#languagesincontact

[falafelgoestoaub]

Raseef22:

Did you know these English words were originally taken from Arabic?

I found this fascinating article on how some words like "Arsenal" and "Broker" originated from the Arabic language. I only knew "Alcohol" and "Checkmate" from this list.

[berytus-holmes]

This one is brilliant! It popped up on Facebook.

There’s a popular meme on the internet of Gandalf saying “I have no memory of this place” as per LotR. See here for examples, or Google it, or check the tag right here on tumblr.

This one has him in a familiar predicament (especially here with Lebanon’s interminable color-coded underground parking lots) and so he says “I have no memory Wean Safet (where I parked).”

As always, this is more than meets the eye: it assumes a Lebanese reader (especially Lebanese, as “Wean Safet” is Lebanese slang) who a) reads and understand English, b) has watched LotR and c) is privvy to internet memes. Also the choice of how to spell “Wean” is a personal one on behalf of the person who created the post, as it could be spelled “wein,” “wen,” etc.