In her recent lecture on dictionaries, Erin Mckean likened the task of the lexicographer to that of a fisherman dropping an enormous net into a sea of language, and collecting with wonderment the words that surface. If that is a...
In a 1983 interview with Musician Magazine, Elvis Costello said that, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture – it’s a really stupid thing to want to do.” The quote has since been attributed to a dozen other artists,...
Translators usually have close relationships with their favorite dictionaries, and really good translators take much into account (such as context, culture, and the idiosyncrasies of spoken language) when consulting the “authorities” to find the best word choice. In this interesting...
Interpreter Kenji Nimura speaks four languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, and Baseball. Baseball is the all-American sport, right? When I think of the game I picture muggy summer nights, hot dogs, and lukewarm beer (served at a premium price, of course)....
“Certain things should never be taken for granted, among them your spouse, your mother, the United States Constitution, and the precise meaning of words that are at the heart of your profession,” Natalie Angier writes at the beginning of her...
How does a country foster solidarity during a recession? With food. You may remember the post from a few months ago that explored the etymology of companion — from the Latin for breaking bread together. Well, every culture has distinct...
September 30th — the feast-day of St. Jerome, patron saint of translators, was originally instituted as Translation Day by UNESCO upon the request of the International Federation of Translators (FIT) twenty years ago. Every year, FIT suggests a theme for...
When a blurb about Cooking from the Heart: the Hmong Kitchen in America popped up in my Google Reader, I was instantly intrigued because it claims to be the first American cookbook detailing Hmong recipes. How is it possible that...
Following up with our look at the origins of words related to food and spirits, here is a brief history of the language of beer: One of the world’s oldest and certainly most well-loved beverages has a history that dates...
In honor of Bastille Day, I’ve decided to dally a bit in the history of one of my favorite French exports: French bread. Just a refresher, Bastille Day is a French national holiday celebrated every July 14 (quatorze juillet) to...
Here in America it seems like food trends come and go every twenty minutes or so. Is meat in or out? Do we like bread or bacon? Acai berries, or lemon juice and cayenne pepper cleanses? It seems futile to...
______ This aerial photograph of a farm near Verona in Northern Italy depicts artist Dario Gambarin’s most recent project. The portrait, accompanied by the words, “The Hope is in the Land”, covers an area of 27,000 square meters and was...
Here is a little something to get the weekend started: a brief walk through the language of wine. The original nectar of the gods has a history – and therefore an etymology – that dates back to our ancient forbearers....
In his recent NY Times Op-Ed on Dignity, David Brooks stated that “the old dignity code has not survived modern life.” Brooks lists three examples of the absence of dignity in recent events: Mark Sanford’s press conference, reaction to Michael...
With all of the coverage about the online publication of the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete copy of the New Testament (it dates to the 4th century and is written in Greek), I thought it would be fun to highlight...
We’re excited to announce that Beyond Words has been nominated to be ranked amongst the Top 100 Language Blogs of 2009 by Lexiophiles.com in the Language Professionals category!
What do you think of when you hear the words “Family Production Responsibility System”? What? It doesn’t bring to mind carefully tended rows of corn, beans, and tomatoes? Acres of wheat, rice, and soybeans? Chickens running around a dusty side...
This week’s Paths to Success in Translation post is an interview with translator Aaron Maddox. Aaron translates from German and Spanish into English, and is also often engaged to proofread translations in any combination of those three languages. He also...
Obama’s two-day visit to Russia has generated a lot of press these past few days. His trip focused on rebuilding relations with Russia by discussing a new trade partnership, missile security, and global affairs. The latter two were more successful...
A couple of days ago B.J. Epstein posted this quotation by Samuel Johnson: Poetry, indeed, cannot be translated; and, therefore, it is the poets that preserve the languages; for we would not be at the trouble to learn a language...
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