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Language of the Month September 2024: Amharic

Blog, Language of the Month /

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.

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NSA Programs for High School and College Students

Blog, In the News /

Below you will find information about the National Security Agency and student program opportunities. First, are opportunities for college students. See opportunity for high school seniors here. The application for the Summer 2025 internship programs will be open until October 1st.  NSA offers multiple employment opportunities for students in college, recent graduates, and industry professionals! Please visit

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The Languages of Science

Blog, Teacher's Corner /

Introduction This exhibit is tailored as a virtual field trip: infographics, presentations, online games, classroom activities and puzzles all contribute to developing an understanding of the origins of scientific names for living things and the categories into which we classify them. Scientific Names Game 1 Scientific Names Game 2 Posters: These posters explain Linneaus’ system

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Dual Language Education in Washington State – Becoming Law

Blog, Teacher's Corner /

Starting in the early years, a dual language education has many benefits for children that can impact them for the rest of their lives. This includes health benefits, academic benefits as well as future career opportunities. According to a study in 2016 (link below) in the National Library of Medicine, students in dual language programs

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STARTALK Digital Learning Institute

In the News /

Are you a language teacher of Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian-Farsi, or Russian who is passionate about innovation? Ready to make a difference while expanding your professional toolkit?OLC will host the STARTALK Digital Learning Institute for Critical Language Educators this summer highlighting leading-edge digital strategies and tools. The program will blend theory and hands-on practice, allowing

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Fanni is Radnóti's wife
Located near the Tang capital city of Chang’an, site of the modern city of Xi’an in Shaanxi province, in central China.
Soldiers of that time commonly wore a white head cloth, similar to what is still worn by some peasants in China today.  The implication is that the conscripts were so young that they didn’t know how to wrap their head cloths, and needed help from elders.
Before China’s unification under the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. there were several competing smaller kingdoms.  Han and Qin were two of these kingdoms. Han was located east of famous mountain passes that separated that area from the power base of the Qin dynasty, with its capital in Chang’an. The Qin dynasty itself only lasted about 15 years after unification due to its draconian rule, but soldiers under Qin rule retained a reputation as strong fighters.
The area of Guanxi, meaning “west of the passes”, refers to the area around the capital city of Chang’an.
This is an alternative name for a province in western China, now known as Qinghai, which literally means “blue sea”.  Kokonor Lake, located in Qinghai, is the largest saline lake in China.  
Before China’s unification under the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. there were several competing smaller kingdoms.  Han and Qin were two of these kingdoms. Han was located east of famous mountain passes that separated that area from the power base of the Qin dynasty, with its capital in Chang’an. The Qin dynasty itself only lasted about 15 years after unification due to its draconian rule, but soldiers under Qin rule retained a reputation as strong fighters.
Oulart Hollow was the site of a famous victory of the Irish rebels over British troops, which took place on May 27, 1798. The rebels killed nearly all the British attackers in this battle. (Source: Maxwell, W. H. History of the Irish Rebellion in 1798. H. H. Bohn, London 1854, pp 92-93, at archive.org)
The phrase "United Men" is elaborated upon in the Notes section below.

Ghetto

An Italian word meaning “foundry.” It originally referred to a part of the city of Venice where the Jews of that city were forced to live; the area was called “the ghetto” because there was a foundry nearby. The term eventually came to refer to any part of a city in which a minority group is forced to live as a result of social, legal, or economic pressure. Because of the restrictions placed upon them, ghetto residents are often impoverished.

"You’re five nine, I am do-uble two"

A reference to the year 1959 and the year 2020.

"The Currency"

Meaning US dollars - this is drawing attention to the fact that Cuba is effectively dollarized.

"Sixty years with the dom-ino stuck"

This sentence is a reference to the Cold War notion that countries would turn Communist one after the other - like dominos. Cuba was the first domino, but it got stuck - no one else followed through into communism.

رحلنا

رحلنا, or "rahalna," means "we have left."

Habibi

Habibi means "my love."

Ra7eel

Ra7eel, or "raheel," means "departure."

3awda

3awda, or "awda," means "returning."

أهلاً

أهلاً, or "ahalan," means "welcome."

a5 ya baba

a5 ya baba, pronounced "akh ya baba," means "Oh my father."

golpe

Treece translates "golpe" as "beating", which is correct, however misses the secondary meaning of the word: "coup".

Carlos

The “Carlos” referred to in the poem is most likely Carlos Bolsonaro, a politician from Rio de Janeiro and the second son of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s current president. His and his father’s involvement in Marielle’s murder has been questioned and investigated.