languagesandstuff

[languagesandstuff]

touching grass is not enough I need all Jewish languages to be alive and well

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Of the early 20th century modernist female Yiddish poets there are a few contenders but I do think celia dropkin would be the most likely to kill it on tumblr

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Normalize writing posts in other languages and requiring English users to translate them via apps, skill, etc. Why do I say this? Because this is a common experience for non-native English speakers (who aren't fluent in English) online that many native English speakers don't often stop to consider. There is a forced necessity to only use English in the modern world that detracts from the beauty inherent in language diversity.

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I imagine many people who follow me are already familiar with YIVO's annual Yiddish Civilization Lecture Series, but if you're not, it's a series of free online lectures (in both English and Yiddish) held every June-July on different aspects of Yiddish/Jewish culture. I'm bringing it up now because I wanted to highlight that there are going to be two lectures this year related to Old Yiddish.

On Thursday, July 3, 2025 at 2:00 pm EST, Dr. Diana Matut will present "Kine un kloglid – The Yiddish Art of Lamentation in Early Modern Ashkenaz." Presentation will be in Yiddish.

On Tuesday, July 25, 2025 at 2:00 pm EST, Dr. Rebekka Voß will present "The Red Jews: Intertextuality in a Yiddish Myth." Presentation will be in English.

And there will, of course, be many more interesting lectures on more modern topics. I recommend checking them all out and registering for one if you can!

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reblogging because I felt it again

Yiddish touches my soul in a way I can't explain

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I just learned a yiddish insult and I like it so much

זאלן דיינע ביינער זיך ברעכן אזוי אפט ווי די אשרת-הדיברוס

May your bones break as often as the ten commandments

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Writing essays in french : Part 2

2 Detailing and illustrating

2.1 Adding and listing

Les options qui s’offrent au (or à, à la, aux) gouvernement sont peu nombreuses : ou bien augmenter les impôts, ou encore se défendre, ou enfin capituler devant l’armée ennemie. There are few options open to the government: either…

On sait déjà que …   Plus important encore … A noter également que … Il faut compter aussi avec … La possibilité enfin de X n'est pas à exclure  We already know that … More important still,… It should also be noted that…One should also mention… The possibility of X cannot be ruled out

Le plus grand avantage de X tient dans ……. A ce premier avantage s'ajoute le fait que … Si l'on ajoute à cela / le fait que … on voit bien l'intérêt que l'on peut avoir à faire The biggest advantage of X lies in its … To this first advantage can be added the fact that … If one adds to that the fact that…one can see the benefits of doing Parmi les désavantages de X compte … L'un des autres risques est que … Y est également très inquiétant Among the disadvantages of X is … One of the other risks is … Y is also very worrying

Start :  tout d'abord, en premier lieu - first of all pour commencer - to start off with premièrement - firstly Middle :  ensuite - next   de plus - in addition en outre - furthermore qui plus est - what is more de surcroît - moreover à ceci s'ajoute / il s'y ajoute - to this can be added encore - also en deuxième (etc) lieu - secondly par ailleurs - in addition End : en dernier lieu - lastly enfin - finally pour terminer / achever - to finish up with quant à - as for

2.2 Introducing sources / quotations

D’après / Selon le ministre, ses propos à ce sujet auraient été déformés According to the minister, his remarks on the subject have been misquoted Comme le font remarquer les auteurs du rapport, il y a un fort risque que l'économie entre en récession vers la fin de l'année As the authors of the report point out, there is a strong risk of the economy going into recession towards the end of the year Comme le laisse entendre la presse / A en croire les journaux le ministre était au courant du problème d’avance As the press are suggesting / If the papers are to be believed the minister knew about the problem in advance Dans un article apparu dans Le Monde du 2 mars 2002, X rapporte que … In an article which appeared in Le Monde on 2 March 2002, X reports that De nombreux observateurs ont émis la crainte que Many observers have expressed the fear that…

Un consensus semble se dégager selon lequel… A consensus seems to be emerging according to which… Dans une étude consacrée au problème de l'échec scolaire, les auteurs affirment que les inégalités liées aux origines sociales des élèves demeurent In a report looking into the problem of failure at school, the authors maintain that inequalities linked to the social origins of pupils remain Selon un rapport réalisé pour le Ministère de la Santé / Une étude menée par l'INSEE en 2001 montre que … A report carried out by Office of National Statistics shows that … Avoiding using dire affirmer que - to maintain that ajouter que - to add that assurer que - to maintain that constater que - to note that déclarer que - to state, declare that estimer que - to think that préciser que - to state that prétendre que - to claim that rapporter que - to report that remarquer que - to point out that souligner que - to stress that soutenir que - to maintain that

Note that French has many more verbs than English for presenting direct speech: « …» a affirmé / assuré / évoqué / soutenu le ministre “ … ” said the Minster

2.3 Introducing an example

Prenons à titre d’exemple l’affaire du sang contaminé/ Considérons l’exemple de l'affaire du sang contaminé Let us take by way of an example / Let us consider the example of the contaminated blood affair Il suffit de prendre pour exemple l'affaire Elf pour nous rappeler que les hommes politiques ne sont pas tous honnêtes We only need to take the example of the case of the Elf affair to remind us that not all polticians are honest L'éducation sexuelle ne rend pas forcément les jeunes plus responsables dans ce domaine. Le pourcentage de demande de pilules du lendemain dans les lycées en est une illustration frappante. Sex education does not necessarily make young people act more responsibly in this domain. The demand for morning-after pill from sixth-formers is a striking illustration of this. Un exemple significatif / frappant de ce problème est fourni par… A significant / striking example of this problem can be found in… Ces cas ne font qu'illustrer le problème du chômage dans cette région de la France These cases just serve to illustrate the problem of unemployment in this part of France

2.4 Introducing one’s own point of view

À mon avis / Selon moi – In my opinion Pour ma part / En ce qui me concerne – As far as I’m concerned A mon sens – As I see it Il me semble que – It seems to me that J’estime que – I consider that Je soutiens que – I maintain that Je suis d’avis que - I’m of the opinion that Je suis persuadé que – I am convinced that À mon avis / Selon moi la mondialisation présente des opportunités aussi bien que des inconvénients In my opinion globalisation offers opportunities as well as disadvantages Pour ma part / En ce qui me concerne je crois qu'il devrait y avoir un referendum pour régler cette question For my part / As far as I’m concerned I think there should be a referendum to settle this matter Je suis d’avis que la décentralisation ne peut être que bénéfique pour l’économie I’m of the opinion that decentralization can only be beneficial to the economy

[languagesandstuff]

à l’eau de rose

French expression meaning literally “rosewater flavoured”. It usually means exaggeratedly mild, slushy, syrupy, sentimental and romantic (generally speaking of a work such as a book or film).

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I tell people i love them in Yiddish instead of English because it means more in my own language than anyone else's

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Well, in light of all the dumb decisions duolingo is making right now, here's a few free/accessible resources for learning Yiddish:

Ultimate Yiddish Resources Masterpost

Yiddish/Ladino Queer Vocab Glossary

And some free PDFs:

Basic Yiddish: A Grammar and Workbook, by Rebecca Margolis

A Manual and Grammar of the Yiddish Language, by J. Mazin

Colloquial Yiddish: The Complete Course for Beginners, by Lily Kahn

Idisch y Latinoamerica, by Eliahu Toker

English-Yiddish Dictionary, by Alexander Harkevy

Cursive Alef Beys Writing Practice, YIVO standard, from YBC

Digital Yiddish Library, over 12k titles for free, from YBC

[languagesandstuff]

Autumn Halo, Oda Sakunosuke

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European Portuguese Resources

Websites / Online Learning Platforms

Plataforma de Português Online (A1-B2)

Português Mais Perto (A1-B2)

Instituto Camões cursos de Português Língua Estrangeira (A1-C1)

University of Coimbra E-LOCAL (A1)

Portuguese Lab Academy (A1-A2)

Mia’s Learn European Portuguese Online (A1-B2)

Practice Portuguese (no CEFR scale, beginner-intermediate)

BBC Languages: Portuguese (no CEFR scale, beginner)

Learn Portuguese with Rafa (no CEFR scale, beginner)

Conjuguemos (no CEFR scale)

Portuguese from Portugal (no CEFR scale)

Portuguese with Leo (no CEFR scale, beginner)

Wikibooks Portuguese Courses (no CEFR scale, beginner-intermediate)

ListeningPractice.org (old site) / Linguno.com (new site) - (no CEFR scale, beginner)

Portuguese Language Guide (no CEFR scale, beginner)

My Languages: Learn Portuguese (no CEFR scale, beginner)

Online Classes / Private Lessons / Tutors

Instituto Camões (A1-C1): Básico (group tutoring); Premium (individual tutoring)

Talk the Streets (no CEFR scale, beginner): Portuguese Pro program (format unclear)

Speak Portuguese Like a Native (no CEFR scale; absolute beginners, elementary, intermediate): Group Classes; 1:1 Lessons

Portuguese with Carla (No CEFR scale): Private lessons

Learn Portuguese with Rafa (No CEFR scale): Private lessons

Italki (No CEFR scale; various levels): Private lessons with community tutors or professional teachers

COMING SOON: Plataforma de Português Online (A1-B2): Website indicates they will be offering tutors in the future

Online Dictionaries, Translators, and Other Resources

RTP player (Portuguese TV)

Conjuga-me

DeepL translator (can choose Portugal & Brazil, formal & informal)

Google Translate

Linguee dictionary

Priberam dictionary

Infopédia dictionary

Forvo pronunciation dictionary

Lingua reading and listening practice (A1-B2)

Zero to Hero (search Portuguese language YouTube videos with CC, but can’t search for specifically for EP)

Textbooks / Dictionaries (hardcopy, not online)

Note: Can order most textbooks online via any Portuguese bookstores or publishers: Bertrand, Almedina, Porto Editora, Lidel, Wook, etc.

Português Atual (A1-C2)

Vamos Lá! / Vamos Lá Continuar! (A1-C1)

Aprender Português: Português para Estrangeiros (A1-B2)

Gramática de Português Língua Não Materna (A1-C1)

Português em Foco 1-4 (A1-C2)

Português XXI (A1-B1)

Passaporte para Português (A1-B1)

Dialogar em Português (A1-A2)

Avanças em Português (B2)

Olá! Como está? (A1-B2)

Ponto de Encontro: Portuguese as a World Language (no CEFR scale) - same textbook for EP and BP

Colloquial Portuguese (no CEFR scale, beginner)

Manual de Pronúncia e Prosódia (A1-C1)

Dicionário Português: Ensino Português no Estrangeiro

Dicionário Básico da Língua Portuguesa

YouTube Channels that Teach EP

Note: Many of these channels also have podcasts with the same content

Portuguese with Carla (beginner, some intermediate)

Practice Portuguese (all levels)

Talk the Streets (beginner, some intermediate tips)

Portuguese with Leo (intermediate)

Speak Portuguese like a Native (beginner)

Mobile Apps for Learning EP

Note: Portuguese with Carla did a detailed review of these apps on her website and in a video.

Memrise

6000 Words - Learn Portuguese Language for Free

L-Lingo Learn Portuguese

MnemoLingo Free - The Word Trainer

Loecsen

Portuguese Pocket Lingo

iVerbs

Learn Portuguese - Phrasebook for Travel in Portugal

LearnBots Portuguese

Learning Portuguese (European) Basic 400 Words

Tandem Exchange Partners

HelloTalk

Tandem

Open Language Exchange

My Language Exchange

Radio Stations based in Portugal

Note: Many radio stations also have YouTube channels

RTP Antena 1 (new, current affairs, Portuguese pop music)

RTP Antena 2 (jazz, classical music, culture)

RTP Antena 3 (alternative, promotion of Portuguese bands)

Rádio Comercial (pop, rock, contemporary)

TSF Rádio Notícias (news, current affairs, contemporary music)

MegaHits (pop, rock)

Rádio Renascença (current events, pop, oldies)

RFM (contemporary pop, national and international)

Cidade (R&B, dance, younger audiences)

M80 Radio (oldies, 70s-90s music)

Radio Universidade de Coimbra

Kiss FM Portugal

Rádio Sim (oldies, 70s-90s, church services)

Portuguese Newspapers

General / National

Correio da Manhã

Jornal de Notícias

Público

Diário de Notícias

Jornal i

Observador

Notícias ao Minuto

Expresso

Jornal Sol

Destak

Regional

Diário de Coimbra

Diário de Aveiro

Jornal do Fundão

Diário dos Açores

Business / Economy

Jornal de Negócios

Vida Económica

O Jornal Económico

Eco

Sports

Record

O Jogo

A Bola

Popular Portuguese YouTubers / YouTube Channels

TVI

RTP

Canal Q

GQ Portugal

wuant

Mafalda Creative

Inês Faria

Tiagovski

SEA3P0

Nuno Moura

Dant

Diogo Costa

Dicas do Salgueiro

Inês Rochinha

Sofia Barbosa

Catarina Filipe

Ritinha

Bumba na Fofinha

[languagesandstuff]

The German language has quite a few animalistic verbs:

fuchsen ("to fox") = to annoy

hechten ("to pike") = to dive

reihern ("to heron") = to puke

dackeln ("to dachshund") = to walk slowly

aalen ("to eel") = to bask

vögeln ("to bird") = to have sex

einigeln ("to hedgehog in") = to curl up

hamstern ("to hamster") = to hoard

schlängeln ("to snake") = to wriggle

stieren ("to bull") = to goggle

unken ("to toad") = to gripe, augur doom

tigern ("to tiger") - to walk tigerishly

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Language Moodboard :  Türkçe / Turkish 

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This is a figurative expression (idiom, excuse).

When a person is tired of doing something, he says "я не могу". then the interlocutor can say consonant "через немогу" - it means "though you can't do anything, but you must. try your best."

[languagesandstuff]

Study because it makes you smarter. Every time you dive into a new topic, you're not just memorizing facts; you're building a sharper, more agile mind. The breadth of your knowledge will never be a hindrance; it will only ever propel you further in life.

Study because it opens doors. Knowledge is your ticket to new opportunities. Whether it's landing your dream job, travelling the world, or just being able to hold your own in any conversation, the more you know, the further you can go.

Study because it builds discipline. Setting aside time to study teaches you valuable skills like time management and self-discipline. These habits will serve you well in all areas of life, long after you’ve closed the textbooks.

Study because you want to improve yourself. Self-improvement isn't just about hitting the gym or eating right. It's about feeding your mind and growing as a person. Each study session is a step towards a better, more informed you.

Study because it’s a privilege. Not everyone has the opportunity to learn. Embrace the privilege of education and make the most of it. Honor those who fought for the right to study by making the most of your own education.