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I'd really like to go see Richard Dawkins next week, but I'll probably be asleep. Considering how liberal Madison is, there probably won't be any protesters either. Maybe I should encourage our local religionists to remedy that? Hmmm...
In which the author complains.
Feb. 11th, 2008 01:39 pmLearning a language that's very similar to one you already know is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, there's all the cognate words and similar grammar. On the other, there's the false cognates, and the grammatical rules that are just different enough to get you in trouble. For instance, the past tense verb conjugations in Hebrew are almost identical to those in Arabic. Easy enough. The present tense conjugations, however are not. Oh no, that would be too simple. Instead, the present tense in Arabic corresponds to the future tense in Hebrew. The Hebrew present tense doesn't correspond to any conjugation pattern in formal Arabic, but is similar to the present tense in some of the colloquial Arabic dialects, which is annoying, because I always prided myself on speaking _proper_ Arabiyya Fus'ha. I must find the person responsible for this outrage and rant to him/her/it at great length...
Edit: Mystery solved. First, the background: Classical Hebrew, along with Arabic, has the standard semitic pattern of 2 "real" tenses, and a few modified moods that correspond to tenses found in other languages. The tenses are "Perfect", which usually corresponds to the past tense in Indo-European languages, and the "Imperfect", which acts as both present and generalized future, with an explicit future made by adding an auxiliary word before the imperfect. One of the interesting things about semitic languages is that with simple declarative sentences, you don't actually _need_ a verb. Putting an undefined noun (or adjective) after a defined one, or a pronoun, implies a "to be" relationship (For example, "Al-kitabu qadimun", "The book [is] old" or "Ana maridh min hazha al-karj", (I [am] sick of this shit"), which is otherwise almost never conjugated for present tense.
So, what modern Hebrew speakers have done is taken the active participle nouns of the verbs, use _them_ for the "present tense" of those verbs, and reserved the Imperfect tense for future, only. So really, the "present tense verbs" in modern Hebrew, are actually all nouns, the sneaky bastards. Of course, Modern Hebrew has also completely lost case inflection, so this fact is lost on native speakers. Also, it intensely annoys me that it took me so long to realize that is what the Syrian (I think) dialect of Arabic was doing. Or whichever dialect it was, it's been a while. Still, it should have been obvious. :-P
Edit: Mystery solved. First, the background: Classical Hebrew, along with Arabic, has the standard semitic pattern of 2 "real" tenses, and a few modified moods that correspond to tenses found in other languages. The tenses are "Perfect", which usually corresponds to the past tense in Indo-European languages, and the "Imperfect", which acts as both present and generalized future, with an explicit future made by adding an auxiliary word before the imperfect. One of the interesting things about semitic languages is that with simple declarative sentences, you don't actually _need_ a verb. Putting an undefined noun (or adjective) after a defined one, or a pronoun, implies a "to be" relationship (For example, "Al-kitabu qadimun", "The book [is] old" or "Ana maridh min hazha al-karj", (I [am] sick of this shit"), which is otherwise almost never conjugated for present tense.
So, what modern Hebrew speakers have done is taken the active participle nouns of the verbs, use _them_ for the "present tense" of those verbs, and reserved the Imperfect tense for future, only. So really, the "present tense verbs" in modern Hebrew, are actually all nouns, the sneaky bastards. Of course, Modern Hebrew has also completely lost case inflection, so this fact is lost on native speakers. Also, it intensely annoys me that it took me so long to realize that is what the Syrian (I think) dialect of Arabic was doing. Or whichever dialect it was, it's been a while. Still, it should have been obvious. :-P
What I learned today.
Dec. 4th, 2007 06:41 pmThat a "snow"drift that one would easily drive through/over if it were, in fact, still snow, can trap your car for a good half hour if it has melted and refrozen into semi-solid ice. Furthermore, it will prove virtually immune to the plastic snow shovel that all civilized human beings northerners carry in their trunk. Had I thought to start whacking away with the tire-iron earlier, the quagmire would have been considerably shorter in duration. Luckily, one of my TAs and a random stranger happened along to help. Still, very annoying.
Kids are lazy and unmotivated these days.
Oct. 31st, 2007 01:31 pmWhy was I the _only_ one in any of my classes in costume today? There was a time when college students would actually celebrate HALLOWEEN, not just the weekend before. For shame, Madison. For shame.
Boy, I sure feel sorry...
Sep. 5th, 2007 08:17 am... For all those people who went to DragonCon this weekend. They missed SO MUCH cool stuff. Of course, I won't tell them what, exactly, they missed, as they would be bound to lobotomize themselves out of pure grief. That's the sort of caring individual I am.
At last, summers over and classes have started again. Since I won't be able to work overtime every day any more, I feel like I can finally relax. I'm'a be so edjumacated, it's not even funny.
At last, summers over and classes have started again. Since I won't be able to work overtime every day any more, I feel like I can finally relax. I'm'a be so edjumacated, it's not even funny.
Where did _that_ come from?
Jul. 28th, 2007 10:19 amApparently, I just got a GI Bill payment direct-deposited in my account yesterday. A 400-bucks-larger-than-usual one, at that. Which is odd since I'm not taking courses over the summer, nor have I clicked on the "Verify enrollment" page which would attest that I had. Now, I'd be happy to keep the money, but I somehow think this is a mistake, and if it doesn't get corrected now, they'll take it back just when I would have needed the cash most. As has happened to me before. Twice. So I should probably call them first thing Monday morning. No rest for the wicked, or something. :-P
My biology teacher was right.
Jan. 31st, 2007 11:10 amI really _shouldn't_ bother bringing the text book with me to class, the thing weighs a ton. I really wish I had "accidentally" "lost" my assault pack after I returned from Iraq. It was both roomier _and_ more comfortable to carry than my civilian backpack. Yet they were made by the same manufacturer. Go figure.
I think I've come up with a good topic for my research paper. It will be a brief (10 pages is brief, right?) overview of the differences between cephalopods and vertebrates. I shall title it: "I, for one, welcome our new Squid Overlords".
I think I've come up with a good topic for my research paper. It will be a brief (10 pages is brief, right?) overview of the differences between cephalopods and vertebrates. I shall title it: "I, for one, welcome our new Squid Overlords".
My first week of school.
Jan. 27th, 2007 09:18 pmSo far, so good. I don't _think_ I'm in too far over my head. As for the classes:
Biology: I could sleep through this class and still get a B. I'll stay awake and study, though, because I'll be damned to New Jersey before I let myself get shown up by a bunch of punk kids!
Math: Oh, this is going to suck. At one point, I knew all this junk, but I've forgotten it over the last 10 years. Almost recognizing the cryptic symbols involved just makes it more frustrating. And the teacher's accent doesn't make it any easier. I'm almost tempted to drop it, but I won't just yet.
Introduction to Speech Disorders: Seems pretty interesting, and not too hard.
Linguistics: Now, this _is_ interesting. I think I already know most of what will be covered this semester, but I'm sure that, as my knowledge is limited to what I've picked up at random over the years, there are glaring gaps in it. This will probably be the most fun class.
History of Central Asia: Another one that seems interesting yet-not-too-trying. I'll have to see if it's not too late to "upgrade" for honors, writing a couple extra essays should be simplicity itself.
Biology: I could sleep through this class and still get a B. I'll stay awake and study, though, because I'll be damned to New Jersey before I let myself get shown up by a bunch of punk kids!
Math: Oh, this is going to suck. At one point, I knew all this junk, but I've forgotten it over the last 10 years. Almost recognizing the cryptic symbols involved just makes it more frustrating. And the teacher's accent doesn't make it any easier. I'm almost tempted to drop it, but I won't just yet.
Introduction to Speech Disorders: Seems pretty interesting, and not too hard.
Linguistics: Now, this _is_ interesting. I think I already know most of what will be covered this semester, but I'm sure that, as my knowledge is limited to what I've picked up at random over the years, there are glaring gaps in it. This will probably be the most fun class.
History of Central Asia: Another one that seems interesting yet-not-too-trying. I'll have to see if it's not too late to "upgrade" for honors, writing a couple extra essays should be simplicity itself.
Then again, on monday I looked at the campus map _before_ trying to find the building in question. I would like to blame Darwin for not evolving me adequate spacial memory to unerringly find any building I had been in before, that would have come in handy. :-P
SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS!!!!
Jan. 23rd, 2007 05:36 pm$370 for 5 classes worth of textbooks?!? And that's for used copies, if I'd bought them new it would have been $110 more. Highway robbery, it is. :-P
I feel more smarter already.
Jan. 22nd, 2007 07:31 pmFirst day of classes has passed without traumatic incident. Well, without _major_ traumatic incident; I did have to park a half mile away from the building, only to find that a space had opened up almost right outside when I got there. Tomorrow, I'm definitely getting up early enough to take the bus. :-P
I'm'a be so educated!
Jan. 18th, 2007 10:15 pmI registered for classes today. Through great luck, most of the ones I wanted still had space, and I even managed to schedule them so I don't have to wake up too early in the morning. Go, me!
Contrary to my expectations, I did not totally bomb the math placement test yesterday. According to the math advisor, I even did slightly _better_ than is average for incoming students. This does not exactly fill me with confidence in our educational system, as I had to resort to the Wild-Ass-Guess method of problem solving for almost half the questions.
Boy, I REALLY hope my brain hasn't totally ossified in the last ten years. I don't think I could bear being dumber than the spoiled punk kids of today...
Contrary to my expectations, I did not totally bomb the math placement test yesterday. According to the math advisor, I even did slightly _better_ than is average for incoming students. This does not exactly fill me with confidence in our educational system, as I had to resort to the Wild-Ass-Guess method of problem solving for almost half the questions.
Boy, I REALLY hope my brain hasn't totally ossified in the last ten years. I don't think I could bear being dumber than the spoiled punk kids of today...
