, 11:43

*Ahem* Getting back to my progress.

Let's check in with my goals for last week:

Goals For 12/18 Through 12/23
    Japanese
  • Review Lessons 1-6 in 「みんなの日本語初級1」 by 3-A
  • Find something easy (and hopefully fun) to translate as I await my reader to come

    Hebrew
  • Parse Ex 3:4-6
  • Review Lessons 5-10 in Biblical Hebrew by Kittel, et al.
  • Complete Lessons 1-2 in The Routledge Introductory Course in Modern Hebrew by Etzion

    Irish
  • Translate (and parse?) An Chearc Uisce by Dónal Ó Liatháin
  • Review Lessons 1-6 in Teach Yourself Irish by Dillon & Ó Cróinín

    Seneca
  • Conversational Seneca Course
  • Complete Lessons 1-4 in Seneca Language Supplement

    Anki
  • Hebrew - Lessons 5-10 (Kittel), Lessons 1-2 (Etzion)
  • Japanese - Lessons 4-6 (and maybe some extra sentences from lessons 1-3)
  • Irish - Lessons 7-9
  • Seneca - Lessons 1-4 (Supplement)

Notes:
I'm quite pleased with my progress on review with Irish and Japanese. I mostly turned the exercises for Irish and the exercise A set for Japanese into listening exercises. I'm happy to report that that went quite well. I could remember just about all of the grammar for both.

I could use to refresh some of my Irish and Japanese vocabulary, but that's what Anki is for. :P

Hebrew I started off with re-translating Exodus 3:4 & 5 because I had lost my copy of the text I printed off, so I made a new copy. But then I found my old copy of the sheet yesterday (it was stuck in my Biblical Hebrew book, of all places! Go figure! :lol: ), so I started typing it all into Google Docs. Well, Exodus 3:4-6 anyway. I hope to post that later today.

I didn't do any Modern Hebrew, but as that's largely a supplement to my Biblical Hebrew studies at the moment, I'm not that worried about it. Hopefully I'll start it this week. I also did not add anything to Anki, but I did keep up with it pretty well this past week.

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Re: 2017 blog - księżyc

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-12-24, 17:37

I keep forgetting that you're even doing Modern Hebrew. :lol: Why Modern Hebrew but not Modern Greek? :hmm:


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