Language Through Culture´s Eyes Idioms: How do they portray culture? For those of you who are interested not only in languages but also in culture, we bring you the fascinating topic of Idioms. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own. In other words, idioms are composed of words that should not be taken literally. Idioms are phrases or expressions that help people communicate their thoughts and feelings in a different way from what they do with everyday words and phrases. To understand idioms you have to know the culture that is behind them, or at least their origin. We can say that understanding idioms is like being “in over one’s head”, meaning it is something difficult to do. Do you get it? Xiao Geng, in his 2009 paper An Analysis of the Cultural Phenomena explains: Idioms reflect the environment, life, history and culture of the native speakers, closely associated with their innermost spirit and feelings. Idioms have so close relationship with historical background, economy, geographical environment, custom, etc. of the nation concerned that they more typically represent the cultural characteristics of a language than words. As you can see, the use of idioms brings cultural aspects to the language. When learning or improving a new language, idioms help you understand the culture behind the words. If you understand the context of use well, then you will be closer to speaking the language fluidly. For example, if you travel to Venezuela you will get to know the...
Will Google Translate replace professional translators in the future? In this blog post, we look at how Google Translate tries to compete with professional translators. Google Translate is a fast and easy way to translate words and short sentences. But how accurate are these online translations? Can they match the translations done by a professional translator? Could professional translators become obsolete due to the free online translation services provided by Google? In this article, we want to show you how Google Translate works. It may be an easy and fast way to translate a text, but it is in fact unlikely to become a competitor to professional translators. The New Version of Google Translate This week, Google launched their new version of Google Translate, which reportedly translates texts as proficiently as human translators. The system is more accurate and comes closer to matching the fluency of human translators s for some languages, such as Spanish or Chinese. It uses a technique known as “deep learning”, which uses networks of mathematical functions to recognize objects and translate speech in real time. Google asked test subjects with fluency in two languages to compare the translation work of their new system with that of professional translators. There wasn’t much difference between the translation done by Google Translate and the one performed by a human translator. What does this mean for translators? Translators are worried that people will start using Google Translate to get their translations done faster and free of charge thanks to the new system. However, anyone who knows a little bit about the art of translating knows that translating a...
How to say “fall” in Asian Languages “Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day.” – Shira Tamir Dear reader, Summer is over and autumn/fall is here! Have you ever wondered how to say “autumn/fall” in Asian languages? Check out our picture below! The languages offered: Azerbaijani, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Lao, Mongolian, Tajik, Thai, Uzbek and Vietnamese. Feel free to leave a comment on our Facebook page. Here at LingoStar, we have professional translators who are native speakers of various Asian languages. We also have a range of other services to offer such as revising, updating and localizing your content into more than 100 languages. And if you ever wish to improve your language skills to have better job opportunities, we also provide language tutoring services! Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 604-629-8420 or email us at info@lingo-star.com to discuss your next language-related project. To get a free quote, click here. We look forward to hearing from you! ...
Differences between Canadian and European French Since French is an important part of Canadian culture, we would like to show you the differences between the French spoken in Canada and the French spoken in France. There are a few variations of French spoken in Canada, such as Acadian and Metis French, however the most well-known variation is spoken in Quebec, Canada’s only province where French is the sole official language. The biggest differences between European and Canadian French can be found in their vocabulary and expressions. Due to their different histories, these two variations of French have developed somewhat differently over time. For example, up until the 1960’s Quebec was very religious and Catholic. However, during the “Quiet Revolution”, a period of intense social and political change, the people in Quebec saw the Church as a repressive force and wanted to separate themselves from it. This is why you will hear curse words related to the church such as tabernacle (a similar English word would be “damn”). Canadian French and European French translation Le petit déjeuner (breakfast) in European French is called le déjeuner in Quebec; but le déjeuner means “lunch” in France.The European French word déjeuner means “dinner” in Quebec.Dinner (in European French) is called souper in Quebec (in Canadian French) which means “to eat dinner” or “to eat supper” in English.Mec in European French is ga in Canadian French which means “guy”. The word ga comes from the French word le garçon (English translation: boy).If you want to go shopping in France, you’ll say faire les courses while in Quebec people say magasinage. This word comes from...
Special Summer Offer Dear readers, Celebrate Canada Day with us! We have a special offer for you! July orders over $300 get a $100 credit* on the following translation project. Mention coupon code: 300-100JUL in our Get a free quote form. Redeem your credit by July 4th. Get it translated NOW and enjoy your long weekend! *Terms: Customers who place an order over $300 (plus tax) by July 4th, 2016, will receive a $100 in-store credit on their following language project provided the new order is placed by August 31st,...
The most common Spanish false friends Dear readers, have you ever heard of the so called “false friends”? They are words that have the same or similar spelling as words in a different language, but mean something completely different. In this blog post, we will introduce you to some false friends in Spanish. You will never put your foot in your mouth again! First example of Spanish false friends: exito If your Spanish classmate wishes you a lot of “exits” for your upcoming exam, don’t get irritated. The Spanish word “exito” means “success” and is often mistaken with the English word exit. Second example of Spanish false friends: embarazo Spanish people might wish you all the best for your pregnancy as: “Congrats on your embarrassment!” Uhm, okay? You should not be embarrassed because you are pregnant. The Spanish words “embarazo” (pregnancy) and “embarazada” (pregnant) sound like embarrassment. People sometimes mistake those words so don’t worry if the congratulations on your pregnancy might sound weird. Third example: constipado A Spanish guy tells his doctor that he is really constipated and he can’t breathe! Well dear doctor… “constipado” is a common cold in Spanish and doesn’t mean constipation. Fourth example: molestar Yes, this one is tricky. Your Spanish friend might tell you that her boss or colleague molested her. No, don’t call the police! “Molestar” means “to bother someone”. Your friend is actually just annoyed with her colleagues. Fifth : casualidad “Hey, I saw your brother at the train station yesterday!” “Oh, really? What a casualty!” What? Don’t worry, no one died at the train station. Your...
False friends in Swedish Dear readers, Have you ever heard of the so called “false friends”? They are words that have the same or similar spelling as words in a different language, but mean something completely different. In this blog post, we will introduce you to some false friends in Swedish. You will never put your foot in your mouth again! Swedish word # 1: fart We can assure you, we are not trying to be inappropriate in any way! The Swedish word “fart” means “speed” in English. A speed camera, for example, is called “fartkamera”. There is also a clever play on words – “It’s not the fart that kills you, it’s the smell.” The funny thing is that the Swedish word “smäll” (pronounced as smell) means crash. So the sentence would mean: “It is not the speed (“fart”) that kills you, it’s the crash (“smäll”).” Swedish word # 2: bad In Sweden, you might see signs with the word “bad” near swimming holes or lakes. Don’t worry. This doesn’t mean that something terrible will happen when you jump into the water. The Swedish word “bad” simply means “bathing place” or “swimming pool”. Let’s move on to Swedish word # 3! Swedish word # 3: bra “Hi Bjorn, how are you?” “Oh I’m bra because I had a super bra weekend!” I beg your pardon? Well Bjorn is not really talking about bras. He’s just feeling fine. The Swedish word “bra” means “good” in English. So if you hear that word in Sweden, don’t start laughing because people might think you are crazy… Swedish word # 4: slut...
Tamil Language And Culture The Tamil language For those who haven’t heard of this language before, it is a language spoken primarily in India, and it is also the official language of many countries, such as Sri Lanka and Singapore. In 2004, the Tamil language was declared a classical language of India. Tamil is seen as a “divine” language by its speakers. Ancient writings say that the development of the Tamil language was in no way influenced by people. Since then, the writing system and spoken Tamil have changed significantly over time. Tamil food In ancient times, people used to serve drinks in silver tumblers, making their guests feel honored since they were being offered drinks in cups made of precious metal. In fact, the silver metal was germicidal and helped to prevent any bacterial infections that could be carried by other guests. Traditionally, Tamil food is served on banana leaves and eaten using the right hand only. The left hand was primarily used for personal hygiene, and to use it for eating or handing something to someone else, would have been considered an insult. Tamils enjoy hot and spicy foods, and their ancestors advised to start meals with spicy food and end it with sweets. Rice is a main staple in the Tamil diet, and they were one of the first people to incorporate it into their meals. It is quite probable that our word “rice” has its origins in the Tamil word “Arisi”. Due to mainly to religious reasons, many Tamils are vegetarians and enjoy different types of fruit, the most consumed being mangos, jackfruits and bananas...
Iceland – The Land of Ice and Fire Dear reader, Have you ever been to Iceland? If not, you should definitely check out this amazing country! It is about a 5 hour flight from Toronto (you can get cheap tickets at Icelandair, who also provide all-inclusive trips. 😉 ). But first of all, what can you do in Iceland and what is the culture like? What to do in Iceland? If you think there is nothing to do in Iceland, you are wrong! The beautiful landscapes invite you to go on incredible hikes, and a lot of festivals are held in Iceland, where people celebrate together. It doesn’t matter if you visit during the summer – or wintertime; there are plenty of things to do. If you decide to spend the summer in Iceland, you will definitely have plenty of daylight hours, up to 22 hours in June! It is a magical time of year, and taking a stroll in the midnight sun will show you Iceland in a different light. During the autumn and winter months, Iceland is famous for the Aurora Borealis – also known as the northern lights. Even though the sun shines for maybe 4 hours or less, which may seem depressing, the darkness allows you to view those beautiful lights, which appear out of the blue and disappear just as quickly. Icelandic landscape Iceland is called “The Land of Ice and Fire” since it is home, not only to the largest glacier in Europe, but also to the world’s most active volcanoes. Due to this volcanic activity under the earth’ surface, there are also...
Dear language friend,translation This June will see one of the world’s biggest sporting events take place in France, as teams from 24 nations come together to compete in the UEFA Euro 2016, to determine Europe’s top soccer nation. France will not only be host to 24 different teams, but also to soccer fans from all over Europe. They will come to cheer for their teams in the stadiums, celebrate together in pubs, and share a wonderful experience with locals and other fans from across the continent. Languages of the UEFA As one of the biggest sports organizations in the world, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has a staff of over 500 people from over 30 different countries, working in the administration, as coaches, media specialists – and of course, as translators. The UEFA has three official languages: French, English, and German. However, the UEFA represents national soccer associations from 55 countries, where not only Romance and Germanic languages are spoken, but also Slavic languages (Russian, Polish, Czech, etc.), and Baltic languages (Latvian, Lithuanian). Even Hebrew is part of the UEFA, as the Israel Football Association joined in the 1990’s. Besides larger language communities like, German, English, French, and Russian, the UEFA also has members from smaller language communities, such as, Albanian and Estonian, to name a few. At this year’s tournament, countries with relatively small language families, like Iceland, Hungary, and Slovakia will compete. For those smaller members and competitors, translation plays a vital role in their participation within the organization. It also allows them to express their interests. If it wasn’t for translators and interpreters their...
