Aspies For Freedom

Go for it! I find it hugely interesting to learn other languages, althoug, like you, I wouldn't say I have a perticular 'gift', just interest.

There are several on-line courses and materials, I do not know which are best, but some allow use of earlier versions of their course for free!

I was taught French, Spanish and Latin in school, and picked up some German from my friends who were learning it. I also have a few words of Welsh (from my grandfather) Irish (from my grandson) and Farsi (from my brother-in-law). I have had no luck picking up Greek from my brother, although it is the only foreign language my mother ever learnt - she taught herself in her forties - and I can read the alphabet.

I have also learnt some British Sign Language (on which Australian Sign Language is based, so I have used it here) and Irish Sign Language which is based on the French one, as is American Sign Language.

Then, of course, then there are the non-human languages. If you have a cat or dog it is amusing to learn from them, although the lack of a tail and mobile ears makes a lot of phrases very difficult - it makes one appreciate how very cruel it is to mutilate a dog for cosmetic reasons. And, of course, our sense of smell being so feeble makes us almost 'deaf' compared to a dog!

Non-mammalian languages are, of course, progressively stranger. Most bird calls are fairly easy to decipher and mimic; although body language is equally important to flocking birds, more so to hierarchical ones like hens, ducks and geese. With these birds, wings are important for communication, so wearing a full skirt helps to establish leadership! (I wonder - was that why it was always girls and women who were in charge of the domestic fowl?)

I really hope someone manages to learn cuttlefish. A language of colour and shade is wonderful!

And back to a language of odours - plants and insects. Can anyone here understand oak, for instance? Who can follow the instructions encoded in an ant trail?

Life is as much about communicating as it is about reproduction. A wide and fascinating subject.

Good luck!

Cool idea, earthmonkey.

If I had time I certainly would like to learn more languages!

I got a lot of books in Japanese that have subjects I'm interested in. Like "Lord of the Rings" -- yubiwa monogatari -- and "Ultimate X-men". Also lots of manga (which is mostly Lupin III and Love Hina) and picture books based on Ghibli movies. All these are really cool fun to read.

I am also trying to write a story in Japanese (for the challenge) Unfortunately I'm always coming up with new challenges and so sometimes have a habit of running out of time. hehe.

Yes. There were a lot of those where I went to university. And also in Japan. I prefer not to have a translation available, because it is better to immerse oneself as much as possible in the second language. Perhaps a dictionary is useful at times, but I would try to consult it as little as possible.

I could count to a million if I had the time or space.

There are two main counting systems. The first is just plain cardinal numbers.

Ichi, Ni, San, Shi (or Yon), Go, Roku, Shichi (or Nana), Hachi, Kyuu (of Ku), Juu.

You might use them for Maths. So you would say, "San kakeru ni wa roku" (3x2=6)

The second is for counting objects etc.

Hitotsu, Futatsu, Mittsu, Yottsu, Itsutsu, Muitsu, Nanotsu, Yattsu, Kokonotsu, Tou.

I always wondered why Japanese made it so complicated... Three writing systems (one of them not even "exact"), two counting systems... Does it have historical or cultural reasons?

What is your country?

Because the syllable writing (hiragana / katakana) is simplified versions of Chinese characters, whereas Kanji is Chinese characters. The different readings of each Kanji probably come from original Japanese and Chinese influence. (They are "go" and "on")

The last ones are specifically for counting objects (eg kouhii-wo futatsu = two coffees)
the first is more abstract for arithmetic etc.

It is a little more complicated than that, but would take so much more explaining.

Sort of. It's difficult to say from an analytical perspective -- mostly something people would pick up through listening.

I know it but why? Why is there Katakana at all? Did its inventors thought foreign words are too "dirty" to be written in Hiragana? Hehe...

As for Kanji... I find it a bit confusing, probably no other language uses two systems simultaneosly (i.e. like the mix of Kanji and Hiragana in a usual Japanese text).

Did the inevntors think*

hehe. Not quite.

Actually, I think if you read over the above quote again, you'll find yourselves both in agreement.

Yeah. Japanese is something very similar to that. Although it's easier to "get" through listening / mimicry / osmosis / whatever. As an accepted rule, Japanese has two tones -- although of course what spoken language always follows its rules?? -- while another language like Mandarin has more.

I found a good one. Not quite the same idea, but this is an actual sentence in Japanese.

"Uraniwa ni-wa niwa, Niwa ni-wa niwa niwatori-ga iru."

Vaguely translated it means, "There are two chickens in the front yard and two in the back yard." Sounds better in Nihongo, ne.

Are there K, X and Y in Italian at all? Maybe in some english loanwords (if they have any - but I doubt any european language has no english words), but I would not be surprized if they don't use those 3 letters. But I don't speak Italian, so can't tell for sure...

How many times can you use 'and' in a sentence?

How about this:

Joe was a signwriter who was painting the sign for a shop, "Smith and Son", carefully measuring the spaces so that the gaps between Smith and and and and and Son would be the same.

dunno if anyone's found the German version of this, but i'll post it anyway.\

'Zwölf Boxkämpfer jagen Viktor quer über den großen Sylter Deich' -- translates: 'Twelve boxing fighters drive Viktor over the great Sylt Dike.'

Idunno. It's fun.
Whatever-who-cares