Is Anyone Here Learning An Obscure Language? - Page 2

sun-star · 03-15-2002, 04:04 PM

Thank you!
Gaulish - spoken by Asterix, perhaps?

***Earniel*** · 03-17-2002, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by galadriel88
I'd really like to get my mom to teach me Afrikaans - it's one of several national languages of South Africa. My mom grew up there and we visited about four years ago. It's kinda like German - a little rough sounding, but similar to English as well.

Actually Afrikaans is more influenced by Dutch than by German, although both languages are rather simular. South Africa was a Dutch colony. Now Afrikaans is a mixture of Dutch, English and some native grammar.

I think I should learn some spanish. It's an important language and I know nothing of it. On the other hand Quenya is rather appealing too, but that's never going to happen unless I get some MAYOR free time. I've always wanted to learn Gealic too, but I never came further than the pronunciation of the therms and names uses in their myths. Lacking language skills can be a drat....

StrawberryIcecream · 03-17-2002, 10:58 AM

I am learning a very obscure langage! I am spending some of my free time on learning Ancient Egyption Hieroglyphs!!!!

Obviously you can really speak it because no one knows how it was pronounced but readign and writting is fun to learn though really hard. There is a whole different wor order and everything.

Next yera i'm going to tak Japanese.

***Earniel*** · 03-17-2002, 01:09 PM

Hieroglyphs? My sister learns it too (she's studying to be an egyptologe) I hope you know what you're doing that stuff is way above my poor amateur mind. Good luck though.

StrawberryIcecream · 03-17-2002, 04:01 PM

Yeah. Its heavy stuff. But i only do a little bit when i want to. Is your sister enjoying it because that is what i would love to be and study at uni.

***Earniel*** · 03-17-2002, 04:25 PM

She loves it, she also studying at the same time Akkadian (if that's the right English translation) and that babylonian writing, I forgot how it's called (she'll kill me if she finds out) the writing with al those nails and stripes. Aaarg can't remember the name! NEways, she's becoming quite good at it. Now she can pick up a random book about Egypt, stare at a picture of hieroglyphs for 2 minutes and say what they mean. But she has the practise like hell.

FrodoFriend · 03-17-2002, 06:14 PM

Quote:

and that babylonian writing, I forgot how it's called

Is it cuneiform?

galadriel88 · 03-17-2002, 08:43 PM

Wow, Earniel, I didn'y know anyone else knew that much about South Africa! Most people I know have never heard of it.

Eruviel Greenleaf · 03-17-2002, 08:52 PM

I'd really like to learn:
Irish Gaelic
Welsh
Old English
Quenya
Sindarin
Latin
And any some less obscure ones. I'm sure I won't learn all of them, but maybe one or two someday. Right now I just know a little Spanish. . .

***Earniel*** · 03-18-2002, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FrodoFriend
Is it cuneiform?

Could be, the point is I only know the dutch therm. If I translate it literally it would be 'nail script'

To galadriel88: It's because of my flemish-dutch connection. In Highschool we once had a whole chapter on places where dutch-related languages where spoken. Afrikaans is part of that. It's actually a very funny language when you know dutch.

StrawberryIcecream · 03-18-2002, 03:51 PM

Yeah i'm finding i can start looking at things and give at least a subject that its on and i can write any name. I know its not much but i am only young and only stated a month ago.

I'm learning French and German at the mo. Considered Latin for GCSE but i forfeited it for I.T.

Your sister sounds cool.

***Earniel*** · 03-18-2002, 04:36 PM

Well my sister can be cool,... sometimes.

You know sibling rivalry

Legoles · 12-05-2003, 01:40 AM

I really want to learn All styles of elvish, taking Japaneese when im a freshman, and.... celtic, german, and..... Irish Gaelic, Italian[though it's not obscure], French[working on it, still not obscure], and Latin.

Yeah that's about it...

Da' elf
Leggieles

Linaewen · 12-05-2003, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eärniel
Actually Afrikaans is more influenced by Dutch than by German, although both languages are rather simular. South Africa was a Dutch colony. Now Afrikaans is a mixture of Dutch, English and some native grammar.

It's supposed to have simpler grammar than Standard Dutch, I think. I would love to learn Afrikaans, not only to impress Baby K

, but because it'd be great to learn a Germanic language mixed with various Bantu words. I want to learn Swahili too- I admire anyone who can say hello in that language.

I'm learning Swedish, that's pretty obscure, innit?

Anglorfin · 12-05-2003, 05:14 PM

At some point I'd really like to start learning Finnish. Partly because that is my heritage and partly because Tolkien borrowed from that language when sculpting Elvish (forget whether it was specifically Quenyan or Sindarin).

***Jonathan*** · 12-05-2003, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anglorfin
At some point I'd really like to start learning Finnish. Partly because that is my heritage and partly because Tolkien borrowed from that language when sculpting Elvish (forget whether it was specifically Quenyan or Sindarin).

It is the national day of Finland tomorrow. You should make the Finns happy by starting studying their language

Tolkien based Quenya on Finnish - Sindarin was more based on Welsh IIRC.

thranduil · 12-05-2003, 05:47 PM

I have been learning Bulgarian from bulgarians who came up here for work

Ornelírë Mistë · 12-05-2003, 06:04 PM

Learning Finnish and Romanian. Know Quenya grammar and script, my vocab is atrocious.

Aden · 12-05-2003, 11:32 PM

I speak greek (it's my native actually), ancient greek (it's a pretty obscure language) and I'm trying to learn Quenya now (but I don't have much free time).

Elf Girl · 12-06-2003, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by galadriel88
Wow, Earniel, I didn'y know anyone else knew that much about South Africa! Most people I know have never heard of it.

Never have heard of it! Why, that was where Tolkien was born!

03-15-2002, 04:04 PM	#21
sun-star Lady of Letters Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Either Oxford or Kent, England Posts: 2,476	Thank you! Gaulish - spoken by Asterix, perhaps? __________________ And all the time the waves, the waves, the waves Chase, intersect and flatten on the sand As they have done for centuries, as they will For centuries to come, when not a soul Is left to picnic on the blazing rocks, When England is not England, when mankind Has blown himself to pieces. Still the sea, Consolingly disastrous, will return While the strange starfish, hugely magnified, Waits in the jewelled basin of a pool.

03-17-2002, 10:58 AM	#23
StrawberryIcecream Elf Lord Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: In my jeans Posts: 915	I am learning a very obscure langage! I am spending some of my free time on learning Ancient Egyption Hieroglyphs!!!! Obviously you can really speak it because no one knows how it was pronounced but readign and writting is fun to learn though really hard. There is a whole different wor order and everything. Next yera i'm going to tak Japanese. __________________ www.foolofatook.com for all you pippin's out there.

03-17-2002, 01:09 PM	#24
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	Hieroglyphs? My sister learns it too (she's studying to be an egyptologe) I hope you know what you're doing that stuff is way above my poor amateur mind. Good luck though. __________________ We are not things.

03-17-2002, 04:01 PM	#25
StrawberryIcecream Elf Lord Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: In my jeans Posts: 915	Yeah. Its heavy stuff. But i only do a little bit when i want to. Is your sister enjoying it because that is what i would love to be and study at uni. __________________ www.foolofatook.com for all you pippin's out there.

03-17-2002, 04:25 PM	#26
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	She loves it, she also studying at the same time Akkadian (if that's the right English translation) and that babylonian writing, I forgot how it's called (she'll kill me if she finds out) the writing with al those nails and stripes. Aaarg can't remember the name! NEways, she's becoming quite good at it. Now she can pick up a random book about Egypt, stare at a picture of hieroglyphs for 2 minutes and say what they mean. But she has the practise like hell. __________________ We are not things.

03-17-2002, 08:43 PM	#28
galadriel88 Halfwitted Queen of Lothlorien Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Far off in a dream Posts: 1,166	Wow, Earniel, I didn'y know anyone else knew that much about South Africa! Most people I know have never heard of it. __________________ The beuatiful mind/The beautiful heart/Doesn't deserve the pain/How can I stop the rain? -How Can I Stop the Rain? by Kessid, my new favorite band +Every good thing that comes into my life is only a reflection of the greatest gift of all; the offering of yourself, dear Son of God+ Always remember, you're uniqe, just like everybody else! "The one constant through all the years has been the Trombone. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. Its been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again, but the Trombone has marked the time. This field, this section, this band is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and could be again. Oh, people will come . . . people will most definitely come."

03-17-2002, 08:52 PM	#29
Eruviel Greenleaf Alcoholic Villain-Fancying Elf Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Lyonesse Posts: 4,547	I'd really like to learn: Irish Gaelic Welsh Old English Quenya Sindarin Latin And any some less obscure ones. I'm sure I won't learn all of them, but maybe one or two someday. Right now I just know a little Spanish. . . __________________ Eruviel Greenleaf in a past life. "Whoever has come to understand the world has found only a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world." -The Gospel of Thomas SQUAWK!

03-18-2002, 03:51 PM	#31
StrawberryIcecream Elf Lord Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: In my jeans Posts: 915	Yeah i'm finding i can start looking at things and give at least a subject that its on and i can write any name. I know its not much but i am only young and only stated a month ago. I'm learning French and German at the mo. Considered Latin for GCSE but i forfeited it for I.T. Your sister sounds cool. __________________ www.foolofatook.com for all you pippin's out there.

03-18-2002, 04:36 PM	#32
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	Well my sister can be cool,... sometimes. You know sibling rivalry __________________ We are not things.

12-05-2003, 01:40 AM	#33
Legoles Goddess of the evil smilies Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Somewhere where it's hot, and icky Posts: 1,587	I really want to learn All styles of elvish, taking Japaneese when im a freshman, and.... celtic, german, and..... Irish Gaelic, Italian[though it's not obscure], French[working on it, still not obscure], and Latin. Yeah that's about it... Da' elf Leggieles __________________ BTW PADFOOT LIVES!

12-05-2003, 05:14 PM	#35
Anglorfin Alasailon Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: college Posts: 861	At some point I'd really like to start learning Finnish. Partly because that is my heritage and partly because Tolkien borrowed from that language when sculpting Elvish (forget whether it was specifically Quenyan or Sindarin). __________________ "and then this hobbit was walking, and then this elf jumped out of a bush and totally flipped out on him while wailing on his guitar." "Anglorfin was tall and straight; his hair was of shining gold, his face fair and young and fearless and full of anger; his eyes were bright and keen, and his voice like music; on his brow sat wisdom, and in his hand was great skill."

12-05-2003, 05:47 PM	#37
thranduil Elven Warrior Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 345	I have been learning Bulgarian from bulgarians who came up here for work

12-05-2003, 06:04 PM	#38
Ornelírë Mistë Elven Warrior Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 482	Learning Finnish and Romanian. Know Quenya grammar and script, my vocab is atrocious. __________________ "Lot of people say this city looks like Hell," Allie said. She took a long drag from her cigarette. The glowing tip burned a hole in the darkness. "Most people never been to Hell," Jacob said. She looked at him and he could hear the smile in her voice. "And I suppose you have?"

12-05-2003, 11:32 PM	#39
Aden Elven Warrior Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 123	I speak greek (it's my native actually), ancient greek (it's a pretty obscure language) and I'm trying to learn Quenya now (but I don't have much free time).

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