7 Comments

I haven't read the journal article, but wouldn't the word-for-word Spanish-to-English translation qualify as a calque?

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I was going to ask that you do a podcast on this subject. I am a Miami Cuban (born in the US) and I love what we done to the language in Miami. It’s fun, playful and it’s been done completely self-consciously. Thank you for exploring it.

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I’ve been wanting to ask you why Russian has «у меня есть» while Ukrainian has «у мене є» and «мати», a verb that means “to have” and behaves just like all the “to have” verbs in the Western world. I think you indirectly answered it.

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Howdy, John! I am amazed every time I hear any other language speaker use English words in their conversation, but I shouldn't be as we use other languages' words in English. Another great discussion by one of the best teachers out there, thanks!

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Instead of Spanglish, I prefer to say, "Engspanglais". 😉 Fun episode, John! I'm a gringo who moved to Mexico City and married a Mexican woman 6 years ago, now. I love learning about the relationship and blending of the two languages. In one of the recent episodes, you mentioned that "sensible" in English used to mean "sensitive", and I had to pause it and run and share that with my wife. I love about all your work, John, but the linguistics stuff is my favorite!

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Another movie largely set at what you describe as the Jewish bungalow colonies is "A Walk on the Moon" -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120613/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk . The action is set at the time of Woodstock and the Apollo 11 mission.

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Loved this episode because:

1. Have a Hispanic friend from Miami, and additionally you talked about carpet , and she has a story about young (now FL Senator) Marco Rubio selling her carpet.

2. We fell into the Chabad movement and I’ve always been intrigued by, but until now never knew the Yiddish origin of, this “I am going by (versus I’ll be at) Yossi’s house” type stuff.

3. Regarding the dangling preposition thing coming from Old Norse, there is an apocryphal story about tennis great Arthur Ashe coming to Princeton to give a speech and asking an undergrad “Where’s the main lecture hall at?” and the undergrad giving directions but saying “But Mr. Ash, here at Princeton we don’t end our sentences with prepositions” to which Ashe responds “Oh, let me correct myself. ‘Where is the main lecture hall at, asshole.’”

Thanks, John, for yet another masterpiece!

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