Dubai Metro

May 28, 2008 by thomas · 1 Comment
Filed under: en, linguistics, media, politics 

Metro Station
Originally uploaded by nolifebeforecoffee

I saw an ad in The Economist selling the names of metro stations in the new metro in Dubai.

That’s a wonderful idea, isn’t it? Why give metro stations meaningful names like Cowcaddens and Kelvinbridge when they could be Irn-Bru Station and Bank of Scotland Station, bringing in money for the city council?

But why stop there? Why not bring in more money by changing the name of Glasgow to Coca-Cola City?

And just imagine how much money Bill Gates would pay to rename the United Kingdom Microsoftland.

Sorbisk

May 28, 2008 by thomas · Comment
Filed under: da, linguistics 

Jeg så lige i Spiegel Online, at Sachsens nye ministerpræsident taler sorbisk (vendisk).

Det er jo desværre et meget lille sprog, men jeg har da engang tilbragt en yderst fornøjelig halv time i den sorbiske boghandel i Budyšin (Bautzen), mens mine forældre var ved at gå i panik, fordi de ikke kunne forstå, hvor jeg var blevet af.

Sorbisk er et dejligt slavisk sprog – dualis er fx relativt velbevaret. :-)