gotta love xkcd
Before I could create this blog, the folks at google, in order to confirm that I am not a robot, asked me to recognize a word. This word was bingua. "Bilingual" was robbed of its l's and one of the i's ate the other. Or something.
Anyway, it made me think, "Too bad I'm not bilingual." People are always asking me (well, maybe they just ask me more than I would prefer), "How many languages do you speak/know?" I always say "Just one." I have seriously studied seven. I feel guilty saying that I know seven. I really don't know them...I just know enough to impress people and maybe translate some ancient documents with a lexicon near at hand. Also, are you still "bilingual" if you don't really speak a language, you can just read it? For instance, I've studied some Latin. If I had a fairly comprehensive understanding of Latin, but never spoke it, would I be bilingual? I think it makes me biscriptal. Or something. So I am septascriptal.
I have a friend that speaks Latin fluently. He tries to speak to me because the knowledge makes him lonely, I think. I can follow along, at least.
One time, my professor told me that there are thousands of Akkadian sherds that haven't been translated because it's a boring job. I thought, "Give me 6 months to learn. I will translate them. And it will be fun!" But then I thought, "Does that make me boring, or eccentric, or exotic? Or a snob?" So I decided not to learn it, just in case it was anything but exotic.
I think I just feel like a quirky knick knack that no one knows where to put in their house. Here is a very frequent exchange:
"What did you study in school?"
"Biblical Literature."
"What?"
"The Bible and dead languages."
"Wow. Sounds...smart."
What does that mean? It feels like an insult. I know it is not an insult, but I'm sensitive these days, because I'm a septascript working a McJob at minimum wage.
Well, I decided this summer that I am tired of living outside the box. Rather than get back in it, though, I'm going to expand its edges so that I fit inside. Okay, actually, I just spent so long away from language studies that I started to miss them, and decided to teach them and share the joy. Because it is truly a joy for me, even if you don't understand it.
But maybe you would like to understand? Or maybe you would just like to be a misunderstood multiscript. I'm offering Latin, Koine Greek, and Biblical Hebrew. Hit me up.
This rant brought to you by "bingua."
3 comments:
I like reading your blog. And I think that translating those manuscripts would be extremely exotic...especially if you wore a veil or turban when you did it.
I think it would make me the epitome of a nerd.
"What have you been doing?"
"Translating a language you've never heard about. They're discussing the exchange rate for camels and flax. It's fascinating."
But thank you for encouraging me. And I like reading your blog, too!
That comic made me laugh, but your comment on your own post made me laugh harder.
Also, don't worry, at least people think you're smart. I tell people I went to school for theater and I always get, "Oh, I bet you met some weirdos there...or maybe you were one of the weirdos." Then they start laughing. I laugh too, but only because I'm thinking of feeding them to lions.
...maybe I am one of the weird ones.
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