In some languages, most famously the aboriginal Guugu Yimithirr, there are no words for left and right, front and back, only the four cardinal directions – west, east, north and south.

In Guugu Yimithirr towns in the far north of Queensland, Australia, you could be giving someone a massage, and be kindly told “oh, that’s good. Just a little more to the west”…

CAN YOU ALWAYS TELL YOUR NORTH AND SOUTH?

Immersia.Org

| AUSTRALIA |

THE YEAR IS 1755: MARIE ANTOINETTE IS BORN; A HORRIBLE EARTHQUAKE DESTROYES THE PORTUGESE CITY OF LISBON; AND THE INTERNET IS INVENTED. WELL, NOT EXACTLY. BRITISH WRITER SAMUEL JOHNSON CHOSE “INTERNETS” AT THE BEST WORD OF 1755. INTERNETS, OF COURSE, AS IN A SERIES OF TUBES. THE MORE OBSERVANT OF YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THE FINE PRINT. IF THAT LAST SENTENCE AT THE BOTTOM ISN’T THE MOST PROPHETIC PIECE OF TEXT YOU’LL EVER SEE, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IS…

The year is 1755: Marie Antoinette is born; a horrible earthquake destroys the Portuguese city of Lisbon; and the internet is invented.

Well, not exactly. British writer Samuel Johnson chose “internets” at the best word of 1755. Internets, of course, as in a series of tubes. The more observant of you might have noticed the fine print. If that last sentence at the bottom isn’t the most prophetic piece of text you’ll ever see, we don’t know what is…

THE INTERNETS OF 1755

Immersia.Org

| ENGLAND|

The scientifically perfect flashcards

1. Don’t place similar-sounding words in the same card.

2. Short words are easier to remember.

3. But mix in some long words with the short ones.

4. Cognates rule.

5. Don’t put word of similar meaning or semantic field together.

6. Use frequency charts.

7. Use both sides!

8. Use “know it” / “don’t know it” stacks.

9. Rehearse the "know it" stack with spaced repetition.

10. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle!

LANGUAGE & SCIENCE | IMMERSIA.ORG

(1) Don’t place similar-sounding words in the same card.

(2) Short words are easier to remember.

(3) But mix in some long words with the short ones.

(4) Cognates rule.

(5) Don’t put word of similar meaning or semantic field together.

(6) Use frequency charts.

(7) Use both sides!

(8) Use “know it” / “don’t know it” stacks.

(9) Rehearse the "know it" stack with spaced repetition.

(10) Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle!

THE SCIENTIFICALLY PERFECT FLASHCARDS

| Universal |

Immersia.Org

The English word “Avocado" comes from the Spanish “Aguacate" which comes from the Nahuatl word

āhuacatl

which means "tree testicle".

DID YOU KNOW?

Immersia.Org

| Spain |

THE AYAPANECO LANGUAGE IS ON THE VERGE OF EXTINCTION. THE NATIVE MEXICAN LANGUAGE, SPOKEN IN THE STATE OF TABASCO (YES, THAT’S RIGHT), HAS ONLY TWO PEOPLE WHO SPEAK IT. AND FOR OVER A DECADE, THESE TWO PEOPLE HADN’T BEEN TALKING TO EACH OTHER! APPERANTLY, THE TWO HAD A FALLING OUT AT SOME POINT, AND ALTHOUGH THEY LIVE ABOUT 1000 FEET FROM EACH

OTHER, THEY REFUSED TO EXCHANGE A WORD. BUT ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL: IN 2014, THE TWO MEN, NOW AGES 79 AND 73, AGREED TO BURY THE HATCHET, AND ARE NOW BACK ON SPEAKING TERMS.

The Ayapaneco language is on the verge of extinction. The native Mexican language, spoken in the state of tabasco (yes, that’s right), has only two people who speak it. And for over a decade, these two people hadn’t been talking to each other!

Apparently, the two had a falling out at some point, and although they live about 1000 feet from each other, they refused to exchange a word.

But all’s well that ends well: in 2014, the two men, now ages 79 and 73, agreed to bury the hatchet, and are now back on speaking terms.

| Mexico |

MEXICAN QUARREL

Immersia.Org

HERE’S ONE WAY TO NEVER FORGET A WORD IN SPANISH – REALIZING JUST HOW SILLY IT IS. THE WORD “BURRO” IN SPANISH MEANS DONKEY. THE SUFFIX ITO IN SPANISH IS DIMINUTIVE, AND SO THE WORD BURRITO ACTUALLY MEANS “LITTLE DONKEY”. ONE OF THE POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE NAME IS THAT THE DISH REMINDED PEOPLE OF THE PACKAGE ON THE BACK OF THE DONKEY, AS IN THE PICTURE. AND IF YOU FIND THIS WEIRD OR JUST PLAIN STUPID, JUST THINK OF THE LAST TIME YOU YOURSELF HAD A NICE WARM CANINE FOR LUNCH, WITH EXTRA MUSTARD ON TOP.

ETYMOLOGY | IMMERSIA.ORG

Here’s one way to never forget a word in Spanish – realizing just how silly it is. The word “burro” in Spanish means donkey. The suffix ito in spanish is diminutive, and so the word burrito actually means “little donkey”.

One of the possible reasons for the name is that the dish reminded people of the package on the back of the donkey, as in the picture.

And if you find this weird or just plain stupid, just think of the last time you yourself had a nice warm canine for lunch, with extra mustard on top.

Immersia.Org

| Spain |

ASS BURRITO

During the middle ages, Spanish children would sing songs to saint maría , saying “María, posa!”, or “Mary, come and pose for us”. maría rarely seemed to show up, but apparently one time it was a butterfly who landed and struck a pose.

From here comes the Spanish word for butterfly: mariposa.

MARÍA IN THE SKY

| Spain |

Immersia.Org

Ever wonder why are the word black in English sounds so similar to the word blanco, “white” in Spanish?

You haven’t, ah? In any case, wonder no more! Both words probably come from the ancient word blakaz, meaning burned.

English speakers took it to mean “burned to ashes, or black, while Spanish speakers (and also French and Italian speakers) turned it into a bright, fiery glow, or white.

DON’T MATTER IF IT’S BLACK OR WHITE

| Spain |

Immersia.Org

English and spanish are realmente similares.

Take this foto, por ejemplo.

It reads “recuerdo de todos tus hijos (menus ricardo que no dio nada)”. The english translation is: “a memory from all your sons (except ricardo who didn’t give nothing)

Recuerdo is sinónimo with memoria, and comes from obvious similar roots as “record”.

Todos, meaning “all”, shares the ancestro latino “totus” with the english “total”.

Hijo is simplemente son, and indeed all sons contributed, menus (minus) ricardo that no gave nada.

About this foto: probablemente no es real, but it definitivamente helps us practicar our español.

THE TUMBA

| Spain |

Immersia.Org

Today marks the 42 aniversario of the passing of the great pintor pablo picasso.

He was más famoso for the introducción of Cubism. On

una ocasión,he comentó on his arte:

“el mundo de hoy no tiene sentido, así que ¿por qué debería pintar cuadros que lo tuvieran?”

“the world of today doesn´t have sense, so why should i paint pictures that have it?”

If you’ve practicado your Spanish with us, muchos of picaso’s palabras should suena familiar.

42 AÑOS WITHOUT PICASSO

| Spain |

Immersia.Org

111 años ago, Salvador Dalí was born under the

compacto nombre Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí I Domènech.

He is famoso por his bizzare and fascinante works, including “La persistencia de la memoria”.

Pero Dalí didn’t only paint. His repertorio included sculpture and fotografía, and he was also un talentoso filmmaker.

Dalí once said:

“Lo importante es que hablen de ti,

aunque sea bien”

“The important thing is that people talk of you, even if it’s good things”

We hope that he would have been muy feliz that we are talking sobre him today. Even if it is solamente good things…

FELIZ BIRTHDAY, SALVADOR!

| Spain |

Immersia.Org

To really start talking Spanish, it’s not enough to know the words – you have to feel them rrrrolling down your tongue.

For that, nothing beats a good ol’ tongue twister.

Here is one we really enjoyed:

Compadre, cómpreme un coco. Compadre, no compro coco,

Porque poco coco como, poco coco compro.

The translation goes something like this:

Dude, buy me a coconut Dude, i don’t buy coconut Because i eat little coconut, I buy little coconut.

And there’s a tune, too (check out the link)!

DUDE, BUY ME A COCONUT!

| Spain |

Immersia.Org

CÓMO COMO OH, WHAT PUNCTUATION CAN DO… THE WORD CÓMO IN SPANISH MEANS HOW, AS IN CÓMO ESTÁS, HOW ARE YOU? IT CAN ALSO MEAN “HOW? WHAT WAS THAT? EXCUSE ME?” THE WORD COMO CAN ALSO MEAN 2 THINGS: - I AM EATING (CONJUGATION OF COMER, TO EAT) - LIKE, IN THAT WAY

NOW, CAN YOU READ THIS SENTENCE?

CÓMO COMO CÓMO CÓMO COMO COMO CÓMO COMO

YOU CAN’T?! SHOCKING. TRY NOW:

¿Cómo como? ¿Cómo “cómo como”? ¡Como cómo como!

STILL NOTHING? YEAH, WE SUSPECTED THAT. IT READS:

How do I eat? What do you mean “how do I eat”? I eat the way I eat!

*IN THE PICTURE, ANOTHER COMO.

JOKES | IMMERSIA.ORG

| Spain |

Oh, what punctuation can do…

The word cómo in spanish means how, as in cómo estás, how are you? It can also mean “how? What was that? Excuse me?”

The word como can also mean 2 things:

- I am eating (conjugation of comer, to eat) - like, in that way

Now, can you read this sentence?

Cómo como cómo cómo como como cómo como

You can’t?! Shocking. Try now:

¿cómo como? ¿cómo “cómo como”? ¡como cómo como!

Still nothing? Yeah, we suspected that. It reads:

How do i eat? What do you mean “how do i eat”? I eat the way i eat!

*in the picture, another como.

Como Como ?

Immersia.Org