Search found 379 matches
- Sun Nov 26, 2023 3:45 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: So - what about crypto currencies?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3987
Re: So - what about crypto currencies?
Some people with too much money on their hands want to use their money to speculate. If they do so with things real people may use , like real estate, it can have bad consequences, like making housing unaffordable to normal people. I'd rather let them speculate on something nonexistent like NFTs. Th...
- Sun Nov 26, 2023 3:32 pm
- Forum: Languages
- Topic: Linguistic Miscellany Thread
- Replies: 4725
- Views: 2066681
Re: Linguistic Miscellany Thread
Point taken. But remember, Lindsey is also interested in teaching EFL using SSBE as a model. For EFL learners, it can be confusing to see GOOSE transcribed as /uː/, which in IPA means a back monophthong, when in SSBE this vowel is neither back nor a monophthong. You can't ask beginners to keep two d...
- Sun Nov 26, 2023 3:13 pm
- Forum: Languages
- Topic: Acronyms in non-suffixing languages
- Replies: 34
- Views: 5805
Re: Acronyms in non-suffixing languages
Also in Hebrew, the Tanakh is an acronym of its three parts: Torah (the Law or Teaching), Nevi'im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings).
- Sun Nov 26, 2023 2:47 pm
- Forum: Languages
- Topic: Linguistic Miscellany Thread
- Replies: 4725
- Views: 2066681
Re: Linguistic Miscellany Thread
I think people say modern IPA to mean "Lindsey's transcription of modern British English in IPA", and traditional IPA to mean "the traditional transcription of Received Pronunciation in IPA". Both use the standard IPA.
- Fri Aug 25, 2023 12:12 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Venting thread
- Replies: 1943
- Views: 15030098
Re: Venting thread
Welp... Both my grandmothers died within weeks of each other. This wasn't exactly a surprise: both were over ninety, and had severe health problems. One was such a basket case of medical conditions that doctors were surprised she was even alive. But... it still hurts. Now I have no grandparent left.
- Wed Aug 09, 2023 8:21 am
- Forum: Languages
- Topic: False friends thread
- Replies: 69
- Views: 212832
Re: False friends thread
English pest (animal causing nuisance) and French peste (the plague)
English pestilence (a devastating infectious disease) and French pestilence (foul smell, stench)
English pestilence (a devastating infectious disease) and French pestilence (foul smell, stench)
- Sun Aug 06, 2023 9:07 am
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Random Thread
- Replies: 3735
- Views: 454030
Re: Random Thread
Those who think that nuclear power was the solution to the climate problem miss two things: And those who think solar and wind are the solution miss one thing: both are unreliable. We saw this last winter, when production fell to near-zero because of the weather, precisely when houses needed heatin...
- Sat Aug 05, 2023 7:21 am
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Random Thread
- Replies: 3735
- Views: 454030
Re: Random Thread
I think I have little to add to the conversation, but one of Raphael's questions hasn't been answered. What else renders equally large swaths of land uninhabitable for a human lifetime or longer? Fugu accidents? Rampaging elephants? Sinkholes? Of course fugu and elephants can't make a large swath of...
- Thu Aug 03, 2023 4:40 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: RPG thread
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2619
Re: RPG thread
I'm one of those curmudgeons who insists on 2e. It's interesting, really. I've never played AD&D 2e, since I started with 3rd Edition. From what I've gathered, AD&D 2e had the best campaign settings ever: Spelljammer , Dark Sun , Planescape ; and also some great video games like Baldur's Ga...
- Thu Aug 03, 2023 4:31 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Happy things thread!
- Replies: 1212
- Views: 717226
- Thu Aug 03, 2023 4:25 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Random Thread
- Replies: 3735
- Views: 454030
Re: Random Thread
degree_off_reduced.png XKCD 1520 , edited. Those idiots even gave the new one the same name as one of the old ones! "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death , and Hell followed with him." (Revelation 6:8, KJV) "Now I am become Death , the destroy...
- Mon Jul 17, 2023 4:08 am
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Daily Creativity Thread
- Replies: 146
- Views: 101876
Re: Daily Creativity Thread
That's not all that surprising if you consider that the metric system was introduced by Napoleon, alongside the ten-day week. To be precise, it was introduced during the French revolution. Napoleon himself was quite reluctant to adopt the system, and in fact slowed down its adoption. BTW: It's been...
- Sun Jul 16, 2023 11:38 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: RPG thread
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2619
Re: RPG thread
Your system is based on D&D 5th edition, I presume?
I'm currently GM'ing a scenario in D&D 3.5, still my favorite edition in spite of its balance issues. It takes place in the Forgotten Realms. I may eventually draw elements from Pathfinder, which is almost the same system.
I'm currently GM'ing a scenario in D&D 3.5, still my favorite edition in spite of its balance issues. It takes place in the Forgotten Realms. I may eventually draw elements from Pathfinder, which is almost the same system.
- Sun Jul 16, 2023 11:32 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Daily Creativity Thread
- Replies: 146
- Views: 101876
Re: Daily Creativity Thread
Does non-heroic fantasy use metric? Well... The metric system makes more sense in an urban fantasy setting, since the genre is based on the present. Vampire fiction, or werewolf fiction, or something like Harry Potter . The metric system could also be used for anything futuristic , even with fantas...
- Sun Jul 16, 2023 12:56 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Daily Creativity Thread
- Replies: 146
- Views: 101876
- Sun Jul 16, 2023 8:26 am
- Forum: Conlangery
- Topic: Conworld random thread
- Replies: 309
- Views: 164523
Re: Conworld random thread
I don't see why. In the 70's and 80's, anime were already popular in France, but translators often tried to erase any trace of Japanese-ness, by giving all characters French or English names. By contrast, using a transliteration of the katakana makes everything look more Japanese. This first transla...
- Sun Jul 16, 2023 7:42 am
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Daily Creativity Thread
- Replies: 146
- Views: 101876
Re: Daily Creativity Thread
Well, yes, I know that units of measure varied a lot during the Middle Ages. And, of course, their values didn't neatly convert to metric units The goal is to have a somewhat plausible system while keeping conversions easy.
- Sun Jul 16, 2023 3:13 am
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Daily Creativity Thread
- Replies: 146
- Views: 101876
Re: Daily Creativity Thread
Units for a medieval fantasy world In real life, I am a staunch defender of the metric system. But even I have to admit that it sounds out of place in a heroic fantasy setting. When I'm the GM in a Dungeons & Dragons game, I'm a bit iffy about using metric units, at least when speaking in-chara...
- Fri Jul 14, 2023 3:07 pm
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Happy things thread!
- Replies: 1212
- Views: 717226
Re: Happy things thread!
Is French sometimes sung with alveolar trills (kind of like German stage/singing pronunciation)? (No thanks to you guys, for making me endure the entire bloody song.) I think Mireille Mathieu uses uvular trills, based on sound and tongue position. In this case, it was indeed a common stage pronunci...
- Fri Jul 14, 2023 10:00 am
- Forum: Ephemera
- Topic: Daily Creativity Thread
- Replies: 146
- Views: 101876
Re: Daily Creativity Thread
Cool covers! I'm getting a nice 70's prog rock vibe.