Languages, VIL-ZUK
Language, a system of conventional spoken, manual, or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release.
Languages Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Villegas, Esteban Manuel de
Esteban Manuel de Villegas was a Spanish lyric poet who achieved great popularity with an early book of poems,......
Visscher, Anna
Anna Visscher was a Dutch poet and daughter of the Renaissance man of letters Roemer Visscher. She was admired......
Vittorini, Elio
Elio Vittorini was a novelist, translator, and literary critic, the author of outstanding novels of Italian Neorealism......
vocabulary
vocabulary, inventory of words used by a particular person or group or the words in a particular language or field......
vocal fry
vocal fry, in phonetics, a speech sound or quality used in some languages, produced by vibrating vocal cords that......
voice
voice, in phonetics, the sound that is produced by the vibration of the vocal cords. All vowels are normally voiced,......
Voice
Voice, in grammar, form of a verb indicating the relation between the participants in a narrated event (subject,......
VolapĂŒk
VolapĂŒk, artificial language constructed in 1880 by Johann Martin Schleyer, a German cleric, and intended for use......
Volscian language
Volscian language, an Italic language or dialect, closely related to Umbrian and Oscan and more distantly related......
Vondel, Joost van den
Joost van den Vondel was a Dutch poet and dramatist who produced some of the greatest works of Dutch literature.......
Voss, Johann Heinrich
Johann Heinrich Voss was a German poet remembered chiefly for his translations of Homer. Voss was the son of a......
Votic language
Votic language, member of the Finno-Ugric group of the Uralic language family, very nearly extinct. The few remaining......
vowel
vowel, in human speech, sound in which the flow of air from the lungs passes through the mouth, which functions......
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin, spoken form of non-Classical Latin from which originated the Romance group of languages. Later Latin......
Wackernagel, Jacob
Jacob Wackernagel was a Swiss historical and comparative linguist, author of a monumental study of Sanskrit. He......
Wade, Sir Thomas Francis
Sir Thomas Francis Wade was a British diplomatist and Sinologist who developed the famous Wade-Giles system of......
Wade-Giles romanization
Wade-Giles romanization, system of romanizing the modern Chinese written language, originally devised to simplify......
Waley, Arthur David
Arthur David Waley was an English sinologist whose outstanding translations of Chinese and Japanese literary classics......
Warner, Rex
Rex Warner was a British novelist, Greek scholar, poet, translator, and critic who in his fictional work warnedâin......
Warner, Sylvia Townsend
Sylvia Townsend Warner was an English writer who began her self-proclaimed âaccidental careerâ as a poet after......
Welsh language
Welsh language, member of the Brythonic group of the Celtic languages, spoken in Wales. Modern Welsh, like English,......
West Germanic languages
West Germanic languages, group of Germanic languages that developed in the region of the North Sea, Rhine-Weser,......
Westermann, Diedrich
Diedrich Westermann was a German scholar of African languages and culture who refined and extended the work of......
Weymouth, Richard Francis
Richard Francis Weymouth was a philologist and biblical scholar who made one of the major 20th-century translations......
What Did Shakespeare Sound Like?
Of course, since there was no recording technology in Shakespeareâs time, we can never really know what the bard......
What is a group of cows called?
A group of cows is called a herd. This is the standard term used universally in both common speech and scientific......
What Is a Quid Pro Quo (and Is It Always Bad)?
The answer is pretty straightforward. A quid pro quo is an exchange of goods or services for, well, other goods......
What language did Jesus speak?
It is widely agreed among historians that Jesus primarily spoke Aramaic, the common language of Palestine and Syria.......
What language did the Romans speak?
The Roman Empire is closely associated with the Latin language, but the actual linguistic situation in the empire......
What was the importance of literacy and learning to Alfredâs rule?
Alfredâs avid dedication to learning defined the years of his reign as king of Wessex following his victory at......
Whatâs a Hoosier?
People from certain U.S. states go by unusual namesâConnecticuter, Michigander, Utahn, to name a fewâbut Hoosiers......
Where Did the -stan Country Name Suffix Come From?
Some countries in southern and central Asia and some of Russiaâs republics have names that end in the suffix -stan.......
Where Does the Name Europe Come From?
Europe existed as a conceptual construct long before geographers began arguing whether there are seven continents......
Which African countries speak English as an official language?
In Africa, English is an official language in many countries that were colonized by Great Britain and even in some......
Which African countries speak French as an official language?
In Africa, French is an official language in many countries that were colonized by France or Belgium as well as......
Which African Countries Speak Spanish?
In Africa, Spanish is widely spoken in areas of the continent that were colonized by Spainâthe country of Equatorial......
whisper
whisper, speech in which the vocal cords are held rigid, preventing the vibration that produces normal sounds.......
Whiting, John Robert
John Robert Whiting was a playwright whose intellectually demanding dramas avoided the audience-pleasing formulas......
Whitney, William Dwight
William Dwight Whitney was an American linguist and one of the foremost Sanskrit scholars of his time, noted especially......
Whorf, Benjamin Lee
Benjamin Lee Whorf was a U.S. linguist noted for his hypotheses regarding the relation of language to thinking......
Why do Filipinos have Spanish last names?
Filipinos commonly bear Spanish surnames as a result of a colonial administrative reform introduced in 1849, when......
Why Do Languages Die?
How would it feel to be the last person on Earth who speaks your language? For those of us whose native languages......
Why Does Your Voice Change as You Age?
Your voice changes as you become an adult and may change even further as you age. The pitch of a personâs voice......
Why Is Alaska Called the Last Frontier?
The state of Alaska is known as the Last Frontier because it contains vast stretches of undeveloped land and copious......
Why Is Boston Called âBeantownâ?
The origin story for Bostonâs flavorful nickname is in some ways as old as the city itself. Founded by Puritans......
Why is California called the Golden State?
California is called the âGolden Stateâ primarily because of its historical association with the California Gold......
Why is Charlotte, North Carolina, called the Queen City?
Charlotte, North Carolina, is called the Queen City because it was named for Queen Charlotte, the wife of King......
Why is Chicago called the "Second City"?
Chicago is called the âSecond Cityâ due to a combination of historical and cultural factors, primarily stemming......
Why is Chicago called the Windy City?
While the wind might blow off Lake Michigan, the nickname âWindy Cityâ is rooted in Chicagoâs reputation for verbose......
Why Is Coffee Called a Cup of Joe?
It is difficult to pin down when the word joe came to mean coffee or when the phrase cup of joe came into use.......
Why is Connecticut called the Constitution State?
The nickname Constitution State refers to Connecticutâs adoption of the Fundamental Orders in 1638, a pioneering......
Why Is Kim Such a Common Surname in Korea?
About 20 percent of South Koreaâs population of 49.3 million (2015 est.) has the family name Kim. Thatâs about......
Why is Los Angeles called the City of Angels?
Los Angeles is called the âCity of Angelsâ because the literal meaning of its name in Spanish is âThe Angels.â......
Why Is Missouri Called the Show Me State?
Missouri has long been known as the Show Me state, but the origins of that nickname arenât entirely clear. Perhaps......
Why is New Jersey known as the Garden State?
New Jersey became known as the Garden State in the 18th century because of its fertile land and agricultural productivity.......
Why is New York called the Empire State?
New York is called the âEmpire Stateâ due to its historical significance, economic power, and cultural influence.......
Why is Oklahoma called the Sooner State?
Oklahoma earned its âSooner Stateâ nickname from settlers who jumped the gunâliterallyâduring the Land Rush of......
Why is Paris called the City of Light?
There are a number of different explanations for Paris being called the âCity of Lightâ (âla Ville LumiĂšreâ). One......
Why is Pennsylvania called the Keystone State?
Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State because of its central location among the original 13 American colonies......
Why is Philadelphia called the City of Brotherly Love?
Philadelphia is called the âCity of Brotherly Loveâ because its name is derived from the Greek words philia, meaning......
Why is pounds abbreviated to lbs?
The abbreviation âlbsâ for the unit of weight pounds comes from the Roman term libra. The word libra means âscalesâ......
Why is Seattle called the Emerald City?
Seattle is called the Emerald City because of its abundant parks and greenbelts, which give it a vibrant, lush......
Why is Tennessee called the Volunteer State?
Tennessee earned the nickname the âVolunteer Stateâ due to its residentsâ remarkable willingness to serve in the......
Why is Texas called the Lone Star State?
Texas is called the Lone Star State because of its historical association with the single star on its flag. This......
Why is Utah called the Beehive State?
Utahâs moniker of the âBeehive Stateâ comes from the reputation bees have for industriousness, a value that is......
Why New York Is Called "The Big Apple" and How 8 Other Famous Cities Got Their Nicknames
Many cities are known by nicknames. But why? Hereâs how nine of the worldâs most famous cities earned their iconic......
Wieland, Christoph Martin
Christoph Martin Wieland was a poet and man of letters of the German Rococo period whose work spans the major trends......
Wilbur, Richard
Richard Wilbur was an American poet associated with the New Formalist movement. Wilbur was educated at Amherst......
Willems, Jan Frans
Jan Frans Willems was a Flemish poet, playwright, essayist, known as the "Father of the Flemish Movement," and......
William of Moerbeke
William of Moerbeke was a Flemish cleric, archbishop, and classical scholar whose Latin translations of the works......
Wittlin, JĂłzef
JĂłzef Wittlin was a Polish novelist, essayist, and poet, an Expressionist noted for his humanist views. Having......
Wolf, Friedrich August
Friedrich August Wolf was a German classical scholar who is considered the founder of modern philology but is best......
Wolof language
Wolof language, an Atlantic language of the Niger-Congo language family genetically related to Fula and Serer.......
Woolsey, Sarah Chauncey
Sarah Chauncey Woolsey was an American childrenâs author whose vivacious and mischievous heroines presented a popular......
Wright, James
James Wright was an American poet of the postmodern era who wrote about sorrow, salvation, and self-revelation,......
writing
writing, form of human communication by means of a set of visible marks that are related, by convention, to some......
Wu language
Wu language, variety of Chinese dialects spoken in Shanghai, in southeastern Jiangsu province, and in Zhejiang......
Wynne, Ellis
Ellis Wynne was a clergyman and author whose Gweledigaetheu y Bardd Cwsc (1703; âVisions of the Sleeping Bardâ)......
Xhosa language
Xhosa language, a Bantu language spoken by seven million people in South Africa, especially in Eastern province.......
Xia Yan
Xia Yan was a Chinese writer, journalist, and playwright known for his leftist plays and films. Xia was sent to......
Xiang language
Xiang language, Chinese language that is spoken in Hunan province. The two major varieties of Xiang are New Xiang......
Xinkan languages
Xinkan languages, a small family of four languages from southeastern Guatemala: Chiquimulilla Xinka, GuazacapĂĄn......
Xu Guangqi
Xu Guangqi was an official of the Ming dynasty (1368â1644), and the most influential Chinese convert to Christianity......
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a Buddhist monk and Chinese pilgrim to India who translated the sacred scriptures of Buddhism from......
Yan Fu
Yan Fu was a Chinese scholar who translated into Chinese works by T.H. Huxley, John Stuart Mill, Herbert Spencer,......
Yao, Andrew Chi-Chih
Andrew Chi-Chih Yao is a Chinese American computer scientist and winner of the 2000 A.M. Turing Award, the highest......
Yardley, Herbert Osborne
Herbert Osborne Yardley was an American cryptographer who organized and directed the U.S. governmentâs first formal......
Yeniseian languages
Yeniseian languages, small group of languages generally classified among the Paleo-Siberian languages. That category......
Yiddish language
Yiddish language, one of the many Germanic languages that form a branch of the Indo-European language family. Yiddish......
Yoruba language
Yoruba language, one of a small group of languages that comprise the Yoruboid cluster of the Defoid subbranch of......
Yucatec language
Yucatec language, American Indian language of the Mayan family, spoken in the YucatĂĄn Peninsula, including not......
Yukaghir language
Yukaghir language, language spoken by not more than a few hundred persons in the Kolyma River region of Sakha (Yakutiya)......
Yupik language
Yupik language, the western division of the Eskimo languages, spoken in southwestern Alaska and in...
ZamakhsharÄ«, Abu al-QÄsim Maáž„mĆ«d ibn ÊżUmar al-
Abu al-QÄsim Maáž„mĆ«d ibn ÊżUmar al-ZamakhsharÄ« was a Persian-born Arabic scholar whose chief work is Al-KashshÄf......
Zamenhof, L.L.
L.L. Zamenhof was a Polish physician and oculist who created the most important of the international artificial......
Zhou Zuoren
Zhou Zuoren was a Chinese essayist, critic, and literary scholar who translated fiction and myths from many languages......
Zhuang language
Zhuang language, language spoken by the Zhuang people, an official minority group of southern China, mostly in......
Zhukovsky, Vasily Andreyevich
Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky was a Russian poet and translator, one of Aleksandr Pushkinâs most important precursors......
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe, landlocked country of southern Africa. It shares a 125-mile (200-kilometre) border on the south with......
Zukofsky, Louis
Louis Zukofsky was an American poet, the founder of Objectivist poetry and author of the massive poem âA.â The......