Babel: The Language Magazine

Welcome to Babel No54. Doesn’t time fly? We’re delighted to bring you the usual rich assortment of articles, regular features and puzzles, as well as this year’s prize-winning entry to our Young Writers’ Competition. We hope you enjoy reading the issue as much as we did compiling it. There’s been a lot to think about in world affairs recently, and although Babel is something of a safe haven from such daily concerns, we can’t help noticing the linguistic aspects of what is going on. As I write, for example, there is a breaking news story about a UK politician, Peter Mandelson, recently ambassador to the US, but now seen as having ill-advised (and allegedly criminal) links to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. One of Mandelson’s famed sayings, when he was…

Babel is now on Bluesky! You can follow us @babelzine.bsky.social Babel Lucky Dip back issues offer Tom F, by email, 11 Feb I just wanted to write and thank you for the bumper pack of back issues that I received today. As someone who studied linguistics at A-level and for their Bachelors, these have already proved a fascinating read. I was immediately drawn to Babel No5’s article on the future of translation in a technologically advanced world – how much things have changed! The kettle is on and I’m settling down to devour some more. Laura Chillemi, @laurachillemi96 on Instagram, 05 Feb Which numbers? Can I choose or are they picked randomly? Editors: We’re glad you are enjoying your Lucky Dip pack of back issues, Tom! Readers who are interested…

We are continuing our popular ‘lucky dip’ back issues offer. Readers who are based in the UK can get a random pick of 15 back issues for just £15 (to cover postage & packaging). If the issues are for a school or college, then there is no charge. We can also post outside the UK – please get in touch for a price. This offer is a great way to fill some gaps in your collection, have a browse through our back issues, or introduce a friend to the magazine. If you are interested, please get in touch at babelthelanguagemagazine@gmail.com.…

Asxdzs its name indicates, this column covers things people have said which the media regard as newsworthy in their own right; that is, the language itself gets attention. So, when I am looking for something to write about, I look across the media for reports of these utterances. But I often come across a problem. The language that is the basis of the news item, its sine qua non, does not appear. Reports offer characterisations of what was said, sometimes paraphrases. They report at length how other people have reacted to what was said, including quoting these people. But they don’t actually quote what was said in the first place. A Daily Mail article at the end of last year serves as an example. The headline was “DEPORT HIM”, and…

From 753 BC to its peak in the second century, the Roman Empire dominated every corner of the Mediterranean, from the furthest extents of Iberia to the eastern coasts of the Caucasus. Throughout the Western Empire, locals gradually assimilated to the Roman tongue. The Latin language left behind an epic legacy that has dominated linguistic study on the continent ever since, erasing the languages that preceded it. But what kind of linguists would we be if we ignored what was? Nowadays, Indo-European languages cover just about everywhere in the West. It is easy to understand why: the crushing forces of Roman infantry and the Germanics’ race up North left no stone unturned. But in all its glory, a thriving culture was rendered an artefact. Credit where credit is due, the…

9 September From Marrakesh to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and by jeep to the Sahara, where the Berbers (Roman ‘barbarians’) still lead a nomadic way of life, guarding their tiny herds of goats, sheep and donkeys. Properly the Amazians, Imazighens and Tuaregs, they are indigenous to North Africa, and their languages, Afroasiatic, are mutually unintelligible. My Arabic-speaking guide ends every instruction with Insha’ allah (‘God willing’): if you don’t say this, it won’t happen. 20 September Boston University has awarded this year’s (35th) Ig Nobel prizes for comical scientific achievement. Among the winners is a group from Europe that found drinking alcohol improves a person’s ability to speak a foreign language. Why not turn pubs – in danger of closing anyway – into EFL schools? 14 October President Trump…