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Cliché Finder Type in a word, any word, and if there are common clichés that use that word, they will pop up on your screen faster than a speeding crawfish. Before you can say "a wet bird never flies at night", you'll have more clichés than a nitro-powered weed whacker. If you've been racking your brain for the right word, you'll never know if you don't try, so go to this Web site and stop on a dime. It might be true that money can't buy happiness, but as I always say, "Don't worry about the horse being blind. Just load the wagon." Web:
Computation and Language E-Print Archive This archive provides automated access to papers and preprints relating to computational linguistics, natural language processing, speech processing, and other fields. If you are a researcher in one of these areas, you will find this Web site a valuable way to keep up on current publications and search through the journals. Web: Created Languages Would you like to create your own language? J.R.R. Tolkien did (several, in fact), and there is also a created language, Klingon, based on the Star Trek mythos. These resources cover these languages and more, including my personal favorite, Syldavian (from the Tintin books by Hergé). I have also included resources to help you make up your own language, should you be so inclined. Bonus: In case you might find it helpful some day, here is a handy sentence in Syldavian: Kzommet micz omhz noh dascz gendarmaskaïa. ("Come with us to the police station.") Web:
Endangered Languages When cultures collide, among the first casualties are the minority languages. When one culture begins to dominate another, the minority languages are used less and less. Eventually, they die out and with them, another tiny flame in the luminosity of human culture is extinguished. Endangered languages are those that are recognized as being in danger of dying out. Web:
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Foreign Language Dictionaries From time to time I have an immediate need to translate a particular word into another language. For example, just the other day I was wondering, what was the Dutch word for hippopotamus? All I had to do was connect to one of these online dictionaries, and before you could say "get back to work", I knew that the Dutch word for hippopotamus was nijlpaard. Web:
Foreign Languages for Travelers Are you going to visit a foreign country where it would help if you knew some of the most important words in its language? Just specify which language you already speak and which language you want to learn. You will then see a list of choices for phrases you can learn: basic words, numbers, shopping, travel, directions, places, times and dates. You can see a list of countries where the foreign language is spoken as well as links to related resources. Web:
Fun Dialects Talking normally can get boring, and when it does, I have the solution. Translate what you are saying (or what you are reading on the Web) into a fun dialect. Here is an example. Consider the dull, everyday sentence "Hi there, my name is Harley." Watch how it comes alive as it is translated in various ways. (Redneck) Howdy-doo thar, mah name is Harley. (Jive) 'Sup, dude dere, mah' dojigger be Harley. Slap mah fro! (Cockney) Oi there, my name is 'arley. (Elmer Fudd) Hi thewe, my name is Hawwey. (The Swedish Chef) Hee zeere-a, my neme-a is Herley. Bork bork bork! (Pig Latin) Ihay erethay, ymay amenay isyay Arleyhay. Web:
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Idioms and Clichés An idiom or a cliché is a well-known expression that has a non-literal meaning. When you learn a foreign language, the idioms and clichés drive you crazy, because they need to be memorized outright and often make no sense. What is the difference between an idiom and a cliché? When you or I use such an expression -- for example, if I say that something might "drive you crazy" -- it is an idiom. This is because you and I are known for our superb grasp of the language and our sense of style. However, when other people use such figures of speech, the expressions are, more often than not, trite and overused, which makes them clichés. But then, other people simply do not have the same je ne sais quoi that you and I do. Web:
Language Translator These Web sites provide a wonderful service. You can type in any text you want, and a computer program will translate the text from one language to another. As you might expect, the translation is not perfect, but it is usually good enough. Moreover, it's free and it's fast. What's even more useful is that you can use this same service to translate a Web page that is written in a foreign language. Just specify a URL. The program will fetch that Web page for you and translate it automatically. Web:
Languages of the World Here are some collections of information about the various languages spoken by humans and other animals. If you are interested in any particular language or country, I guarantee you can find information that will astonish you. For example, did you know that in the United States, there are 213 languages, 176 of which are living, 35 of which are extinct, and 2 that are a second language only with no mother tongue speakers? Web:
Linguistic Talk and General Discussion The Usenet groups are where scholars of linguistics hang out to discuss the scientific and historical study of human language. Get in on some hot and heavy discussion of Latin declensions or a quick and dirty comparison of Frisian to Old English. To help you participate in the discussion, I have included a Web site that contains the FAQ (frequently asked question list) for the sci.lang group, as well as another site that contains information about the many linguistic mailing lists on the Net. Web:
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Linguistics Linguistics is the study of human speech. Linguistics concerns itself with various areas: the structure of languages, the history of languages, how languages relate to one another, and the purpose of language within a culture. To understand the structure of languages, study grammar (rules describing how words and their components are combined), phonetics (how sounds are produced, combined and represented) and morphology (the structure and form of words). These Web sites will help you find a large variety of linguistic resources on the Net. Web:
Slang No matter where you are, you can't be really cool until you know the local slang. I can help you avoid this problem. Just take a look at these Web sites, where you'll find all kinds of slang from all kinds of different places. Never again will you find yourself confused in Canada when someone comes up to you and says, "I was in Tronno, eh, and I met this chick from Kay-beck with a two-four." All it means is "I was in Toronto, and I met a girl from Quebec who had a case of beer." (Interestingly enough, in all the years I lived in Toronto, this never actually happened to me. But then, I spent most of my time in the library reading good books.) Web:
Word-a-Day If someone calls you a "wowser" and you don't know whether to feel congratulated or insulted, then you might need to improve your vocabulary by checking out these word-a-day sites. Impress your friends and co-workers. Don't be caught verbally unaware. Web:
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