The Way To Pronounce The Welsh "LL"

Welsh is a complicated little language - mostly to pronounce. Its historic origins make it a strange-sounding language to master, with many confusing constructions such as initial mutations (the initial "C" can mutate to "Ngh" under some circumstances, and an initial "P" can mutate to "B" or "Ph").

The hardest letter to pronounce, however, is "Ll," the initial consonant of "Llangollen," "Llanllyfni" and many other place names, along with the surname Llewellyn, among others.

There is an easy way, and the natural Welsh way.

Natural Welsh: Put the tip of your tongue just behind your teeth. Force air out through the sides of your tongue.

Easy Way: Pronounce "ll" as if it were "tlh" from the word triathlon or the Irish place name Athlone.

This post brought to you by Completely At Random.

New Blog - Klingon Teachings

I have created a new blog, dedicated to teaching the basics of tlhIngan Hol Klingon language.

I'm acknowledged across the UK as a pretty experienced expert on Klingon, and I have frankly tried making Klingon accessible to the general population for more than twenty years, now. And with Star Trek Into Darkness (poH mIgh 'el Hov leng) in the cinemas right now, this seems as good a time as any.

I began with the introductory post nuqneH. This said a little about the blog, and what it aims to do.

It was followed by this post, showing fifty highly useful Klingon nouns. A basic vocabulary which you can access regularly while learning the words off by heart.

So, then, tlhIngan paQDI'norgh is a go as of 2013 05 20. I hope you will stick with it, and learn enough Klingon to amaze and astonish your friends. Qapla'!

Resolutions

A shortish blog post to wind up the year. I have given my Livejournal blog the end of year treatment: I will likely do the same for this blog, some time tomorrow. It will give me something to do.

What sort of a resolution have I made for this coming year already, I hear you ask.

Well, it will begin with my picking up the study of French and German. As much as possible, I aim to give those languages a good, solid try, possibly brushing up on Welsh as well, in the meantime. This will give me the excuse to study the less accessible language choices I have made, namely Portuguese, Japanese, Latin and Klingon.

I describe two motivations for learning a language: ambition, and necessity. If you learn a language just so you can start applying for jobs, it's necessity and the results can be pretty bloody awful to listen to.

But if you just want to learn the language, just because, so that you can sit and listen to TV shows in the language or to speak with friends in that language, blog in that language and form relationships with people who speak that language ... that is ambition, and those who want to learn the language out of love usually make a much better effort to learn it than those for whom learning is a chore, fit only to give them a passing knowledge of how to say "Where is the toilet?" in the local lingo.

So, then, my resolution - in part, more or less the same as for last year. Learn. Study. Practice. Put into practice.

Brand New Blog, Brand New Voice

Multiplicity of Voices, One Mind

This is one of a number of blogs I currently run.

My main blog can be found over at LiveJournal, but I also have a blog at OKCupid, one at imgoth, another at FetLife, some defunct blogs at InsaneJournal and Dreamwidth (which have probably been deleted by now) and a dead blog here, Comfortable Creature, which I can no longer access since Google discontinued access to blogs from non-gmail account holders.

So this is me, starting a new one. Starting anew.

What is "The Serpent's Tongue?"

First of all, my power animal is Serpent. Serpent is a powerful teacher, and a sensual seducer.

But be warned - serpent occasionally speak with forked tongue.

Second, the term comes from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," wherein Puck turns to breach the fourth wall and address the audience after all is said and done.

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
If you pardon we will mend.
And, as I an an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call.
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 5, Scene 1

Many Minds, But With One Single Memory

So, then, here is where it all starts all over again. I'll have plenty to say here that I cannot, or choose not to, say over at LJ or the other blogs. So watch out for me.