You probably didn't know that a wallaroo was, and still is, an animal half way between a kangaroo and a - but although that is interesting piece of general language information, it is a side-track to this story. Google has chosen this name for its newly launched system for translating photos of obscure and endangered languages.
Like Wikipedia, knowledgeable members of the public can imput their obscure knowledge. Is this safe? Accurate? Will nuisances and children imput nonsense? It is a self-correcting system. Like Google translate.
What does this mean for you and me?
If you happen to be on holiday in an area with an obscure language and see a sign you can translate it. If you see a sign in three languages and the English translation is nonsense you can go back to the original.
If you want to learn an obscure language word by word, or ingratiate yourself with obliging local people, how handy. And finally, if you are really keen to preserve or learn an obscure language, a great valuable service for you and future generations.
Okay, you may be wondering, is this just a general piece of information or does the writer of this post have an interest in it. If so, please declare your interest.
Mine is Yiddish. Yiddish, like English, was based on German. Like English, Yiddish had language imput from immigrants and invaders. I think of Yiddish as a friendly, funny version of German. Great for telling jokes, commenting on life, proverbs.
What use is it to anybody else? My son, (my husband insists I should say our son) got married last year. What do I call his in-laws? There's no word in English for them. Only a convoluted, 'my son's in-laws'. 'My sister-in-law' would be the wife of my brother. But Yiddish has a word for it. Machatunim. (I thought I had heard people in London, England say Machataynim.)
In Spanish the nearest word would be consuagos, with or co in-laws.
Are you still curious about the wallaroo animal mentioned earlier?
Wikipedia says:
Wallaroo is a common name for several species of moderately large macropods, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wallabies. The word "wallaroo" is from the Dharug walaru.[2]
Wallaroos are typically distinct species from kangaroos and wallabees.
Now you can easily remember the name of the Google development, Wallaroo.
Now, I suppose, if you are interested in languages, like me, or have time to spare, or have time to spare, which I don't, but are easily distracted, which I am, you might have read this post a second time and wondered, just a minutes, what was that language which gave the word wallaroo?
It is indeed one of the languages likely to be lost unless somebody saves it.
Usefully, the same wiki page tells us the meaning of another handy well-known word, koala.
A Dharug speaking person from earlier times:
DHARUG words or derived words you will recognize
Useful Websites
translate google
Wikipedia Dharug
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharug_language
wiipedia Yiddish
Wikipedia Spanish
About the Author
About Angela The Author
The Author - Quick Quotations
Angela Lansbury B A Hons is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books.
About Angela The Speaker & Trainer
Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President Public Relations, Immediate Past President.
Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.
Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK
The recent meeting of BHA included Garen Tee on using story telling in business, on bha.learncool.sg . Also an educational on using Powerpoint for posters.
Next BHA meetings,
1 Wednesday evening, May 55th, 7 pm Singapore.
After Vesak day and Hari Raya:
2 Next meetings 1st Wednesday evening and
3 Third Saturday afternoon, Singapore time.
Special speech with slides about teamwork in sport and Toastmasters International and life, by the President of West Coast Toastmasters Club who often help BHA with workshops and invite us to give speeches at their club.
Inauguration of new committee by incoming Area Director of S
About Angela The Blogger
Angela has several blogs on speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:
See next post on sculptor Tom Harvey.
Please share links to your favourite posts.
