Category: Language

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Instant Linguistic Workstation: just add netbook and stir

For linguists and Bible translators frustrated with the many problems of Windows machines (mainly viruses) this looks quite interesting: A beta release of Balsa ‘Basic Language Software Appliance’: About Balsa

Wycliffe and Vision 2025

Nigeria’s a great example of a place where Wycliffe’s Vision 2025 needs to be worked out. But what’s that vision? Here’s a video to explain in general: [youtube_sc clip_id=ZLWdWOoU0u4] Nigeria has the complete Bible in 19 or 20 languages. It has over 500 living languages. There are quite a few languages with New Testaments, but …

Swearing

That’s another workshop finished and one issue that always crops up for translation teams is what to do with Key Biblical Terms – important words and concepts that have a lot of significance and come up throughout the Bible. Often there’s a term in the translators’ language that seems an instinctively good match, but which …

Videos from recent short-term visitors

Some visiting techies from America helped set up a variety of translation teams mostly in fairly remote locations with satellite-powered internet to help connect them with consultants and other advisors. Here are some videos and interviews that one visiting technician made that might give you an insight into some aspects of translation that I’m involved …

Nigeria: The first 4 months (work perspective)

Here’s a video introduction to what I’ve been doing: [youtube_sc url=12hYSb-OrGM] Watch on MobileMe (opens a new window, so you can keep the transcript in view in case that’s helpful)

Taking things littorally

Did you know that the word littoral existed? Or the word lory? Came across both when browsing the dictionary of a small Pacific language. I thought they were typos; my vocabulary has just been expanded!

A Call for Trial Publications!

David’s tentatively launching a new site for translation teams to publish trial versions of their translated work. Ideas, comments and texts all welcome!

The first ever web site in the Nya Huba language

The first ever web site written in the Nya Huba language of northern Nigeria has been created! What’s all the fuss?

Well done chicken

Here’s a quote from a book which ended up making a somewhat surprising long-term impact on our family. It’s about the problems of translating hymns into tone-languages… I have heard Dr Nida refer to a group in Liberia who were supposed to be singing the chorus, “Precious name, oh how sweet, Hope of earth and joy of heaven.” But the tune so reassigned the pitch patterns that it came out…

Hausa Keyboard Updated

I updated the Hausa keyboard for Mac OS X: Added an automatic installer (applescript) to make it very quick to install. Added the Naira sign to alt-4 or alt-N. Returned / x and v to normal operation. Comments and feedback appreciated.