This post is inspired by my lovely vacation in Cabo Verde (or Cape Verde). I originally planned to go to Portugal, but due to some last-minute events, I had to change the destination, and quite unexpectedly I ended up all the way in the homeland of Cesaria Evora. The moment I got to the hotelContinueContinue reading “Kriolu – the oldest creole language in the world”
Author Archives: Malgorzata Gregorczyk
Do Eskimos really have 400 words for snow?
Fact or myth? The claim that Eskimos have an unusually large number of words for “snow” was first loosely attributed to the work of anthropologist Franz Boas. It was then promoted by Benjamin Lee Whorf and became a flagship example to support his controversial linguistic-relativity hypothesis (also known as “Whorfianism”). This hypothesis posits that aContinueContinue reading “Do Eskimos really have 400 words for snow?”
Not so obvious benefits of multilingualism
I couldn’t agree more. Being able to compare two or more language systems allows for a wider perspective on the workings of language: ✔How are particular languages built? ✔How does grammar work and how does it differ across languages? ✔What are the origins of words? ✔What works better or worse in particular languages, in termsContinueContinue reading “Not so obvious benefits of multilingualism”
How does globalisation impact language dynamics?
The world today is a global village. Globalisation as a concept and phenomenon has become part of our life. As a term, globalisation has settled in different languages across the world and become a universal word for: the speedup of movements and exchanges (of human beings, goods, and services, capital, technologies or cultural practices) allContinueContinue reading “How does globalisation impact language dynamics?”
C’est la rentrée!
In Luxembourg the first day of school is the 15th of September and, due to a big influence of the francophone culture over this small country, it is called “la rentrée”. The beginning of the school year is a big deal in the French-speaking countries, much bigger than the end of the school year, toContinueContinue reading “C’est la rentrée!”
“PARAWANING” – Poland’s national summer sport
Judging by the aura outside it seems like the summer has already come to an end. My latest vacation on the Baltic sea is already part of history. I thought I would allow myself a moment of nostalgia by talking about something typically Polish when it comes to spending time on the beach. The peculiarityContinueContinue reading ““PARAWANING” – Poland’s national summer sport”
“Don’t call me Murzyn” – about racial discrimination in Poland and the effect of the grammatical gender on cognition
The ripple effect of the recent “Black Lives Matters” protests, sparked by the killing of George Floyd, has spread beyond the borders of the United States. In Poland, it resulted in starting a public campaign “Don’t call me Murzyn”. I first saw the hashtag #DontCallMeMurzyn in my Facebook feed and I immediately thought: “What? Why?ContinueContinue reading ““Don’t call me Murzyn” – about racial discrimination in Poland and the effect of the grammatical gender on cognition”
Moje “trzy grosze” na temat relatywizmu językowego
Czy język, w którym wzrastamy determinuje to, w jaki sposób postrzegamy otaczającą nas rzeczywistość? To pytanie nawiązuje do teorii relatywizmu językowego, na którym opiera sie hipoteza Sapira-Whorfa. Flagowym przykładem w tej dziedzinie jest niewątpliwie dyskusja na temat repertuaru wyrazowego dla rodzajów śniegu w językach eskimoskich. To zagadnienie było obszernie opisywane w literaturze naukowej i nieContinueContinue reading “Moje “trzy grosze” na temat relatywizmu językowego”
The French “râler” and how others pick on it
http://www.lessentiel.lu/dyim/041b5f/B.M600,1000/images/content/1/1/2/11204389/4/topelement.jpg I spotted this article in a Luxembourgish daily paper. It is a transcription from an article in the New York Times, in which the French are considered ungrateful to Macron for handling the corona crisis well. For those who do not know, Macron has been heavily criticized by his compatriots. Some of the memes,ContinueContinue reading “The French “râler” and how others pick on it”
Language as a proxy for race
It seems like the debate about equality and discrimination has been around forever. Nowadays, even more so due to the tragic story of Georges Floyd. It seems like the postulates of the Black Lives Matter movement have become part of the common knowledge worldwide. And If I were to ask a random person what equalityContinueContinue reading “Language as a proxy for race”
LANGOLUX 
