A big Hanukah hug to BSD reader Jeremy who sent in these beautiful presents for Colby Klaus, including "Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World". It wasn't on my Amazon Wishlist but I spent the afternoon devouring the first chapter and couldn't be happier with Jeremy's choice.
I think I may have even teased out the more enigmatic message of the two Jeremy attached to his gift: "Chag urim sameach!" (easy enough: "Happy Hanukah!" in Hebrew) and the more cryptic "Linksmu Kaledu linkejimai!". With a little bit of research (thank you Google Translate) I landed on "Merry Christmas Wishes" in Lithuanian.
And to you Jeremy:
Grazzi ħafna. Tmien bews vaganzi mill Colby.
Aw, Maltese! You shouldn't have.
ReplyDeleteDespite Ostler's baffling omission of an explanation for Lithuanian's failure to catch on as a world language, I'm glad you're enjoying it.
(For linkėjimai, also, read "linkiu" more idiomatically. I blame my cough syrup.)
And finally: boldog új évet kivánok!
LOL :) Hungarians are everywhere.
ReplyDeleteС новым годом!
I'd love to send you a "penis print" as a thank you. Could you email me with your addy? Thanks! Colby
ReplyDeletebigshoediaries@gmail.com
I loved that one. I read it last year. Have you read Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct?
ReplyDelete