by Dictionary Scoop English is a very welcoming language in that it incorporates terms from many other languages from all over the world. And Native American languages have lent many of their words and terms to English speakers. Some traveled through Spanish or French before settling into English, and others arrived directly through …
Tag Archives: translation
No Translation Needed For Ten Universal Terms
by Dictionary Scoop Learning languages can be hard. But fortunately some terms rooted in daily universal experiences don’t change much when crossing borders. Let’s explore the stories behind some of the most spoken words on the planet. The question being: Why did these words barely change over time and across different languages? 1-OK …
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Ten Words That Came From Nordic To English
by Dictionary Scoop Romance languages, led by French, have had such a lasting influence on English that we sometimes forget that it is actually a Germanic language, and as such, a relative of the Nordic languages. However, Nordic languages had left their mark on English centuries before the French-Normans even attempted to conquer England, and they …
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Can True Love Be Found At A Flea Market?
by Kevin Burton The Burtons love a good farmer’s market. And the local weather has been conducive to attending the outdoor version. So this could happen pretty soon. Sign us up! A farmer’s market of course, is the much yummier first cousin of a garage sale. But what of a flea …
Foreign Words With No English Equivalent
by Interesting Facts With the right combination of words and expressions, we can communicate anything our hearts desire. That’s the power of language. But what about those times when you’re looking for a single word rather than an entire sentence to sum up a thought or feeling? For that, we can look to …
Careful How You Navigate Foreign Exchange
by Kevin Burton There was a brief time in my life when I got paid in pesos, as I was teaching English to Mexican nationals in a language school in Puebla, Mexico. I don’t remember all the specifics now, but for some reason I wanted change for (I think) a 1,000-peso bill. I …
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English Idiom Equivalents In Other Languages
by Dictionary Scoop To say that the English language is filled to the brim with quirky and baffling idioms is no groundbreaking news. While we have previously delved into the inherent strangeness of the idioms we use every day, one of the most beautiful aspects of these phrases is how difficult they are to translate: …
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Ten American Idioms Used Around The World
by Dictionary Scoop In different parts of the world, people often express the same ideas in very similar ways, while using different languages. Join us to discover the foreign counterparts of these 10 everyday American idioms. 1-Beggars can’t be choosers When you’re faced with a situation where you have to take what is …
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12 Words We Need In The English Language
by Kevin Burton What a glorious toybox is language. Words and their shadings and peculiarities have been one of the few constants I can count on in life. The little sticks-and-stones bromide which states “words will never hurt me” is false in its context. Words can hurt a lot when used improperly, especially …
What If 911 Doesn’t Speak Your Language?
by Kevin Burton Today’s post is kind of a follow-up to yesterday’s story about the best countries for expatriates. The BBC did that story, based on a survey of people who had left their home country and settled elsewhere. My wife read it and asked “What about health care?” The story didn’t mention …
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