Linguists often estimate there to be between 170,000 commonly used words and 1 million as answers to the question “how many words are in the English language?” The English language, an expansive behemoth of communication, has long held linguists and wordsmiths spellbound. As it continues to change over time, one fundamental question arises: just how … Read more
In Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French, there are two verbs that mean “to know.” These verbs are: “saber” and “conocer” in Spanish, “saber” and “conhecer” in Portuguese, “sapere” and “conoscere” in Italian, and “savoir” and “connaître” in French. Spanish saber conocer Portuguese saber conhecer Italian sapere conoscere French savoir connaître Ah, two ever-confusing sets of … Read more
Sign language is not universal. In fact, there are hundreds of different sign languages used around the world, each with its own unique grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. This means that a Deaf person from one country may not be able to understand the sign language used in another country, even if they speak the same … Read more
Have you ever noticed how some common words sound strikingly similar across European Romance languages, yet begin with different letters? There are many words that begin with “h” in Spanish and correspond to words that begin with “f” in Portuguese, Italian, French, and Latin. In this article, we discuss the fascinating history behind this phonetic … Read more
Asking questions is an important part of any conversation, regardless of the language. Questions can help you learn more about a topic, understand someone’s speech, or find out more information. Asking questions in a foreign language can be intimidating, but it is a great way to practice the language. Let’s look at some useful vocabulary … Read more
