Welcome to the language section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

Select a section:

WP:RD/LWP:RD/L

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

How can I get my question answered?

Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
Note:
- We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
- We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
- We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
- We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

August 2

Cat video

[1] What language is the voiceover? Tx 2601:644:8581:75B0:C0A:62CC:5A5E:3807 (talk) 15:03, 2 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Some Slavic language, at least. Possibly Russian. 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 15:26, 2 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The language is Russian. The black panther (a leopard) has a YouTube channel: Luna_the_pantera. Here is some more info. ‑‑Lambiam 16:53, 2 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Somewhat curiously, "Luna" means moon in both several Latin languages and Russian, although the Russian word is not a Latin borrowing but a direct cognate having evolved into the exact same form. 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 17:23, 2 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The pronunciations differ, though. Russian луна is stressed on the second syllable; Latin luna on the first. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:28, 2 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

So despite looking laidback, the panther is finally stressed? 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 00:02, 3 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

August 6

Language almost-isolate

Is there an established term for what I can only think of as "language almost-isolates"? I'm meaning something like Greek — it's not a language isolate because it's Indo-European, but it consists of its own language family, without any close relatives, without any relatives that aren't closer than the entirety of Indo-European. To borrow something from biology, I'm thinking of something like Gingko biloba, which is not an isolate (a separate kingdom) but almost so (it's the only species in its division), and therefore not really related to any other plants except on the kingdom level. Nyttend (talk) 22:48, 6 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Language_isolate#Genetic_relationships uses the term family-level isolates, and mentions Armenian. The article Armenian language describes that language as the sole member of the independent branch. Card Zero (talk) 08:33, 7 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

On a related note, there's also "family isolates", smaller language families with only one language majorly spoken or so, but no proven connections to any other families. Notably the Japonic languages. (A possible connection to the Koreanic languages might not be implausible, but there hasn't been found any systematic correspondences in the core vocabulary.) 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 11:52, 7 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

August 9

What's the differemce between a College and a University in the USA?

Our article says "A college (Latin: collegium) may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary school." The last four of those meanings apply here in Australia.

But it's my observation that in the US, it's almost always the first, a tertiary educational institution of some sort. But the US also has universities. What's the difference? HiLo48 (talk) 08:06, 9 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A college may be part of a university, e.g. Dietrich College, part of Carnegie Mellon University. Sometimes the entire institution is the college, e.g., Dartmouth College, which is a university. And sometimes college just refers to the general institution of higher education, e.g. I went to college. So it depends on the context. It almost never means a high school in the US. Andre🚐 09:27, 9 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I'm well aware it's not a secondary school, but it sems a very common goal for American kids to want to go to college, but very rarely do they say they want to go to university. HiLo48 (talk) 10:09, 9 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

“Going to college” in the United States means attending a tertiary educational institution in a course of study toward a bachelor’s degree. (The particular institution might only grant associate degrees, but it is assumed that the student then would transfer to a different institution to obtain the bachelor’s degree. A student who has already obtained a bachelor’s degree is in “graduate school.”) A “university” typically includes multiple colleges, so “going to college” is unambiguous, while “going to university” would sound anomalous if the student were attending a standalone college that is not part of a larger university. John M Baker (talk) 12:53, 9 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

They want to go to college, probably because they are implying its function as understood in America (tertiary education), whereas American English generally has "university" (and hospital) imply a location, not its function (the university, the hospital). So, whereas others might say, 'go to uni', the American would say, 'go to college.' As for why "college" developed that connotation (tertiary education) in America, is likely a matter of its development at a time when few went beyond primary school, if that, so did not think about going to preparatory school or college at any level, let alone universities. Alanscottwalker (talk) 18:18, 9 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Side note, thank you for finally describing the difference between American and British usage of university and hospital that helped me understand why the British usage seems off to me. User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 15:09, 12 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Wasn't it that great American Winston Churchill that said something about a 'common people divided by a language'? :) Alanscottwalker (talk) 14:00, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

See also Community colleges in the United States. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:20, 9 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@User:HiLo48 When I got my bachelor's degree, it was awarded by what was then known as the Canberra College of Advanced Education (CCAE). Despite the name, that institution's degrees were equivalent in status to those from the Australian National University or any other Australian university. CCAE was later redesignated the University of Canberra. So "college" has not always meant what it means these days in Australia. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 02:17, 10 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A university graduate would spell it "difference"ly. Clarityfiend (talk) 12:51, 12 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

"College" and "university" are often synonyms in American usage. "Go to college" is a fixed idiom and any tertiary academic institution may be called a college whatever it's formal name may be. My experience has been that institutions that call themselves colleges often only award Associates or bachelor's degrees while Universities are more likely to award Masters and Doctorates as well, but that is by no means a universal or legally backed requirement. Eluchil404 (talk) 03:28, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

American usage is grossly inconsistent. One of the oldest institution in the country, the College of William and Mary, is older than the nation-state itself, and sees no need to change its name. For that matter, one of the most prestigious institutions in applied geology (so to speak) is the Colorado School of Mines, which grants degrees at the Ph.D. level and has for years. But smaller and more insecure "colleges" like the former Freed-Hardeman College do announce such changes while openly stating that the change is because "university" is seen as the more prestigious name.

As far as ordinary conversation, "I'm going to university" in the mouth of an American sounds artificial, something only a pathetically Anglophone social climber might say. --Orange Mike | Talk 05:23, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I agree. As an American, I see no inconsistency in saying "I went to college at the University of Texas". However, "college" does very much imply being an undergraduate working toward a bachelor's degree (or associate degree at a junior college or community college). I would never say I went to college at the universities where I got my M.A. and Ph.D. I'd say I went to graduate school there. —Mahāgaja · talk 13:19, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Sure, things being called universities were a much later development and there was not 'universal' adoption, so to speak, and what also might be different from other nations, the moniker was likely unregulated, and may still be, depending on the some 56 states or territories. But the American could easily say, 'I'm going to the university', if the context seems clear. Alanscottwalker (talk) 14:12, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A similar thing happened in my hometown with Lenoir-Rhyne College becoming Lenoir-Rhyne University after over a century of operations, with the change being said to "help better reflect the growth being made in enrollment, faculty and staff." [2] --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 14:39, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There's a related discussion, somewhat meandering and inconclusive, in this old ref-desk thread. Deor (talk) 14:08, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

August 12

Gauss zum Gedächtnis

This is the title of a book written by Gauss's contemporary Wolfgang Sartorius von Waltershausen. How would you translate the title? Thanks. 2601:644:8581:75B0:1288:7780:BADE:EA31 (talk) 05:53, 12 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Ah never mind, there is an English translation of the whole book, titled "Gauss, a memorial" which works for me. I'll add a link to Waltershausen's biography. Thanks. 2601:644:8581:75B0:1288:7780:BADE:EA31 (talk) 06:37, 12 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

More literally; "Gauss in Remembrance". [3] 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 11:44, 12 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, that sounds good too. I got "Gauss in memory" as a machine translation but wanted to check with humans. 2601:644:8581:75B0:90F2:5EEC:2BFD:58B4 (talk) 16:12, 12 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If I encountered this phrase in a text I was translating from German, I'd put "in memory of Gauss", especially if it was the dedication at the beginning of a book rather than the title of the book. You often see books dedicated "Meinem Vater zum Gedächtnis", "Meiner Mutter zum Gedächtnis" and so on. —Mahāgaja · talk 13:15, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

August 13

French from France

I think we'd use the term "Castillian Spanish" to distinguish the dialect spoken in Spain from the one in Latin America. Simiilarly, Neuhochdeutch is "Standard" German as distinct from Bayern or Austrian German etc. Is there a similar term for French from France, as contrasted with Quebecois French? Thanks. 2601:644:8581:75B0:90F2:5EEC:2BFD:58B4 (talk) 03:01, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What's wrong with "French French"? --142.112.140.137 (talk) 07:30, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The variety of French that is considered the "proper standard", the prestige dialect, is known as Parisian French. Also called "French of France", this term is problematic since Meridional French, spoken in the South of France, has marked differences with the prestige dialect. However, the term "Parisian French" is also problematic, since the variety of French one hears spoken in the streets of Paris, by native Parisians, is also different from the "proper" Parisian French heard spoken on TV by high-ranking politicians. ‑‑Lambiam 10:31, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The prestige varieties of a language have often been based on the speech of the upper classes in the capital, I believe, so as that group were already in power, and needed to adapt the least. I believe Received Pronunciation has a similar history. (Standard German and Swedish, on the other hand, might have been based on some bureaucratic levelling based on traits that were perceived to be generally understood.) 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 10:55, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

For the title of our own article we've gone with French of France, and on French Wikipedia it's Français de France. --Antiquary (talk) 08:01, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

"Français métropolitain" is also commonly used, as mentioned in the article. Xuxl (talk) 16:00, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Is this a real language?

At 06m26s of this 1980s video recording, there is a tobacco advertisement which purports to be a discussion between some Native Americans.

Is this in a real language, and if so, which? Marnanel (talk) 11:46, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I can't tell you which one, but it sounds complicated enough to be real. In other words, it doesn't feel phony enough to be pseudo-Native American gibberish. I'd be interested to know not only what language it is, but also if he's actually saying what the subtitles say he's saying. —Mahāgaja · talk 13:08, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, it sounds similar to other snippets of Native American languages I have come across. Neither that ad or the following with the Arabic sheik could have been made today, probably. Then, Native Americans are said to possess a higher level of self-irony than what's generally perceived, anyway. 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 18:38, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Questions

Are there any lexical words in English with structure similar to e.g. as, has, is, us and was, i.e. one syllable and /z/ (spelled ⟨s⟩) at the end?
- "us" isn't like the others. It's pronounced like "uss". -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 22:59, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Does, goes. I'm sure there are more Xuxl (talk) 00:35, 14 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Loads. Card Zero (talk) 13:03, 14 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If we can believe Wiktionary, us is pronounced like /ʌz/ (or /əz/ in unstressed positions) in some UK dialects. ‑‑Lambiam 10:50, 14 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Does English have equivalent of Finnish varsi like in phrases "tien varsi", "joen varsi" and "radan varsi"?
Does English have equivalent of Finnish puolella like in phrases "Suomen puolella", "vuoden 2025 puolella", "elokuun puolella", "torstain puolella" and "kesän puolella"?
Do English speakers ever use full stops to separate dates? Are there any other countries who write dates as (d)d.(m)m.yyyy, where dates are not zero-padded, like 13.8.2025 or 9.8.2025?
Does English have more adjectives that are compared with separate words rather than endings than other Germanic languages?
Does English ever use hyphen to separate parts of a closed compound word? --40bus (talk) 21:37, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]
1) "lens", "yaws", "mews", "ides and nones" unless you insist on vowel+s -- Verbarson ^talk_edits 18:43, 14 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

1.) I don't think so. A quick check of the [Wiktionary rhyme lists https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Rhymes:English/%C3%A6z] shows lexical words spelled with -zz or -se but not plain -s.

2.) "Side" maybe. The first two phrases are rendered "road side" and "river side" by Google translate. However, a look at [4] shows that the Finnish meanings do not form a coherent group from an English language point of view. Some are arms, some are shafts, some are rods.

3.)Not really. "Suomen puolella" seems to mean "on the Finnish side" of a battle or dispute, right? But in the other phrases I don't think English would use any word corresponding to "puolella" just a prepositional phrase, "about 2025", "in August", "on Thursday", "in summer".

4.)No English speakers never use full stops to separate dates. I've only seen that style used by people whose primary language was not English.

6.)As far as I can tell, the definition of a 'closed compound' is one that is not written with a hyphen, so the answer to your question is trivially 'no'. But more generally there are plenty of words in which the use of the hyphen varies by dialect, meaning, personal preference, or over time, so there are plenty of words that could easily be considered closed compounds that are often written with a hyphen. It is simply a variable feature of English spelling. Eluchil404 (talk) 00:32, 14 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

4.) @Eluchil404's answer is incorrect. Full stops can be seen in British English and Australian English, at least. Bazza 7 (talk) 18:59, 14 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Re 1: What is your definition of "lexical word"? I think as (other than as the plural of the letter name a) would generally be classified as a function word, and declined or conjugated forms, such as has, are usually also excluded. If these are allowed, there are many examples, such as says and bees. I've heard gas as a clipping of gasoline pronounced with a /z/. Wiktionary gives /pɹɛz/ as the pronunciation of pres as a clipping of presentation, and /ɹɛz/ as the pronunciation of res as a clipping of any of reserve, reservation, reservoir, residence, resistance, resolution and resurrection. ‑‑Lambiam 11:26, 14 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Re 5: I don't know all Germanic languages, but the English rule that the comparative of an oversized adjective is not formed by suffixation does not apply to German: the comparative of überdimensioniert is even more oversized: überdimensionierter (seen used in the wild here). ‑‑Lambiam 11:39, 14 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

August 15