Polyglot notes

General knowledge Bodyweight fitness, brain health, cooking, social, STEM (math, electronics, CS), survival skills

General language learning General

Ancient languages Coptic (M. Egypt. desc.), Greek (Ancient Grk. desc.), Old Norse, Lacandon (Mayan desc.), Latin, Sumerian

airplane - aeroplane

apartment - flat

apartment building - block of flats

arugula - rocket

ATM - cashpoint/cash machine

attendance, take - register, take the

baby crib - cot

bachelor party - stag do

bachelorette party - hen do

bandaid - plaster

bangs - fringe

barf (verb) - chunder (verb)

bathrobe/robe - dressing gown

bathroom/restroom - loo (slang)

bathroom/washroom - toilet/bathroom

bathtub - bath

beets - beetroot

bell pepper - pepper/sweet pepper

Bic - biro

blinds - curtains

blood sausage/boudin noir - black pudding

broil (verb) - grill (verb)

bus - coach

camper van/RV - caravan

can - tin

candy - sweets

caravan - convoy

caregiver - carer

cart - trolley

cash register - till

checkers - draughts

checking account - current account

chic/classy/fancy - posh

closet - wardrobe

co-education/co-ed - mixed school

coach class - economy class

comforter - duvet

cookie - biscuit

corn - maize

corn starch - cornflour

cotton swab/Q-tip - cotton bud

couch - sittee

counterclockwise - anticlockwise

CPA (Certified Public Accountant) - Chartered Accountant

crosswalk - zebra crossing

custom-made - bespoke

diaper - nappy

downtown - city centre

eggplant - aubergine

elevator - lift

eraser - rubber

exclamation point - exclamation mark

expensive - dear

faculty member - academic staff

fall - autumn

faucet - tap

fire truck - fire engine

first floor - ground floor

fish sticks - fish fingers

flan (=sweet soft food) - flan (=fruit cake, not sweet)

flashlight - torch

flyby - flypast

freeway/highway - motorway

french fries - chips

French press - cafetiere

front desk - reception

furnace - central heating boiler

garbage can - dustbin

garbage collector - binman

gas/gasoline - petrol

gearshift - gearstick

grade - mark

green onion/scallion - spring onion

grocery store - grocery shop

ground beef - minced meat

ground/grounded - earth/earthed

ham - gammon

high beam (car) - full beam (car)

high school - secondary school

hot (sexy) - fit (sexy)

intersection - crossroads

janitor - caretaker

jumper dress - pinafore

jungle gym - climbing frame

kindergarten - preschool/nursery school

knickers - parcel

ladybug - ladybird

line - queue

liquor store - off license

mailman - postman

math - maths

median strip - central reservation

mom and pop store - family business

mommy/mom - mummy/mum

motorcycle - motorbike

movies, the - cinema, the

open house - open day

overalls - dungarees

pajamas - pyjamas

panties - knickers

pants/slacks - trousers

paper towel - kitchen roll

parking - car park

pay raise - pay rise

period - full stop

pharmacy - chemist

pickle - gherkin

pimple/zit - spot

pitcher - jug

plastic wrap - clingfilm

potato chips - crisps

principal - headmaster

public holiday - bank holiday

puffer vest - gilet

purse - handbag

quotation marks - inverted commas

rappel (verb, climbing) - abseil (verb, climbing)

recess - breaktime

round-trip ticket - return ticket

rubber boots - wellington boots/wellies

rummage sale - jumble sale

schedule - timetable

scotch tape - sellotape

second floor - first floor

shots - jab

sidewalk (=pavement is concrete/tarmac road) - pavement (=road for pedestrians)

silverware/flatware - cutlery

sink - washbasin

sketchy - dodgy

sneakers - trainers

soccer - football

soda/pop/coke/tonic - fizzy drink

special election - by-election

spelunking - potholing

store - shop

stove - cooker

stroller - push chair

study (verb) - read (verb)

subway/metro - underground/tube

sweater - jumper

sweater vest - sleeveless jumper/slipover

swimming suit - swimsuit

table (= verb – delay) - table (= verb – suggest)

tap - faucet

teachers' lounge - staffroom

teleprompter - autocue

teller - cashier

thong (=shoe) - thong (=underwear)

tic-tac-toe - noughts and crosses

tire - tyre

traffic circle/rotary - roundabout

trailer park - caravan park

transportation - transport

truck - lorry

trunk - boot

undershirt - vest

underwear - pants

vacation - holiday

vacationers - holidaymakers

vest - waistcoat

wallet - purse

windbreaker - cagoule

windshield - windscreen

woods, the - wood, a

yard - garden

ZIP code - postcode

zipper - zip

abseil (verb, climbing) - rappel (verb, climbing)

academic staff - faculty member

aubergine - eggplant

autocue - teleprompter

aeroplane - airplane

anticlockwise - counterclockwise

autumn - fall

bank holiday - public holiday

bespoke - custom-made

binman - garbage collector

biro - Bic

biscuit - cookie

boot - trunk

bath - bathtub

black pudding - blood sausage/boudin noir

block of flats - apartment building

breaktime - recess

beetroot - beets

by-election - special election

cafetiere - French press

cagoule - windbreaker

car park - parking

caravan - camper van/RV

caravan park - trailer park

carer - caregiver

caretaker - janitor

cashier - teller

cashpoint/cash machine - ATM

central heating boiler - furnace

central reservation - median strip

Chartered Accountant - CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

chemist - pharmacy

chips - french fries

chunder (verb) - barf (verb)

cinema, the - movies, the

city centre - downtown

climbing frame - jungle gym

clingfilm - plastic wrap

coach - bus

convoy - caravan

cooker - stove

cot - baby crib

courgette - zucchini

cornflour - corn starch

cotton bud - cotton swab/Q-tip

crisps - potato chips

crossroads - intersection

current account - checking account

curtains - blinds

cutlery - silverware/flatware

dear - expensive

dodgy - sketchy

draughts - checkers

dressing gown - bathrobe/robe

dungarees - overalls

dustbin - garbage can

duvet - comforter

earth/earthed - ground/grounded

economy class - coach class

exclamation mark - exclamation point

family business - mom and pop store

faucet - tap

fire engine - fire truck

first floor - second floor

fish fingers - fish sticks

fit (sexy) - hot (sexy)

fizzy drink - soda/pop/coke/tonic

football - soccer

flan (=fruit cake, not sweet) - flan (=sweet soft food)

flat - apartment

flypast - flyby

fringe - bangs

full beam (car) - high beam (car)

full stop - period

gammon - ham

garden - yard

gearstick - gearshift

gherkin - pickle

gilet - puffer vest

grill (verb) - broil (verb)

grocery shop - grocery store

ground floor - first floor

handbag - purse

headmaster - principal

hen do - bachelorette party

holiday - vacation

holidaymakers - vacationers

inverted commas - quotation marks

jab - shots

jug - pitcher

jumble sale - rummage sale

jumper - sweater

kitchen roll - paper towel

knickers - panties

ladybird - ladybug

lift - elevator

loo (slang) - bathroom/restroom

lorry - truck

mark - grade

maize - corn

maths - math

minced meat - ground beef

mixed school - co-education/co-ed

motorbike - motorcycle

motorway - freeway/highway

mummy/mum - mommy/mom

nappy - diaper

nil - zero

noughts and crosses - tic-tac-toe

off license - liquor store

open day - open house

pants - underwear

parcel - knickers

pavement (=road for pedestrians) - sidewalk (=pavement is concrete/tarmac road)

pay rise - pay raise

pepper/sweet pepper - bell pepper

petrol - gas/gasoline

pinafore - jumper dress

plaster - bandaid

posh - chic/classy/fancy

postcode - ZIP code

postman - mailman

potholing - spelunking

preschool/nursery school - kindergarten

purse - wallet

push chair - stroller

pyjamas - pajamas

queue - line

read (verb) - study (verb)

reception - front desk

register, take the - attendance, take

return ticket - round-trip ticket

rocket - arugula

roundabout traffic - circle/rotary

rubber - eraser

secondary school high school

sellotape - scotch tape

sweets - candy

shop - store

sittee - couch

sleeveless jumper/slipover - sweater vest

spot - pimple/zit

spring onion - green onion/scallion

staffroom - teachers' lounge

stag do - bachelor party

swimsuit - swimming suit

table (verb – = suggest) - table (verb – =delay)

tap - faucet

thong (=underwear) - thong (=shoe)

till - cash register

tin - can

timetable - schedule

toilet/bathroom -bathroom/washroom

torch - flashlight

trainers - sneakers

transport - transportation

trolley - cart

trousers - pants/slacks

tyre - tire

underground/tube - subway/metro

vest - undershirt

waistcoat - vest

wardrobe - closet

washbasin - sink

wellington boots/wellies - rubber boots

windscreen - windshield

wood, a - woods, the

zebra crossing - crosswalk

(Work in progress. Lots of slang)

A

Away with ya - you're lying/get out of here

B

Bangaxed (?) - very drunk/broken down

Black stuff - Guinness beer

Bogger - foreigner

Boyos - lads

C

Chancer - sb. doing barely legal stuff

Cheek (the ... of)

Craig, what's the - howdy/what's up

D

Dilelina (? Dublin) - delighted

Donkey years - long time

E

Eejit - idiot

F

Fair play to ya - well done

Flute - male genitals

G

Garda - police

Garden, get outta that - you're kidding

Gobshite - nonsense

Gummy -

Jacks - restroom

Lash, out on the - out drinking

Mot - GF

Nappy

Potholing - same as UK

Sham - mate

Throw shapes - look for a fight

Two shits to the wind - blind drunk

(Work in progress)

Lots of slang. Beware how you use these.

A

Aye = yes

B

Backy (?) - tobacco

Bamstick

Barny, pure (?) - scarcastic "Brilliant"

Bawbag

Bewy - drink

Bleether (?) - chat (old)

Boke (?) - to gag

Bonnie - lady/beauty

Boogin (Dundee) - dirty

C

Clat (Highlands) - to hit

Crabbit

D

Dook (v) - to jump in water

Dour - serious face

E

Eejit - idiot

F

Fizzy - soda

G

Gaun yersel (?) - you can do it

Glen - hill

Goonie - dressing gown

Greet (v/n) - to cry/ a cry

H

Haud yer weesht - shut your pie hole

How - why

Hunners - hundreds (old)

J

Jobby - slut

K

Ken (n/v) - to know/knowledge

L

Lad - boy

Lass - girl

M

N

Nae - no

O

P

Peely wally - pale

Piece n' ... - ... sandwich

R

Rank - nasty

S

Settle the messages (?) - shopping

Shite - shit

Stran (?) - mad

Swatch - quick look

T

Tadga (?) - talent

Tallies - potatoes

Trolly, off your - very drunk

U

Undace, yer bims oot the - poppycock

W

Wee - small

(Work in progress)

B

Bathroom

Biscuits

Bottle shop - liquor store

C

Capsicun - peppers

Cassies (?) (Sidney) - costume

Chips - chips (hot chips = French fries)

D

Doona

F

Footpath

Fringe - bangs (US)

G

Gumboots - boots

H

Highway/freeway

L

Lollies - candy

P

Pants

Petrol station

S

Shed

Swimmers/bathers/togs (Melb.)

T

Thongs - flip flop sandals

Phonetic scripts (alphabets, abugidas, abjads and syllabaries)

For phonetic scripts, it may help to use the names of famous people and see how many you recognize. Note that if the sign changes according to its position (like Arabic), you may need more practice examples. With the most complex scripts, comparing look-alike characters and writing exercises can help. The quicker you can get rid of the romanized script, the better.

More complex scripts (Ideographs, rebus etc.)

- Practice dictations (Use a robot voice if need be) to identify weak spots

- Practice difficult words in Anki (phonetic to spelling)

- Difficult patterns: read explanations and look for grammar drills that focus on your problem areas

1) Inventory: find Wikipedia articles of phonemes in your new language and in your native language. Compare the charts. Are there any sounds you don't have or don't distinguish between? Similar sounds may be made differently: Look at videos of natives and try to copy not just the sound but the lips and tongue etc.

2) Look up word pairs in your new language representing the sounds natives tell apart (AKA minimal pairs) that don't exist in your native language.

3) For audio, use forvo.com (Google Translate in a bind) and make blind tests to see if you can tell the words apart.

4) For those you can't yet tell apart, make an Anki deck of minimal pairs (audio front side, spelling and maybe translation in back) and keep the cards until you can tell the words apart and say them correctly yourself (according to natives or Google/Siri).

5) Melody/prosody: Speak over native recordings and get as close as possible to their overall melody and stress. Then try without the recordings. You can also record yourself reading aloud. For both of these, use STT (Google/Siri etc.). It can do wonders for your pronunciation.

6) Sound to symbol: If it's an alphabetic script/abugida/abjad, look at how sounds generally translate to different symbols in writing. The same sign may be pronounced differently in a specific place in the word or between certain sounds.

Going from being understood to passing as a native

7) Pay attention to filler words and non-verbal language natives use in the wild or in movie and start using them when you speak the language instead of those from your native language. This is what gives you away before even saying a sentence.

8) There may also be sounds you have that don't exist in your new language. Figure out the sound natives use instead so you don't accidentally add in non-native sounds. Shared words may also have a different word stress, so play close attention to this.

Verb endings follow the subject's gender. This applied to possessive pronouns and the possessive k follows this pattern ('s in English):

"Subject ka object" for m.

"Subject ki object" for f.

Question syntax:

Verbs

NB: VSO language (= verb first)

/ayin/ - has

Question word

Goes first

/2aiin/ - where

/hal/ - gen. question word

Pronouns

Masculine pronouns = a

Feminine pronouns = i

Singular

1st Person اَنا /anaa/

2nd Person (M) اَنتَ /anta/

2nd Person (F) اَنتِ /anti/

3rd Person (M) /hua/ he

3rd Person (F) /hii/ she

Nouns

Female job titles get an "a" added at the end.

/baiit/ - house

/dajaaj/ - chicken

/jaar/ - neighbor

/lugha/ - language

/maHaam/ - lawyer

/malak(a)/ - king/queen

/mualliim(a)/ - teacher

/mutarjim(a)/ - translator

/samak/ - fish

/sayyaara'a' - car

/'ustadh(a)/ - professor

/walad/ - boy

/zawj/ - husband

Adjectives

NB: After noun, no need for "is" (and = wa).

Adjectives (incl. nationalities) that describe a feminine noun have an "a" added to them.

/berid(a)/ - cold

/dekii(a)/ - smart

/ha3dii/ - regular

/jadid(a)/ - new

/jajjid(a)/ - good

/jamiil/ - pretty

/kabir/ - big

/kariim(a)/ - generous

/mumtaz(a)/ - amazing

/mumtia/ - fun

/muzbahima/ - crowded

/sahiid(a)/ - happy

/sariiha/ - fast

/waasi'a/ - spacious

Adverbs

NB: after adjective

/aayaamaa/ - very

Misc.