Language of the Month

Mongolia is a place we all know to have a rich history, from being a largely nomadic people to having one of the most known empires in the world. Their empire lasted until the 17th century when they fell under the rule of Manchus of the Qing Dynasty. When that dynasty fell Mongolia was able […]

I always thought that Korean was the only language that used the Hangul alphabet. However, this past month I have learned that such is not the case. The Hangul alphabet was created in 1444 during the reign of King Sejong, who was the fourth king of the Ju Joseon Dynasty. Previously Korea had been using

Explore the captivating world of Amharic, Ethiopia’s official language, with over 32 million speakers globally. This article delves into the linguistic structure of Amharic, including its unique Ge’ez script, consonantal root system, and subject-object-verb (SOV) word order. Discover Amharic’s rich cultural history, from its rise with the Solomonic Dynasty to its significance in Ethiopian Orthodox Church traditions. Celebrate celebrated authors like Haddis Alemayehu and Dagnachew Worku, and immerse yourself in the vibrant realm of Amharic literature and poetry. Learn how Amharic thrives in Ethiopian music, particularly through the Ethio-jazz movement, and its vital role in the diaspora, fostering cultural unity through social media. Join us in appreciating this beautiful language that weaves together Ethiopia’s identity, history, and global influence.

This month I decided to visit a place that I know very little about in my research and explore one of their many indigenous languages. Australia has more than 250 indigenous languages including 800 dialects. But today I am going to focus on one: Pintupi. Pintupi belongs to the Wati branch of the Pama-Nyungan language

Today, Filipino is the official national language of the Philippines, but it was not always that way. This month let’s learn about Tagalog, another major language in the island nation of the Philippines. First, a break-down of the name so that we can understand where it comes from: Taga means “from”Ilog means “river” Therefore, when

Wolof is a member of the Niger-Congo language family in West Africa. Wolof is one of the six national languages of Senegal and is one of the most widely spoken languages in West Africa with upwards of ten million speakers. Of those speakers, 4.6 million speak it as their native/first language while 7.8 million use

Language, along with culture, can be a powerful tool for creating community among a people no matter how spread apart they might be. The Saami Language is spoken by the indigenous people in Nordic countries and is classified as a Finno-Ugric language with its closest linguistic relatives being Finnish and Hungarian. But much like those

By Laura Standel The Silk Road had a giant impact worldwide as it was the main trade route from 130 B.C.E until 1453 C.E. It started in north-central China and ran all the way down to the Mediterranean Sea where goods from China could be shipped to Europe. Along this route was a nomadic community

By William Zhang History La Gomera, a volcanic island located in the Canary archipelago, is celebrated not only for its natural beauty, but also its unique whistled language known as Silbo Gomero. This language can be traced back to the original inhabitants, the Guanches, who likely brought it with them from North Africa in the