Dutch Translator Unearths Secrets of New York
Dec 27 2009
A library archivist has spent over three decades translating 17th-century documents in order to shed light on New York's early history. Charles T Gehring, of the New York State Library, has translated 7,000 Dutch papers over the past 35 years, uncovering a history of Manhattan quite different from that of the … » read more
Publisher Finds Its Niche in Translations
Dec 27 2009
A publisher affiliated to the University of Rochester, NY, is vying for a share of the small US market for foreign literature. Open Letter Books wants to grant English-speaking readers "full access to voices and viewpoints from around the world," according to company director Chad W Post, speaking to the New York … » read more
Indonesian Tribe Adopts Korean Alphabet
Dec 27 2009
An Indonesian tribe has named Korean Hangul its official alphabet in order to save its language from extinction. The language of the Cia-Cia people, like that of most Indonesian tribes, has never been written down, a fact that does not bode well for its preservation. The idea to adopt a foreign alphabet came when … » read more
Seventies Christmas Hit Given New Life in Welsh
Dec 21, 2009
One of the UK's most enduringly popular Christmas rock songs has been translated into Welsh. Merry Xmas Everybody, the 1973 festive number one by the band Slade, has been rendered in the language of the valleys with the permission of flamboyant lead singer Noddy Holder. The famous chorus, beginning … » read more
New Language Invented for Blockbuster Sci-Fi Epic
Dec 13, 2009
A linguist from the University of Southern California created an entirely new language for the eagerly anticipated science-fiction film Avatar, released this month. USC professor Paul Frommer was hired by director James Cameron, whose previous Hollywood successes include Aliens and Titanic, to develop … » read more
US Professor Who Helped Anti-Nazi Efforts Dies
Dec 06, 2009
A linguist acclaimed for risking her life during World War Two has passed away at the age of 89. Walburga von Raffler-Engel, a former professor at Vanderbuilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, spoke eight languages and was known globally for her work in non-verbal communication. Though she was … » read more
Language Barrier Robs Children of Education, Says Report
Dec 06, 2009
A report has concluded that millions of children worldwide are being denied education because they cannot understand the language being used. Of 75 million children not in education, 54 million are missing out due to the language barrier, the international children's rights organization Save the Children claimed … » read more
Linguists Gather as UNESCO Warns of Rapidly Disappearing Languages
Dec 06, 2009
Fifty experts will meet in Utah this week to begin a project to catalogue all of the world's endangered languages in an online database. The pioneering gathering coincides with a major report by UNESCO, the UN agency dedicated to culture and education, which highlighted the threat to hundreds of the world's … » read more
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