Crow language

I was Googling for an essay I'm planning to write on reduplication in Siouan languages the other day, so I typed in "Crow language". I was somewhat surprised to come across an article on the vocalizations of the American crow as my second hit, so I thought I'd share it. Apparently, 27 different vocalizations have been noted in the scientific literature (with names like "scolding call", "distress call", "courtship vocalizations", and "pre-mortality call"), and many remain undeciphered, so to speak. It would certainly be interesting to get a really good idea of the communication system of an animal as intelligent as the crow; bees are all very well, but perhaps a little too alien to compare sensibly with human language.

I never did find anything very helpful online on the Crow language, but John Boyle's Siouan Languages Bibliography will certainly come in handy, and this sketch of Omaha-Ponca seems good, though of limited use for what I'm researching.

New blogs

Eye Raki
A blog by an Iraqi student in England.

And Safe Iraq

My name is Ayman Murrani I'm 15 Years old ... i live with my family i love dogs alot .. i have 3 dogs and 2 cats ...

He's one of those Iraqi teenages who are full of love to their country.

New; 2
total; 195

AlterNet: War on Iraq: All the 'Good News' From Iraq

For once, the president gave some solid advice on Iraq: If you want to know the truth about the war, read the internet. But the truth isn't as pretty as he hopes.

Read more at www.alternet.org/waroni...

Going to a web page

This blog will continue, but I am making a web page that will be easier to navigate. Click on the title of this post to go to my web page.

Jeremy

First Words

Chikitita is our latest addition to the Iraqi blogosphere. You will enjoy her refreshing perspective. She has hope for those of you who need it once in a while.

Check it out:

First Words, First Walk, First in Iraq.

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New: 1
Total: 193

Generic Dictator Chant

I originally posted this on my Word of the Day blog (which I've been studiously neglecting) but I don't think many peeps hit that site and I wanted to share this with everybody back home.

It's a generic dictator chant!

!(Insert random dictator's name) بالروح بالدم نفديك يا
{biruuh bidim nafdiik Ya (random dictator's name)}

This loosely translates to "With soul, with blood, we sacrifice - Oh (random dictator's name)!

Don't be shy, I know you want put Bush's name in that chant ;)~

The Quran on linguistic diversity

In these times of widespread language extinction and of "religious" tensions, I thought some readers might be interested to hear what the Quran has to say about linguistic diversity. The most important text is, of course, 30:22:

And one of His [God's] signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colors; most surely there are signs in this for the learned.

As the context makes clear, this is part of a more general Qur'anic pattern in which this universe itself - the normal, everyday events that we look at as just the way things are - is identified as a sign from God; the Creator's nature is reflected in His creation. So the thrust of the verse is that linguistic diversity is a part of nature, and as such a part of God's plan for the world.

Another relevant verse, which, in light of 10:47 ("for every nation there is a messenger"), puts the idea that the Quran being written in Arabic makes Arabic the best of all languages into perspective, is 14:4:

And We [God] did not send any messenger but with the language of his people, so that he might explain to them clearly; then God makes whom He pleases err and He guides whom He pleases and He is the Mighty, the Wise.