Friday, March 18, 2011

Day's Writing

If you want to make an English word sound Lithuanian, just add "as" or "is" or "us" to the end of it.  So, if you can't remember the word for computer, just say "computeris," for example (but spell it "kompiuteris").  Or if you can't remember the word for blog, just say "blogas."  Except....the word "blogas" in Lithuanian means "bad."  And, while "kompiuteris" is probably ok, I've heard that in order to keep the Lithuanian language sounding Lithuanian, linguists have come up with more Lithuanian sounding terms for such things that have been invented this century (in case you didn't know, the Lithuanian language is quite, quite old.  Up there with Latin and Sanskrit.).  A friend told me that the linguists' Lithuanian word for computer literally means "mind box" (if I remember right....Google Translate is not being helpful with this one.  The closest thing I can seem to interpret is that every word for computer has to do with numbers or calculating).

Anyway, today I was spending some time on Google Translate (this is what people do who are on their Spring break that gave up Facebook and Twitter for Lent.  They find other clever ways to waste time on the internet), and found that a Lithuanian term for "blog" could be "dienoraštį," which, when you separate it out means "day's writing." (Dieno=day's raštį=writing)  

I love it!  One of the things that I love about the Lithuanian language is how some words just make sense.  They mean what they are. Don't get me wrong.  It is a very difficult language to learn, but I just love that the word for "blog" literally means "day's writing."  The words for the days of the week literally mean first day, second day, third day, etc.  

Anyway.  There's a little nugget of trivia for you, from someone who is not fluent in Lithuanian, and who forgets a little more each day, though she doesn't want to....and who is inspired to make "Day's Writing" show up somewhere on a blog, be it this one or another, someday.

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