Below are the 10 most recent journal entries recorded in Linguaphiles' LiveJournal:

Saturday, January 4th, 2014
5:47 am	Translation: Help with an expression in Japanese http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5977399.html I'm translating some manga for someone, and I'm confused by an expression that a character uses. Here's the conversation leading up to and including the expression. Kairi: No, it's all right. I never told Sagiri when I was coming. Gremio: Oh, really? Young Master was saying, "Kairi's coming over today, so I'll be back soon." Kairi: Ehh!? Gremio: He hasn't changed. 昔からこういうカンは良い方でしたが I know that the first part means, in this context, "always" as in "He's always been..." (lit. "from a long time ago") こういう means "this kind of," but here's where it gets confusing. カン is written in katakana, and those two characters can mean so many different things. The ones that make the most sense in context are 間 (interval) or 感 (feeling). Then, to complicate matters, I'm not sure if 方 is supposed to be pronounced to mean "direction" or "person." Now do you see why I'm finding this difficult? It seems really ambiguous. I'm probably just going to have to guess on this one. It's not like I'm getting paid or anything. But my sense of pride as a (non-professional) translator means I have to try. EDIT: Solved! I had overlooked the fact that 感 can also be translated as "intuition." So he's saying, "He was always good at sensing things like that."
Friday, January 3rd, 2014
9:47 am	Czech diminutives? http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5977309.html Okay, so I'm writing a story, and my (female) character calls my (male) character "vampire" (he is literally a vampire, it's not a figurative use) as a term of endearment. It's inserted into an English sentence (she says, "I know, [correct form of the word "vampire" in Czech]."). It seems like I should use upír + diminutive? But I don't speak Czech, so I have no idea if that's right or, indeed, how to form the diminutive. Any thoughts?
Tuesday, December 31st, 2013
11:41 pm	Russian audiobooks (e.g. Harry Potter) http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5976894.html Hey everyone, I'm looking for the Russian audiobook of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." The problem is, I don't have a creditcard or paypal, so I'd need to find someplace that will accept payment by bank transfer. I'm based in Brussels, Belgium, in case that's relevant. Happy New Year! ETA: Other Russian audiobooks would be great, too.
Monday, December 30th, 2013
3:09 pm	http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5976741.html Can anyone recommend me a good textbook, grammar, or dictionary for medieval French?
Sunday, December 29th, 2013
7:21 pm	Please help get rid of three "look"s in a passage http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5976220.html Please, can anyone suggest how to modify the fragment below to avoid using derivatives of the verb to LOOK three times: "Many of us, the young nuns, when first introduced to the abbess, dreaded talking with her. But this sense of fear melted away as she LOOKED at you tenderly and lovingly. I learned very quickly that she wore chains, although you would have never guessed LOOKING at her robe, which LOOKED nearly elegant due to its immaculate cleanliness”. Thanks a lot in advance!
Monday, December 30th, 2013
12:45 am	Deutsch question http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5976471.html What does the German expression "zwischen den Jahren" mean? I know it literally means "between the years," but is it an idiom for something? Danke.
Sunday, December 29th, 2013
1:05 pm	http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5976046.html I've been involved in a discussion about the use of the familiar you (in languages that have a familiar and formal version). In English, that used to be "thou" and "thee," in French, Spanish, etc., "tu," and in German "du." Of course in everyday use the familiar is for those close to you or younger, while the formal "vous" etc. is for strangers, elders, and others you must address with respect. However, the familiar in modern English is mainly known to most of us from the Lord's Prayer, and I see that in many other languages the familiar form is also used in that prayer. I thought I remembered that in French, the familiar "tu" is used to address God and would be used to address royalty, if there still were French royalty. Does anyone know how this special use of the familiar came about? Is it true in other languages besides French, and was it true in Latin?
Thursday, December 26th, 2013
12:17 am	French recs for novels/poetry/plays/movies/music etc. http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5975438.html Hi linguaphilies, I just started studying French. However, studying from books and courses have never been the best method of study for me because I've always been the type to immerse myself in the culture of the language I'm studying and to hear it everyday. What movies, novels, plays, poetry, or music would you recommend? Genre doesn't really matter, I'm not picky, and I really like to read. Any tips on studying the grammar & vocabulary are much appreciated. Thank you!
1:56 am	language exchange site http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5975706.html Can anyone recommend a language-exchange site based on personal experience? I'm at my wit's end trying to find a tutor/language buddy for Hebrew and/or eastern Arabic, but the city I live in isn't exactly the picture of diversity. Something Skype-based would be great, with as much personal interaction as possible. If there are sites geared toward serious language learners, this would also be a plus. Any ideas?
Sunday, December 22nd, 2013
7:14 pm	Modern Greek: music/book/movie recs http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5975111.html Hey everyone, I've recently started studying Greek (the modern language, that is). In order to stay motivated, I want to learn more about modern Greek culture. What Greek music, novels or films would you recommend? It doesn't matter what genre it is, or even if it's too difficult for me at this stage. It'll be something to look forward to. :-) Also, I'm using Assimil, so if anyone here has any experience with whether or not Greek Assimil actually does take you to B2, I'd love to hear it. The same goes for any Greek-specific tips on studying vocabulary/grammar. Thanks!