why is everyone not as excited about linguistics as i am? this is sooooo cool!


I'm Trying To Learn Arabic - Why's it taking so long? Robert Lane-Greene:

I do not recommend chewing gum in Arabic class, because a host of noises articulated in the back of the throat makes it likely that the gum will end up in your lungs. Arabic has one 'h' akin to ours, and another that has been described as the sound you would make trying to blow out a candle with air from your throat. That's not to be confused with another sound, the fricative kh familiar to German-speakers as the sound in 'Bach.' There's also 'ayn, a 'voiced pharyngeal fricative,' which is like the first sound in the hip-hop 'a'ight.' Unwritten in Roman-alphabet transliterations, it's actually a consonant that begins many common words and names, including 'Arab,' 'Iraq,' and 'Arafat.'