Introduction: Benjamin / SomewhatGeekyPolyglot / SGP

Hi everyone, hola, hamjambo, and konnichi wa.

My name is Benjamin, a native of German.

I speak some other languages as well.

The meaning of the nickname "SGP" is SomewhatGeekyPolyglot,

because that describes myself rather well, I'd say .

In order not to cause even the slightest wrong impression, there is also something I would like to add. While I do know the languages on my learning list (at their specific degree), I only (literally) speak some of them. There are others, too, that I simply could use for listening/writing/reading for now. So when I mentioned any degree, it usually is the average of these four abilities combined.

Also, there are some additional languages that I am learning (but currently not spending too much time on them). As long as they are below the A1 beginner's level even when it comes to reading/listening, I wouldn't include them in the list. Although whoever is interested in knowing them could ask.

Welcome SGP - it's great to have you here! I look forward to your Somewhat Geeky Polyglot insight.

Welcome! I just learned a new word in English thanks to you. Polyglot:grin:

Hi SGP! Welcome to our circle!  

Hola Benjamin, wish I could say my listed languages were A1 level , but sadly I have too many other persuits to fit in. Nice to have a new face around here, Willkommen zu language tools ::presents the full extent of her German speaking ability:: :grin:

Thank you for the welcome Leo, Ari, Charlyn and Jade.

Ari wrote:

Welcome! I just learned a new word in English thanks to you. Polyglot:grin:

Well, I'd say one new word isn't a big deal.

But glad that you learned something new, even if it was just a little bit. This word itself is an example of polyglottery open to everyone.

Because it exists in several other tongues, too. 

So knowing it in one of them (like English) could even make a small contribution to one's overall learning process. If I was speaking to someone in my (beginner's) Italian, I possibly would drop this English word in an Italiano sentence. Chances are that it still will be understood, because those two (EN, IT) don't differ too much here.

For those of us unfamiliar with this expression: why did I say "tongue" and not "language"? Because both terms mean the same :).

More than one of them uses this body part as a metaphor.

One of the older examples would be Latin. "Lingua latina" means: "The Latin tongue".

A bit too much background information? Yes, maybe. It's just that while I do not intend to write something like this too often, I still might do it in some cases. Everyone of course can decide for or against reading it, no hard feelings or anything.

And one more thing: the "-glot" part of "polyglot" also is related to the very same metaphor.

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

Hola Benjamin, wish I could say my listed languages were A1 level , but sadly I have too many other persuits to fit in.

Too many other things to do? I can relate. Some people would mainly use languages as tools for communication. Others could be more interested in the theoretical aspects. As for me, I belong to the first "group". So while I really do like learning languages (understatement?), it isn't really the Top Most Important part of my life either.

leosmith wrote:

Welcome SGP - it's great to have you here! I look forward to your Somewhat Geeky Polyglot insight.
:grin:

You know, when I meet someone whom I already have met before, I often could be happy because of that. And this is the case right now, too. Because (not informing you, but others :grin:) we already had a bit of language-related online contact before. 

And as for "insights", well, I think I know what you mean, didn't overlook the smiley either. Just wanted to side-note that I do not perceive myself as a teacher or anything, but maybe as one out of many who could be part of a mutual contribution interchange.

Welcome Benjamin, maybe you could be Leo's ANGRY GIRL 

Oghenekevwe wrote:

Welcome Benjamin, maybe you could be Leo's ANGRY GIRL:laughing:

T'ank you for di welcome Oghenekevwe.

Before writing anyting more, I ges would wan fi tell ya why I sometimes would be writing dat weh. There be a strong African influence on bot' of mi personality and mi weh of speaking English.

Sometimes I even be tokin' to native Jaman (German) speakers using mi African/Caribbean mix. I don't tell you story. I be tokin' to dem inna di same manner I be writing dis post, too. And because I know that not everyone would always understand mi very motivashon if I wouldn't tell dem, I just told you and others rite now. 

Now I'd like to aks you someting. Was I able to convey mi motivashon for writing dat weh? Because usually, people with an, esample, African background did understand it (or even appreciate it) when tokin' to dem face to face. But because we are on di Internet rite now, I ges would wan fi mek sure.

(For some others: Yes, it really would be "aks" in this case, A-K-S. :smile:)

As for dat "angry girl" report, I already read it a long time ago. Also, I do know that you be jokin' rite now. But still, there be more differences between me and her than just something biological. I am also tinking about several personal details (as mentioned by Leo), and those two (me and her) are way too different. 

But on di other hand, because I am someone who really is into All T'ings Communicashon (especially the non-theoretical aspects), I am still wondering whether she will read it any day. I nah be tinking 'bout it as someone who is nosey. However, I be doing some reflections on many matters related to communicashon, interactions between humans and so on. And da's why I even would be tinking 'bout topics like dat one ("angry girl") sometimes .

Welcome to the community SGP! Nice to have you here. I'm foreseeing interesting discussions with you around with all your geekiness as a polyglot. :blush:

edz.conde wrote:

Welcome to the community SGP! Nice to have you here. I'm foreseeing interesting discussions with you around with all your geekiness as a polyglot. :blush:

edz.conde, thank you for the welcome.

And do you know why the nickname starts with "Somewhat Geeky", rather than "Geek"? Because "somewhat" and "-y" are needed to express this description: "less than half of a geek, but still above zero" . Really. 

As for the reason of this geekiness, it simply is about the brain's neurons. Some of them are slightly differently wired, just as those of maybe 5% to 10% of the population. Not at all ashamed to "admit" it, just as someone with the "very typical neuronal wiring" wouldn't be ashamed of it either.

And yes, I hope that there also will be some more interesting discussions in the future about a certain topic which captures the interest of all of us. For those who really wouldn't know what that might be (seriously?!), well, it is about words, phrases, grammar and related matters. Some people also simply call it languages.

SGP wrote:

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

Hola Benjamin, wish I could say my listed languages were A1 level , but sadly I have too many other persuits to fit in.

Too many other things to do? I can relate. Some people would mainly use languages as tools for communication. Others could be more interested in the theoretical aspects. As for me, I belong to the first "group". So while I really do like learning languages (understatement?), it isn't really the Top Most Important part of my life either.

Maybe that sounded odd, but I live off grid and there's always work to be done, add to that I am a singer songwriter , saxophonist costune designer, full time online article writer and part time English teacher and the hours disappear! At the moment I am learning Spanish for communication. I understand you perfectly my favourite nights here are when we have a yurt full of multicultural guests and we find a way to communicate among the many languages spoken. 

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

Maybe that sounded odd, but I live off grid and there's always work to be done, add to that I am a singer songwriter , saxophonist costune designer, full time online article writer and part time English teacher and the hours disappear! At the moment I am learning Spanish for communication. I understand you perfectly my favourite nights here are when we have a yurt full of multicultural guests and we find a way to communicate among the many languages spoken.

Living off the grid doesn't sound odd to me at all. Personally not doing it. But it could be helpful for every single City Inhabitant to know some of these techniques just in case. We never know what is going to happen.

Do you play melodies that already were written down, or do you improvise on the saxophone?

And what about micro-tones? You know... quarter tones and so on. African/Oriental/Asian style. But also a part of Europe's past, and even of its and the Americas' present. (I think you write the apostrophe like this when adding it to a plural word).

Latin: tempus fugit. I.e. "time flows".

Related to any below-C2 language:

I possibly would start writing the first essays (that could be corrected by others) rather soon.

However, correcting those written by others isn't among my primary language strengths. Not even when it comes to my native one.

On the other hand, I do intend to continue trying to contribute in some other ways, like answering some questions in various threads, or writing about learning strategies, and so on.

SGP wrote:

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

Maybe that sounded odd, but I live off grid and there's always work to be done, add to that I am a singer songwriter , saxophonist costune designer, full time online article writer and part time English teacher and the hours disappear! At the moment I am learning Spanish for communication. I understand you perfectly my favourite nights here are when we have a yurt full of multicultural guests and we find a way to communicate among the many languages spoken.

Living off the grid doesn't sound odd to me at all. Personally not doing it. But it could be helpful for every single City Inhabitant to know some of these techniques just in case. We never know what is going to happen.

Do you play melodies that already were written down, or do you improvise on the saxophone?

And what about micro-tones? You know... quarter tones and so on. African/Oriental/Asian style. But also a part of Europe's past, and even of its and the Americas' present. (I think you write the apostrophe like this when adding it to a plural word).

Latin: tempus fugit. I.e. "time flows".

I am self taught do improvise a fair amount of the time but I am in a covers function band so we play a lot of songs like the original tracks not as much fun but it pays the bills. 

SGP wrote:

Oghenekevwe wrote:

Welcome Benjamin, maybe you could be Leo's ANGRY GIRL:laughing:

T'ank you for di welcome Oghenekevwe.

Before writing anyting more, I ges would wan fi tell ya why I sometimes would be writing dat weh. There be a strong African influence on bot' of mi personality and mi weh of speaking English.

Sometimes I even be tokin' to native Jaman (German) speakers using mi African/Caribbean mix. I don't tell you story. I be tokin' to dem inna di same manner I be writing dis post, too. And because I know that not everyone would always understand mi very motivashon if I wouldn't tell dem, I just told you and others rite now.

Now I'd like to aks you someting. Was I able to convey mi motivashon for writing dat weh? Because usually, people with an, esample, African background did understand it (or even appreciate it) when tokin' to dem face to face. But because we are on di Internet rite now, I ges would wan fi mek sure.

(For some others: Yes, it really would be "aks" in this case, A-K-S. :smile:)

As for dat "angry girl" report, I already read it a long time ago. Also, I do know that you be jokin' rite now. But still, there be more differences between me and her than just something biological. I am also tinking about several personal details (as mentioned by Leo), and those two (me and her) are way too different.

But on di other hand, because I am someone who really is into All T'ings Communicashon (especially the non-theoretical aspects), I am still wondering whether she will read it any day. I nah be tinking 'bout it as someone who is nosey. However, I be doing some reflections on many matters related to communicashon, interactions between humans and so on. And da's why I even would be tinking 'bout topics like dat one ("angry girl") sometimes :astonished:.

Very funny. I was actually able to read through what you wrote. Usually it gives me a headache to read through this Jamaican way of speaking and writing. The 'aks' part got me laughing too.

Oghenekevwe wrote:

Very funny. I was actually able to read through what you wrote. Usually it gives me a headache to read through this Jamaican way of speaking and writing. The 'aks' part got me laughing too.

Yes it is Jamaican, too, but "tink", "ting" etc. are also included in some variants of African English. Not telling you anything new.

And when having a conversation with anyone in my English mix, I include very few unique Caribbean/Jamaican words. E.g. "wan fi" instead of "want to" sometimes, but that's all.

You could get a headache even when reading some Caribbeanized English?

Well... did you know that Real Jamaican Patois is on my mental list of languages I intend to learn more about? I am interested in it for pure language related purposes. And I do intend to deepen it in the not-so-distant future. English with some Caribbean elements is "nothing" compared to it. In case I would any day open a log about it on this forum, I would include the language's name in the thread's title, too, so that whoever could get a headache reading it would be fore-warned.

But maybe you could tell me something new. Do you know in which country or countries they say "aks" instead of "ask"? I do know that it is being said like this, heard it more than once or twice. But not sure where it comes from.

Wow, looks like I missed out on a bunch of stuff over the weekend. Welcome! That's quite an eclectic + exotic list of languages. Why Toki Pona? Where does one even learn that???