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A dead languages challenge?

  Tags: Dead Languages
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75 messages over 10 pages: 13 4 5 6 7 ... 2 ... 9 10 Next >>
daegga
Tetraglot
Senior Member
Austria
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Speaks: German*, EnglishC2, Swedish, Norwegian
Studies: Danish, French, Finnish, Icelandic

 
 Message 9 of 75
13 February 2014 at 12:16am | IP Logged 
Sounds interesting. I've Olafs saga lying around in book-form, about 250 pages (I've
read the last 50 pages or so already intensively, the rest only in translation). If
I'll
find the time, I might join you with Old Norse. I would only do extensive reading
though, I can't be bothered to use the dictionary for the time being, I'm a burnt
child.

@Trollpatchig
Wilhelm Streitberg's books are in public domain and written in German, so they would be
nice reading practice for your German too.
For a bit more modern looking Grammar in English get Joseph Wright: Grammar of the
Gothic Language.
Gothic is great because it is so close to Proto-Germanic and there is enough evidence
to get a complete overview over the grammar.

@MakiMaki
Beowulf alone should get you a long way towards the 100 pages. It's 3000 lines or so.
6 weeks is a bit too short for 100-150 pages if you are starting from scratch imho ;)

Edited by daegga on 13 February 2014 at 12:26am

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jeff_lindqvist
Diglot
Moderator
SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name
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 Message 10 of 75
13 February 2014 at 12:31am | IP Logged 
My comprehension of Old Irish is close to zero. I tend to do my homework on the final day each week, something that usually takes 4 intensive hours. That's challenge enough for me. Reading real texts at this stage is out of the question. Maybe in another six months or so.
1 person has voted this message useful



MakiMaki
Triglot
Newbie
Poland
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Studies: German

 
 Message 11 of 75
13 February 2014 at 12:36am | IP Logged 
@daegga
Yeah, when I think about reading 5 pages in Old English per day... that might be
difficult to maintain for a long period of time. One should choose his/her own pace but
it should be around 1 page or half of a page per day. Well, I'm not the specialist here
so I might be wrong.
1 person has voted this message useful



Tollpatchig
Senior Member
United States
Joined 4005 days ago

161 posts - 210 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: German, Maltese

 
 Message 12 of 75
13 February 2014 at 12:57am | IP Logged 
daegga wrote:
@Trollpatchig
Wilhelm Streitberg's books are in public domain and written in German, so they would be
nice reading practice for your German too.
For a bit more modern looking Grammar in English get Joseph Wright: Grammar of the
Gothic Language.
Gothic is great because it is so close to Proto-Germanic and there is enough evidence
to get a complete overview over the grammar.


Thanks for the suggestions. I started looking after I posted and found the Grammar of
The Gothic Language and a short introductory series on YouTube. I'll look for the books
by Streitberg as I could use the practice and vocab. I'll have a look at Old Norse as
well as the grammar concepts look to be very similar to modern German.
1 person has voted this message useful



iguanamon
Pentaglot
Senior Member
Virgin Islands
Speaks: Ladino
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 Message 13 of 75
13 February 2014 at 1:22am | IP Logged 
Great idea, emk!

As I'm studying Ladino now, some define it as a dead language or a moribund language. There is over 400 years of writing in Rashi script and Solitreo cursive script. Ladino has been written in the Latin alphabet for the past 100 years or so. It is no longer being passed on to children and there are no monolingual-speakers left. If it isn' t extiinct yet, it is definitely a dead language walking. I'd like to be in with reading in Rashi and Solitreo, but understand that it doesn't technically qualify as dead, yet.

I saw this on Buzzfeed: The 10 Coolest Dead Languages

Edited by iguanamon on 13 February 2014 at 1:23am

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Lykeio
Senior Member
United Kingdom
Joined 4242 days ago

120 posts - 357 votes 

 
 Message 14 of 75
13 February 2014 at 1:49am | IP Logged 
Classical Philologist here and I could help with Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, Avestan and
some of the Prakrits, the other languages I either do not know well enough or there
simply isn't enough stuff. Not that my range is that great anyway.

Honestly from the first three of those you've so much choice for target literature you
really can suit yourself. For Sanskrit though I really would suggest something like
Narayana or Jayanta rather than the Gita for beginners. The language is lively,
colloquial, sometimes dirty. Overall much more fun than bloody "I am he that is" sort
of stuff.

I'm willing to either re-charge my flailing Akkadian or Aramaic or, finally, tackle
Middle Egyptian. I've recently acquired a textbook and six year old me is squealing
with delight. This might help motivate me and take my mind of the fact I'm to present
and debate in German in a few months despite having a comical accent...

A link to the original super thread so I can see the context in more detail please?

Edited by Lykeio on 13 February 2014 at 1:50am

7 persons have voted this message useful



Luso
Hexaglot
Senior Member
Portugal
Joined 6059 days ago

819 posts - 1812 votes 
Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish
Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical)

 
 Message 15 of 75
13 February 2014 at 3:14am | IP Logged 
नमस्ते! कुशलम्?

Oh, yes! Now we're talking!

I can't participate, because Sanskrit is alive and kicking. A few villages is a symbolic quantity, especially in a place like India, but it lives. Anyway, my level is practically "A.-1", so who am I kidding?

@ iguanamon: Nice link. I was getting ready to jump at it, as both Aramaic and Sanskrit are alive, but they state it in the article. I don't agree with the absence of Sumerian, but that's just a matter of opinion, I guess.

@ Lykeio: Thanks for the suggestions. I already knew Sanskrit's body of literature is huge. I once read here in HTLAL that is bigger than Greek and Latin put together, and these are two heavyweights by themselves.

Needless to say, this is an event I'll keep my eyes peeled for. Start digging, Indiana Joneses!

P.S.: If it were "dead and sacred languages", I guess I could join. However, that could become a little controversial, since the "sacred" label is not as objective as the "dead" one. Oh well, maybe next time. Have fun!
1 person has voted this message useful



Serpent
Octoglot
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Russian Federation
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 Message 16 of 75
13 February 2014 at 3:37am | IP Logged 
I think we can totally extend it to the barely alive ones. Sanskrit or Ladino are nowhere near such monsters as Icelandic or Maltese :-)

Edited by Serpent on 13 February 2014 at 3:37am



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