The new language of Covid-19
Covid-19 language and the Oxford English Dictionary The speed of linguistic evolution has led to the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) changing their …
The Yorkshire dialect
The Yorkshire dialect The instantly recognisable Yorkshire dialect has been influenced by the languages of successive invading peoples. Spoken across a large area of northern …
Back translation
Back translation Also known as reverse translation, back translation is a potentially crucial step in the translation quality assurance process. With certain content, back translation …
Client Feature: the ancient Japanese art of tsuiki copperware
Tsuiki copperware – an ancient Japanese art Located on the west coast of Japan’s Honshu Island, Niigata prefecture is primarily known for its ski resorts, …
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The Netflix fail: why subtitles are currently such a hot topic
The Netflix fail: why subtitles are currently such a hot topic Until comparatively recently, foreign language films and TV series usually attracted small audiences in …
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The Yorkshire Ripper Hoax
The Yorkshire Ripper Hoax We recently explored the role of forensic linguistics in assisting criminal investigations and in securing convictions. As a follow-up, we thought …
Skopos Theory in translation
An introduction to Skopos Theory in translation In the world of translation studies, there is considerable debate about how best to achieve equivalence between source …
Forensic linguistics and Forensic Phonetics in criminal investigation
Forensic linguistics and Forensic Phonetics in criminal investigation Every individual possesses unique fingerprints and almost unique DNA. Fingerprints and DNA profiles are the twin holy …
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Dynamic equivalence in translation
Dynamic equivalence in translation In his book Toward a Science of Translating, published in 1964, the American linguist Eugene Nida coined new terminology to describe different …
The history of knock-knock jokes
Shakespeare, parlour games and kids – the history of knock-knock jokes Guaranteed to inspire many giggles, knock-knock jokes are firm favourites with kids. They follow …
Why Linguistic Quality Assurance Matters
Why Linguistic Quality Assurance Matters Poor quality translations can cause considerable embarrassment to any brand and are unlikely to escape notice. Awkward, stilted and inaccurate …
Why do puns make us smile – or roll our eyes?
Why do puns make us smile – or roll our eyes? Like football, politics and savoury spreads made of yeast extract, puns divide opinion. For …
Fozzbonkling nonsense words that excite your simploncs
Fozzbonkling nonsense words that excite your simploncs All languages evolve across the ages, with new words being added every year and others falling out of …
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Infamous and hilarious translation disasters
Infamous and hilarious translation disasters Translation is an art, a science and a minefield! Get it right and nobody notices. Get it wrong and everybody …
Are there any English speaking EU countries?
Are there any English speaking EU countries? Until the 1990s, French was the dominant language of the EU. But new countries continued to join the …
how to pronounce portmanteau
How to pronounce portmanteau Sometimes the English language fails to yield the perfect word for a particular concept. In these situations, only a phrase or …
Prophetic names – the wonderful world of aptronyms
Prophetic names – the wonderful world of aptronyms Personal names can be so damn funny, can’t they? It’s impossible not to laugh when you discover …
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Stupidly clever – oxymorons in all their glory
Stupidly clever – oxymorons in all their glory An oxymoron is a creative phrase or figure of speech that contains words that appear to be …
Meet Tanjiro Kamado
Meet Tanjiro Kamado If you’re not familiar with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba yet, trends suggest that you soon will be. Set in Japan’s Taisho …
The problem with English plurals
The problem with English plurals English grammar is complex, contradictory and downright confusing! There are many aspects of the language which make mastering English tough, …
