Curiosities

English, in both its British and American variants, is full of sayings and catchphrases that can seem cryptic to non-native speakers. Sayings are often rooted in a country's culture and linguistics, and understanding them can open up a new window into the mindset and culture of its population. Sometimes, when…

India, with its population exceeding one billion people, boasts a rich heritage of languages, dialects, and cultures. The linguistic composition becomes even more diverse when we consider the entire Indian subcontinent, encompassing countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.Each nation within this subcontinent possesses its…

English is an expressive and versatile language, capable of conveying a wide array of emotions and ideas in just a few words. A single sentence in English can hold power, evoke emotions, inspire, motivate, and provoke deep thoughts. This is exemplified by several short and sweet English sentences that have…

Within the realm of translations, it is far more common than one would imagine to encounter unusual linguistic interpretations that lead to some very funny translations. This often occurs when translating film titles and TV series into Spanish. Particularly when it comes to English source material, there is no shortage…

The linguistic configuration of Germany is very complex, as the country has numerous regional languages with various sub-variants, but also a large number of foreign languages imported by large immigrant communities. What language is spoken in Germany? The most widely spoken (and official) language in Germany is German, the national…

People often think that Chinese and Japanese have a lot in common. However, they are not as similar as you might think. Here are some of the differences and similarities between the two languages, plus some interesting facts to boot. What are the differences between Chinese and Japanese? The first…

French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. As a result, there are several French-speaking countries. Historically linked to France’s colonial expansion, these countries have made  French their own, resulting in numerous localised variants of the language. What does the word ‘Francophonie’ mean? The word ‘Francophonie’…

The difference between German and Austrian is primarily formal. Both are recognised as languages in their own right and have significant phonetic discrepancies. The languages spoken in Austria and Switzerland are based on German. Austrian, German, and Swiss have shared roots.This means that: Austrians and the Swiss can understand Germans…

There is no such thing as a definitive Arabic language. Like many other languages, Arabic is very fragmented from a geographical perspective and has been spoken in several countries for a very long time. This means that it is now possible to identify different forms of Arabic, ranging from classical…

The main differences between Spanish and Catalan are lexical. Still, these two languages have lots in common, so much so that they are often mixed up or considered dialects of each other. So, what is there to know about the historical, geographical, and cultural differences between these two languages? Spanish…

Italy is home to people from all over the world; in some cases, migrants continue to speak their mother tongue. These people create minority languages, which Italy safeguards and protects. What does the term ‘minority language’ mean? The term ‘minority language’ generally refers to a group of people who speak…

A cartella is a unit often used in Italy’s publishing sector to measure the length of a text. Contrary to popular belief, a cartella does not contain a fixed number of words, which can sometimes be confusing. Here is everything you need to know about Italy’s famous “cartella” and its…

These terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference between plurilingualism and multilingualism. These words describe the simultaneous use of several languages by one speaker or a group of speakers, but let’s take a closer look at their specific meanings. The definition of plurilingualism Plurilingualism refers to…

Out-of-office (OOO) messages are handy automated responses. They allow you to keep in touch with customers and provide them with information while you are away. In some situations, you might also need to translate your OOO messages. What are out-of-office messages? You might not know the official term, but you…

The question "is it easier to learn French or Spanish?" can be answered in many ways, but one thing is for sure: the two languages have a lot in common with Italian. What’s more, these three countries have had very close linguistic, political, and trade relations throughout history. Let's take…

There are important differences between American English and Canadian English. Canadian English is much more similar to British English, whereas American English, both written and spoken, is further removed from that of the motherland. Find out how. American English: the features American English generally opts for simplified spelling. For instance,…

The difference between polysemic and homonymous words is important, if very subtle in formal terms. Indeed, both refer to identical words that can have different meanings depending on the context in which they are used. What are polysemic words? Polysemic words can be defined as words which, depending on the…

Simplified Chinese characters have been used for several decades to write Chinese Mandarin. Originally designed to make the reading process quicker and easier, these days people can’t imagine life without them. What is "Simplified Chinese" The concept of Simplified Chinese has nothing to do with simplifying grammar or syntax. Whether…

Christmas is celebrated all over the world. As such, there are hundreds of ways to express Christmas greetings in many different languages. Some of them are famous, while others are almost entirely unknown to Italian speakers! If you’d like to know how to say Merry Christmas in a different language…

This year, we’ve decided to do something a little different at Eurotrad to celebrate the festive period. We have decided to donate to L’Africa Chiama, which is based in the Marche region of Italy. The charity helps over 21,000 children and young people in serious difficulty every single day in…

Rare languages are defined as languages with very few speakers. Rare languages tend to be most common in geographical areas that are isolated from the rest of the world. Rare languages are by no means dead languages (like Latin) but they are in danger of becoming extinct. In fact, rare…

International Translation Day has been celebrated for thirty years and serves to emphasise the important role played by translators and interpreters throughout human history. Let’s find out why World Translation Day is celebrated on 30 September each year and what events are scheduled for 2021. Why is International Translation Day…

Spanglish is a linguistic phenomenon spoken by millions of people around the world. It is mainly found in the Southern United States, and over the years, it has come to acquire truly remarkable cultural significance. Spanglish: what it is and where it is spoken Spanglish is a hybrid language, resulting…

These days, the Internet plays a vital role in our everyday lives. We use Internet networks to send enormous quantities of data from one part of the world to another in the blink of an eye, and many modern activities rely on this exchange of information. The Internet has taken…

Lots of students want a career in languages, and the field offers several professional and personal opportunities. Whether you’re about to start your degree or have just graduated, you’re probably asking yourself: what job can I get with a language degree? Modern language job opportunities Knowledge of a foreign language…

Just like any other language, English has several sub-languages, each of which is used for a specific purpose. It’s no wonder that business English has gained considerable importance and linguistic autonomy, especially given that English has been the global language for business and finance for centuries. What do we mean…

The English language makes frequent use of puns, which are heavily relied on in literature and advertising. As such, it is no coincidence that English puns are some of the best known outside the United Kingdom, thanks in part to the widespread diffusion of English around the globe. That being…

The differences between Spanish and Portuguese may seem obvious to an untrained ear, but there are plenty of important phonetic, graphic and grammatical differences, too, even though both are romance languages with Latin roots. But where do these differences come from and why have similar languages spoken in two neighbouring…

Studying a language at school or university is essential if you want to become a professional translator. It is important to carefully consider which language(s) you wish to study and to do your research. The reasons for choosing one language over another mainly come down to their frequency of use…

Creole and pidgin are mixtures of two different languages. This kind of fusion occurs when people speaking different languages come into contact for a short or long time, establishing trade, social and political relations. Unfortunately, these ‘service’ languages were once considered unworthy of linguistic studies, and academics often believed them…

Italian is a modern Romance language with close ties to Latin. Thanks to its origins and unique features, it is also one of the more difficult languages to study. Saying that, Italian is spoken by many people around the world, some of whom live far from the national borders. But…

What are the best languages to study? This is a question that all language students, aspiring interpreters, and translators ask themselves at the beginning of their academic careers. Unfortunately, there is no right answer, as languages become more or less useful depending on the historical, political, and economic climate. The…

According to urban legend, the Inuit communities use several different words to describe the concept of snow. Some sources claim there are 21 different ways to say snow in the Inuit languages, while others believe the number is closer to 50 or 100. But who to believe? Here’s everything you…

To measure the success of a book, and a novel, in particular, you need to calculate the number of copies sold in the author’s home country, the number of copies sold abroad, and the number of languages into which the book has been translated. The most translated Italian writers: from…

We’re living in an age of major scientific and technological development, which has brought about profound and rapid changes to our society. Despite this development, in the past few years there has been an increase in the circulation of anti-science conspiracy theories, with anti-vax movements and flat earth theories receiving…

Virtual meetings have become a regular feature of working life during the Coronavirus pandemic. Working online has completely changed the way colleagues and participants in business meetings, conferences, and negotiations interact with each other. There are some basic rules for ensuring that online meetings run efficiently. These rules apply in…

Although American English originally developed from British English, over time it has evolved into its own language with unique characteristics. It’s also worth remembering that spoken languages are like living organisms and can often evolve and depart significantly from the original language. As such, American English has developed some phonetic…

Exactly like all other practical and theorical practices, translation is continuously evolving. With the technological progress made by humankind over the last few years, the translation techniques used have also changed drastically, to such an extent that today, one of the last frontiers of translation, known as respeaking, is closely…

The year 2020 forced citizens and workers worldwide to drastically change their habits. Since face-to-face activities were severely limited to keep contagion from Coronavirus under control, many professions have had to grapple with the need to exploit and maximise the potentials offered by the digital sphere. The interpreter’s job in…

Ecolinguistics is a recent branch of linguistics. Developed in the 1990s, it attempts to establish a link between the language used by a community and the (natural and cultural) ecosystem within which said community lives and thrives. The various aspects of ecolinguistics differ greatly from one another, but all possess…

Is bilingualism in children a hot topic at the moment? Oh absolutely, but it’s by no means a new concept in the history of the world, Italy included. Up until a few decades ago, almost all Italian citizens were bilingual. In fact, Italian was an ‘extra’ language taught at school…

The rarest language in the world is only spoken by five people. You might consider this a tragedy, but linguistic experts are all too aware that there is absolutely nothing exceptional about the death of a language. In fact, languages and dialects disappear all the time, and it’s a phenomenon…

Translating songs might not seem all that different from translating poetry, or any other specialized translation. In both cases, translators need to respect the meaning, metrics and musicality of the text while reshaping it another language. That being said, it is very important to understand the difference between a poem…

Although we’re inclined to believe that Christmas traditions around the globe are similar, many differences exist between the Christmas traditions around the world. The features we have in common are of course religious celebrations at midnight (or midnight mass), visits from Santa Claus and his reindeer, exchanging gifts and family…

Slang is mainly used in spoken language, and in daily informal situations. It has developed in the USA through the continuous transformation of American English in common use. Slang was originally used in spoken language, but over time (and with the increasing popularity of instant messaging) it has spread into…

Translating a novel is often the ultimate dream of young hopefuls looking to become professional translators one day. In fact, literary translation is often what gives translators the most satisfaction, allowing them to become something near to full-blown authors. Translating fiction involves creating a text that’s a work of genius…

Are some languages easier or more difficult to learn than others? Yes, and no. As such, no languages are equally easy or difficult to learn for everyone. Instead, it’s better to talk about close and distant languages. The “closeness” of two languages makes learning them easier.

The Braille alphabet is a written communication tool that has allowed millions of visually impaired people to communicate with the same efficacy as the normally sighted.

Neologisms, by definition, are new words that permanently enter spoken language. Many of the new words invented each year don’t stand the test of time, and are perhaps best described as fads that fail to root themselves permanently in spoken language.

Japanese ideograms belong to a writing system that is entirely different from the alphabetic one used by almost all other languages around the world. Given its distance from western languages, translating Japanese is one of the most complex (and therefore expensive) tasks you can ask a professional translator to undertake.

A child’s first words are a real milestone for the rest of the family. Unfortunately, however, there are a few widely held beliefs about language development that have no basis in fact.

How many difficult words are there in the world? And which language contains the most unpronounceable words? In reality, these are not questions that can be answered objectively, since, as linguists will know, a language’s difficulty is entirely subjective.

Words are fun when they sound ridiculous or force speakers to attempt amusing pronunciation. The Italian language has several funny words, but there are numerous memorable cases in other languages, too.

Translating Harry Potter is just about as difficult as literary translation gets, not only due to the book and film series’ global success, but also to the fact that the character names were translated differently, causing confusion among readers, along with a lot of criticism.

Dreaming in different languages is perfectly normal. There are many reasons why someone might dream in different languages and there are various theories about what it all means: read on to find out more.

The most studied languages in the world are not necessarily the most spoken languages in the world. Italians were recently shocked to find out that their mother tongue is the fourth most studied language in the world, despite its apparent complexity.

Which languages are the most sought-after in the world of work? Is it even possible to rank them? Perhaps it would be best to focus on specific industries? You might be unsurprised to learn that the latter approach makes more sense, despite the same few languages topping the rankings, regardless of sector.

Learning languages is never easy, especially if you want to become fluent. However, it’s widely believed that some languages are harder to learn than others.

What are false friends? They are essentially tricky words or phrases that you need to look out for when translating from English into another language. Below are some English words that may deceive you due to their resemblance to Italian words. But watch out, they have very different meanings!

How does we determine whether or not a word is ‘beautiful’? In reality, there is no set way to do so, instead, we rely on a sort of ‘feeling’ that certain words are able to encapsulate concepts with precision or a pleasing sound.

Most translators will be aware that certain cultures can be particularly sensitive to specific concepts, perceiving them in entirely unique ways. Often, this ‘sensitivity’ to specific items, emotions or situations is encapsulated in a word.

While some languages are continuing to gain new speakers, others seem destined for oblivion. In most cases, the latter includes ancient languages spoken by very small and isolated communities, whose inhabitants are progressively diminishing in number or are forgetting their population’s ancient cultural traditions.

Transcreation is a real art, and those tasked with transcreation must ensure that the translated advertising slogan is just as effective in one language as another, while also maintaining the same rhythmic and linguistic features as the original slogan. Let’s take a look at a few of the most famous examples.

The title of a film is its primary selling point. The cast, director and plot are key to longer-term box office success, but it’s usually the title of a film that’s meant to attract viewers.

What are the most translated websites in the world? You may be surprised to hear that the most translated website in the world is not Wikipedia or Google. At the top of this list is a website belonging to an international organisation that has made great strides in online communication .

If we were to ask you what the most translated book in the world might be, you’d likely get it right: The Bible. This ancient text, together with the Quran, is one of the most translated books in the history of humanity.

Translating adverts is a very delicate task, primarily due to the cultural implications that need to be considered in order to avoid producing a disastrous translation that could have a very negative impact on a brand’s overall image.

Sayings – or idiomatic expressions as they’re sometimes called – can be both a blessing and a curse for translators. In fact, the metaphorical meaning of an idiomatic expression often doesn’t correspond to its literal meaning, which is precisely where its suggestive power tends to lie.

Translation errors on restaurant menus are par for the course, just like parmesan on macaroni pasta with tomato sauce (or ‘macarons to the sauce of tomato,’ of course).

Are you wondering why your Turkish contact arrived half an hour late to a company meeting? Do you have a left-handed colleague who was sent by the company to negotiate with an Arab business partner, resulting in disaster?

What are some of the most commonly spoken languages in the world and which are the most important? The answers are complex, especially from a translator's point of view!