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Luso’s Silk Thread - Yürükler, TAC Rare | ||
Tags: Arabic (classical) | Sanskrit | Arabic | Total Annihilation Challenge (TAC) | Italian | German | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Fuenf_Katzen Diglot Senior Member United States notjustajd.wordpress Joined 4370 days ago 337 posts - 476 votes  Speaks: English*, German Studies: Polish, Ukrainian, Afrikaans | Message 105 of 162 03 March 2014 at 8:04pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Ach, ich habe die Gesänge sehr vermisst--ich habe viele Jahre in einem Chor verbracht, indem wir immer Gregorianischer Gesang gesungen haben. Diese Musik ist zwar etwas Besonderes, genauso in der Vedische wie in der Christliche Tradition, und es freut mich sehr, dass ich diesen Gesang hören konnte. Der Mongolische Kehlgesang ist auch interessant, zuzuhören.
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| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6062 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 106 of 162 08 March 2014 at 6:58pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Sanskrit
Sometimes, I think this is not happening. I'm the sole student of my teacher, and I get this feeling I might be the only one learning this language in my city. Just a feeling, but still... Every class brings something new and full of cultural meaning: for instance, saying that something is "mine" seems to be quite rude, given the whole notion of non-attachment, right? "Ours" is more neutral. Similarly, you can use the word "mandir" (temple) to refer to your parents' house, since parents are like gods. Pretty interesting, huh? Meanwhile, I'm struggling with the grammar, but the exercises have a soothing effect. Better sit back and enjoy the ride. Of course, there's always a bit of a magic touch: I asked my teacher about homework and he said he hadn't prepared anything. Next week, we're going to continue with possessives, and maybe a mantra. Maybe a mantra! You don't get that in English class, do you? Edited by Luso on 08 March 2014 at 6:58pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Gemuse Senior Member Germany Joined 4083 days ago 818 posts - 1189 votes Speaks: English Studies: German | Message 107 of 162 08 March 2014 at 8:05pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I've forgotten all my Sanskrit :( And most of my Hindi :-\ However AFAIK, in Hindi, at least colloquially, its the opposite, saying "ours" has the connotation of a King speaking. "This is our car". "This is my car" sounds more neutral. Actually, with a car you can get away with it, but with "This is our wish", this sounds really dictator like. Unless you are really speaking for a group.
Interesting. In Hindi, a mandir means only a temple AFAIK.
I'm trying to remember what a mantra in Sanskrit is, coming up blank..could you remind me again? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6062 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 108 of 162 08 March 2014 at 11:23pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Well, it seems that in most conservative places in India (away from big cities) it's impolite to refer to something as yours alone, especially if you live with your family (which is very often true).
About "mandir": this has been said to me by an Indian, whose native language is Hindi. It seems that you get often houses named "mandir", not only temples. As with everything else, it's not wise to generalise, so I'll leave it at that. As far as mantras are concerned, they are tools for concentration. It's important that they're uttered very precisely, in order to reach their purported goals. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Gemuse Senior Member Germany Joined 4083 days ago 818 posts - 1189 votes Speaks: English Studies: German | Message 109 of 162 09 March 2014 at 5:14am | IP Logged | ||||||||
Oh, yeah, if its clear that the family is in the picture, then the "our" form is better. I was thinking about the case when a person is talking to a stranger, alone.
Hmm. Never had those in my Sanskrit classes. Edited by Gemuse on 09 March 2014 at 7:06am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6062 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 110 of 162 22 March 2014 at 5:26am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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German
I'm afraid there's very little on the western front. Not very TAC-like, I'm afraid. In any case, I'm going to continue to offer my modest contribution to the challenges, but that's it. Italian This a very beautiful language. On top of that, learning it at an advanced level is very rewarding, since it's very close to literary Portuguese. Last week, we were analysing a literary text, and every "difficult" word had a direct correspondent in Portuguese. Arabic I finished organising some materials I had lying around and I'm ready to start my global review. Sanskrit Last week we took a first look at the accusative case. The texts had a smattering of other grammatical novelties: an indeclinable here, a locative there, etc. It was one of those occasions when I saw the immensity of the task. But this week some pieces started falling together. It's a big puzzle, but not infinite. Edited by Luso on 22 March 2014 at 5:20pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6062 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 111 of 162 26 April 2014 at 12:32am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Arabic
Today I struck a conversation with a group of Arabs on the subway. They didn't seem like the usual bunch that lives in Lisbon. As it turns out, they are doctors from Libya that are here on vacation. The guys from the group I met work in a small town's hospital in the south of the country (deep in the Sahara), and they said to me they came in a group of about twenty people. They asked whether I wanted to stop by their hotel and, when I said I had to come home, they said I should drop in tomorrow. Desert people's hospitality is unbeatable. Nothing compares to it. By the way, the whole conversation took place in Arabic. The Libyan accent is very easy to understand, I made them repeat a lot of stuff, and we managed to stay completely away of both English and French. When I got home, I wrote to my teacher to tell him what had happened and he told me I had been very lucky, because it's very rare to find such groups here. Sanskrit I'm going to order Thomas Egenes' Introduction to Sanskrit. I already have an e-book version, and now I'm going for the real deal. Materials are really very scarce and, if I hadn't already a teacher, I'd buy the Assimil Sanskrit course (which I understand is very good). The only book I have is a 2008 reprint of a grammar from 1926. I guess there's not a lot happening in Sanskrit teaching these days. Apart from Assimil, that is. EDIT: I wanted to quote a previous message. By mistake, I ended up updating it, and this is the result. I'm sorry. In the previous version, I mentioned that I'm going to make a presentation of Roberto Rossellini's film Paisà for Italian class, and that I'm learning Sanskrit in an old-fashioned way. Edited by Luso on 28 April 2014 at 3:57am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6062 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 112 of 162 02 May 2014 at 1:22pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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German
Wednesday I met my A2 German teacher. She was about to sit down to lunch and we ended up speaking for about half an hour. We talked a bit about Italian and Sanskrit and by the end she told me my German was actually better now than it was some months ago. I agreed and left it at that. In hindsight, I guess that a year ago I was conscient of my responsibility as a C2 student. As a consequence, I felt forced to express myself in the most elaborate form of German I could muster. This pause has relieved that particular stress, which made things simpler. 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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