Languages

[Ritual_Kiss]

Short and sweet, for everyone.

How many different languages do you know?
How did you choose this language(s), and why did it appeal to you?

[deviadah]

Swedish - no choice
English - lived abroad a lot + it has become the language I think in
Danish - because I lived in Denmark
Norwegian (understand it) - well if you are Swedish, and not an idiot, you will understand it

I am trying to learn Japanese... I want to go and live there + their culture is interesting.

I could write German, but really I do not master it at all... what you learn in school is worth shit.

[Kuroyagi]

Im the retard in the family (my *little* brother knows 6 new and 3 old languages - yeah also Aramaic etc..)

I know German, English, Japanese- pretty fluently....and some French and Chinese...also had Latin in school for 6 years...a bit of Italian- but hey the language of Love is international anyway...:p

[deviadah]

As is hate :p

[Kuroyagi]

:laugh: Yeah unfortunately so- but its what we all have felt at some moment or other (as I wrote in that ironic aphorism) and if we realize that this fact could unite us again...hopefully...;)

[Ci Celli Ddu]

Welsh, English, Spanish, German and Aragonese; I understand Galician and Catalan and most of Portuguese and Dutch, and in a very round about fashion am learning Polish, Basque and Latin.

[Ratatosk]

Ok, I feel uneducated: English, German (although I am horribly rusty, I lived in the Stuttgart area for 5 years) and I can swear a bit in Spanish (grew up in the barrio in California)

[deviadah]

Ey, hesse... vatos locos forever Man!

[Ritual_Kiss]

Holy Crap!

I'm getting off on learning one new language, and many of you know up to 5!

I'm learning Irish Gaelic, with books, newspapers, websites, listening to people speak it on youtube, and basically just "taking the plunge" with it.
I've come to a point where even if I don't know what a word is consciously, if I read it I will get a mental picture of what it means without the English internal dialogue. It helps that I've been reading it and trying to pronouce things over and over even when I don't know what it means.

The depressing thing about it is inevitable learning about the politics of the language, and how many of the Irish people don't care for it, or don't find it relevant. Unfortunate that many Non-Irish people are the ones taking an interest. A few years ago I could find very little on the subject, and now websites, books and other material are showing up in stores. The only reason it's not relevant now is because they aren't making it so.

[m1thr0s]

don't feel too bad Ritual_Kiss...I'm just beginning to get the hang of English and it's my first (and only) language...

little spatterings of maybe half a dozen languages or more through occult studies but that's not really the same thing...

I was a little surprised to hear of little brothers' superior intelligence K...I must say my one encounter with him didn't register him as particularly intelligent at all, but then he was going out of his way to be a jerk at the time so who knows...

he makes a dazzling first impression I guess...

m1thr0s

[Oblio]

don't feel too bad Ritual_Kiss...I'm just beginning to get the hang of English and it's my first (and only) language...My sentiments exactly!

In other news, last night, on one of our "current affairs" shows, there was a segment on autistic savants (I dislike that term, but w/e) - one of the people interviewed was Daniel Tammet, who (amongst many other things) learnt Icelandic in one week, and appeared on an Icelandic talk show at the end of that period.

The interesting thing was that there is a researcher who is replicating (at least to some extent) their abilities by electrically disrupting left hemispheric brain activity (temporarily of course).

Check out the transcript (http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=285127) of the show, not a lot of info however.

[m1thr0s]

autism strikes again...it may just be that the entire world is shifting over to specialization so that people who have always had to suppress these abilities are gradually finding their niches. I think it really will culminate in a much better understanding of human potentials...

pretty interesting stuff...

m1thr0s

[Nuhad418]

Good gods. I have enough issues with English. I've tried to learn French (on and off) since grade 10, I have 12 hours training in German and I know 20 words and perhaps 8 phrases in Italian. Damn polyglots! :o_O::sad:

[Radiant Star]

I've tried to learn French (on and off) since grade 10
Me too, though when I went to France recently, I did quite well on the basics, very basics that is lol

[MythMath]

I think that technical jargons and mathinking, as well as musicmaking
(and probably every other act of art production) should be considered
in the discussion of 'knowing different languages'... :laugh:

[Kuroyagi]

I was a little surprised to hear of little brothers' superior intelligence K...I must say my one encounter with him didn't register him as particularly intelligent at all, but then he was going out of his way to be a jerk at the time so who knows...
No sorry that was me and not my brother there- my brothers a real scholar, an analytical mind and very focused and serious and not such a clown as myself...;)

[m1thr0s]

???...ok...it actually made more sense the other way around since it was a pretty hostile outburst etc...

but this is all way off-topic anyway.

m1thr0s

[Frater Yechidah]

English, Irish, German

Some Korean and Japanese (for curiosity's sake)

Some Latin and Hebrew (for occultiosity's sake)

Bits and pieces of other languages out of interest in linguistics

English is about the only one I'm fluent in, however ;)

LLLSHJ,
Y.

[Frater Yechidah]

Holy Crap!

I'm getting off on learning one new language, and many of you know up to 5!

I'm learning Irish Gaelic, with books, newspapers, websites, listening to people speak it on youtube, and basically just "taking the plunge" with it.
I've come to a point where even if I don't know what a word is consciously, if I read it I will get a mental picture of what it means without the English internal dialogue. It helps that I've been reading it and trying to pronouce things over and over even when I don't know what it means.

The depressing thing about it is inevitable learning about the politics of the language, and how many of the Irish people don't care for it, or don't find it relevant. Unfortunate that many Non-Irish people are the ones taking an interest. A few years ago I could find very little on the subject, and now websites, books and other material are showing up in stores. The only reason it's not relevant now is because they aren't making it so.

Part of this issue is that Irish is taught very badly here. The syllabus needs big improvement, and the language is never used in day to day life, barring Gaeltacht areas. We still have an Irish language station, however, so, despite all the fretting, I think the language will survive (indeed, it's becoming more "trendy" nowadays for young people to speak Irish). On a final note, most Irish teachers tend to be horrible (all of the ones who taught Irish in my school were), which also doesn't help stimulate a love for the language. So, I hated Irish in school. I'm only beginning to get an interest in it again outside of school on my own terms from a general interest in language.

If you need any help with pronunciation, feel free to drop me a line ;)

LLLSHJ,
Y.

[Ci Celli Ddu]

One idea which has surfaced here in Wales is to introduce monoglot English speaking schoolkids to the language rather than just ram it down their throats. By "introduce" I mean teach them the history of the language and how it effects the views of speakers of the language. A Welsh speaking musician in North Wales has been holding such introductory classes for adults, and it seems by the end of the course even English incomers are so fired up that they not only want to learn it but want to join the Welsh Language Society (an active pressure group)!

[Via Sinistrae]

As a relatively new self-professed LHP magician, I am greatly encouraged by the initial results of an experiment in Lesser Black Magic I have recently been working on that involves, among other things, the acquisition of foreign language skills. My apologies if this post is only indirectly related to the topic at hand.

I recently placed an ad on craigslist stating that I was looking for a Classical Greek tutor. What encouraged me was that there appeared to be a correlation between the posture and tone of my advertisement and the quality of responses I received. By limiting potential candidates to those with a minimum of two years experience in Attic Greek grammar and vocabulary, I essentially culled a number of unqualified persons and armchair linguists from contacting me, and thus, wasting my time by having to interview them. By offering a competitive wage I helped to create the impression that this was a serious inquiry, and therefore a real job. Because of this, the responses I received were primarily from Ph.D's and graduate students who were more than willing to send me copies of their resumes and references.

Perhaps, some may object that the lesson contained in this anecdote is more akin to the exhibition of common sense than esoteric knowledge and is without any "real" magical import. I would suggest that this relatively innocuous experiment in acquiring a foreign language tutor is an empirically verifiable example of an overtly occult principle, namely, that of "like attracting like".

In order to transform a subjective possibility into an objective actuality, one must first ascertain two things: One, what are the known and controllable variables that are inhibiting my desired end from becoming the logical result of my current situation and how can they be rendered ineffectual? And two, how can I increase the probability of a given occurrence by acting in such a way or constructing circumstances in such a way, that they act as a "talisman" which attracts the desired goal to it as of logical necessity?

[m1thr0s]

this probably warrants its own topic Via Sinistrae, though I can see how it would synchronize for you in the context of this one...but it's kind of a big subject area in itself.

moreover, I would agree with you that this would amount to as valid a magickal experiment as any other, understanding that we are definitely dealing in the realm of direct call-response mechanisms as they naturally operate on the physical plane. Observing and scrutinizing these may also tell us something regarding the same kinds of methods applied to loftier objectives more indicative of High Magickal operations, so for myself, I think it's all connected and all perfectly valid/relevant stuff.

So many times we seem to find that there is really no more and no less to *magick* than the viewing of a given actions through the lens of magickal philosophy itself. If every *intentional act* is a magickal act (and I would agree that this is so), then we needn't be too pious or pompous as to what is and what is not *real magick*...

some things, of course, have a little more panache than others. This probably goes without saying...

m1thr0s

[deviadah]

I am deeply into my Japanese studies and it is not so hard to learn actually, unless you want to be able to read and write. :laugh:

[Via Sinistrae]

Thanks for the response m1thr0s and sorry about the rabbit trail.

As far as my Greek is concerned, I've been going strong for a few weeks now and am starting to realize how hard learning a foreign language is outside of the classroom. Makes me glad I'm going back to school in the fall. Anyhow, is anyone else here who is or is attempting to be or become proficient in Classical Greek or, perhaps, Latin?

[m1thr0s]

no problems...
love your sig quote btw...very eloquent, true and funny...

m1

[Kuroyagi]

I had Latin in school but I would like to know Greek; but that wont happen cause it would simply be too exhausting to learn it all on my own. Its possible though- a friend of mine has done it in about 3 months time studying 8 hours most days and his inteligence is above average I'd say. He did that so to pass the exam that one needs for studying old history...if you take a one term/half year course it should be ok...

dev: learn at least the two alphabets (they are only: 2x50 "letters") - that will help you a lot. katakana comes in handy (also when reading menus- esp. of forgein restaurants...)

[deviadah]

I will take your advice into consideration. Thinking of learning them by getting those cards they have (one for each symbol)!

:cool:

[Kuroyagi]

Yeah do that. You know I myself primarily like to be able to talk in a language rather than to write it (cause I like to talk/socialize with the people), but some basic understanding of the alphabets is necessary I think, yes use whatever memorizing help ("pons asinorum") you can- maybe buy some manga in original for practice(eg dragonball or some such that is easy to read cause in manga also the kanji have furigana (hiragana) attatched to them). The Japanese will already praise you if you only can speak some phases ("O-jouzu desu ne" =You are proficient, good etc), and they will still praise you in the same way when you will be able to speak fluently...;)

[deviadah]

I watch a lot of Japanese films (not only Anime, but live action too). Kurosawa is a favourite. I like to hear how the words are pronounced from different sources. Trouble is I've noticed that the translations are so freely done that often when a sentence is spelled out in the subtitles (and I know what that phrase would be in Japanese) the person on screen says something else! :mad:

[Ci Celli Ddu]

I'm going to have to make another attempt at learning Polish, now that there are so many Poles in the area these days. It's quite a turnaround from the Cold War days, when the only Poles you'd meet in the UK were of my grandfather's generation (ie ex WWII combatants) or their descendents (like me). Finding the time is a bit of a bitch though. I'm on disability so I have plenty of free time, but too many interests to fit into one day...occult, blogging, composing music, playing computer games, keeping in touch with friends over the internet...I'm really going to have to organise a schedule or something...

[Anibis]

I learned a few words in Poland when I traveled through... It was one of the most interesting places I have been, and the people were very chill... I learned to say yes and know, hello and thank you, and that's about it...
-A-