Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2011 July 7

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July 7

Czech Proverb

A bunch of sites with language quotes list as a Czech proverb:

"Learn a new language, get a new soul."

What is the proverb in Czech? 68.48.123.29 (talk) 00:34, 7 July 2011 (UTC)luos

Sounds apocryphal, at least in Czech - since {"nový jazyk" "nové duše"} gets all of two hits at Google and neither is relevant and I had no luck with other variants. Frederick the Great of Prussia is said to have said that a man who speaks two languages is worth two people who speak one, or some such.

There is the phrase "Nový Duch, nové srdce, nový jazyk" But that is more like "a new soul, a new heart, a new tongue" and is a born again idea, not a promise that second language learning expands the self. μηδείς (talk) 05:17, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

A google book search revealed that the same and similar quotes ("to acquire", "to gain" instead of "to get", etc.) are sometimes attributed to Charles V, whose more famous quote on the same topic goes "I speak Spanish to God, Italian to Women, French to Men, and German to my Horse." and appears to be a misattribution as well, see Wikiquote for example. ---Sluzzelin talk 07:11, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Thank you all! 68.48.123.29 (talk) 13:36, 7 July 2011 (UTC)luos

There is a very well known phrase "kolik [řečí/jazyků] [znáš/umíš], tolikrát jsi člověkem", which was what I first thought of when I saw this. "You are once a human for every language you know". - filelakeshoe 13:43, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

And btw, duše is feminine (nová duše) - filelakeshoe 21:43, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, I would have said duch based on the Lord's Prayer in my dialect, and it did look odd, so that I searched novy duch as well, but was relying on google translate for the Czech spellings. The quote you give above resembles the one I remember for whichever German emperor it was who said it. μηδείς (talk) 18:47, 8 July 2011 (UTC)

Translating jobs...?

Hello, i've noticed most pages in English havent been translated to Spanish yet and im wondering if you guys have any positions for translators. Do you guys pay for transtaltions to begin with? Thanks a lot and have a nice day. Rudy Gonzalez. — Preceding unsigned comment added by RudyGlez (talk • contribs) 20:23, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Sorry, but no. There are no positions. There is no payment. The entire project, in all of its many language versions, is run on a voluntary basis. That is at once both its magnificence and also one of its problems. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 20:28, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

wait, hold on hold on hold on WAIT A MINUTE!! You are saying the ENTIRE Wikipedia, in ALL of its entirety, is run on a voluntary basis??!! 1) That would never, ever work. 2) who's paying for all this then??? Files don't serve themselves, yuo know... --188.29.193.67 (talk) 21:57, 8 July 2011 (UTC)

Yes, it's all voluntary (well, almost). The servers and a small number of salaried technical support staff are maintained by the Wikimedia Foundation, an non-profit organisation that raises funds through donations, like the personal donations it solicits through the 'please donate' advertising every year. It accepts some other forms of charity. I think I've got that right. Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 22:17, 8 July 2011 (UTC)

I think that's right. The Wikimedia Foundation provides the technical and IT support for Wikipedia, but it itself is not Wikipedia. ALL of Wikipedia, 100% of it, is written by volunteers. Even Jimmy Wales, who is credited with creating Wikipedia and, I assume, derives income from Wikipedia-related PR activities, is not paid a red cent when he edits the encyclopedia wearing his volunteer hat as User:Jimbo Wales. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 00:53, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

Sorry, I wish you guys a lot of luck, but that will never work. People just don't work that way - you have to pay to get something of value. 188.29.193.67 (talk) 10:44, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

So, Wikipedia will never work, eh. Hmm. We'd better get the word out to the writers and editors of the close to 4 million articles we have (and that's just in the English language version) that their efforts over the past 9 years have been fruitless and they'd better quit now before Wikipedia grinds to a total halt and disintegrates before their very eyes. And we'd better alert all the users of the site, who have made it the 5th most visited site on the internet, that it's all coming to its inevitable end any day now. Thank God you told us about this, 188.29.193.67, because otherwise nobody would ever have known. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 12:14, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

Next thing 188 will be telling us is that man will never fly, nor can bumblebees. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:16, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

I'd hazard to guess the IP is being sarcastic. Apterygial ^talk 12:19, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

I posted a message on Rudy's talk page, asking him to visit the Spanish Wikipedia. WhisperToMe (talk) 04:23, 12 July 2011 (UTC)

Knockabout

Wiktionary tells me that the adjective "knockabout" means "boisterous". Is that its only meaning? I've often wondered about this. Young Australian adult males who have died suddenly (eg. on active service) are often eulogised as "a knockabout sort of bloke" or similar. The word is often associated with the term "larrikin", but not always. I never quite know what a knockabout person is, but boisterous is not the mental image I have. Fun-loving, definitely; but beyond that, the field's wide open, in my mind. And are women ever described as "knockabout"? -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 21:48, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Define: Knockabout got me a definition which seems to suit your mental image, Jack, but also the title of a comedy martial-arts film from Hong Kong (maybe with a different intended meaning of 'knock-about', as opposed to merely 'boisterous'). Clicking on the 'more' link gives additional definitions, one of which is indeed 'boisterous'. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 22:10, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

EDIT - Actually, after delving a little more, your Wiktionary link gives one citation for the word, used as a description of comedy. My links also use the word in reference to comedy. It seems that that is the most common use of the word, as in 'slap-stick', and that 'boisterous' may only be a subordinate meaning. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 22:25, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

As another Australian, I feel knockabout has only a little to do with boisterous, but more to do with where someone is placed in society, often by choice. A knockabout kind of bloke is not interested in social climbing, often seeking outdoor, labouring type work (that's where boisterous might come in), enjoys a beer, hangs around with similarly inclined mates a lot, and doesn't wory about what others think of him. HiLo48 (talk) 22:27, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

My father (mid-70s, Northern England) just told me his definition is 'someone who is rough and ready, might have a fight, maybe win, maybe lose...,' and he seems to think that fighting is central to the meaning. This ties in with how we used the word 30 years ago, too, now I think of it. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 22:41, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

In my US English dialect, "knockabouts" are clothes you wear to do work or play that would damage good clothing. That's definition 2 here (although I use it as a noun, too, not just an adjective): [1]. However, our Wiktionary entry lacks that meaning. StuRat (talk) 22:44, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

That's sort of connected to my idea of a knockabout male. He's not shabby, but he certainly isn't the type to wear a suit either, except something ill-fitting and off the rack, worn only at a wedding or a funeral. He's casual in his general approach to things, without necessarily being irresponsible about them. He has a few close friends, and enjoys a good time, but is not the life of the party. He's generally seen around, but not heard a great deal. He knows about certain types of "stuff" (wink, nudge). There's something of an air of mystery about him, but he would never be described as "mysterious". Does any of this ring true with others? -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 23:34, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Given that I have been known to do things, and was stabbed in the Bronx, yes? μηδείς (talk) 05:03, 11 July 2011 (UTC)

Is that anywhere near the Gluteus Maximus?  :) -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]}

Well, a Bronx cheer rather resembles a sound originating near there. :-) StuRat (talk) 18:37, 11 July 2011 (UTC)