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langpoljer.bsky.social
OrenH
@langpoljer.bsky.social
730 followers 1.4K following 160 posts
Language, society, politics: A personal view from Jerusalem
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langpoljer.bsky.social
A lot to unpack in this billboard featuring an ad for yogurt, from the prominent English-in-Hebrew letters ("Save the date") to the emotional language ("come and rejoice with mango and banana"). C'mon, it's just a fruit-flavored yogurt, not a family wedding
#AdSpeak #LinguisticLandscape #Foodscape
"Save the date": an ad for yogurt inviting customers to "come and rejoice with mango and banana"
November 11, 2025 at 2:19 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
From the mistaken "Amamya" in Arabic to the gratuitous apostrophe in English, this "Amatzya" street sign needs an overhaul
#LinguisticLandscape #Linguistics #Transliteration_fails
Trilingual street sign for Amatzya street
November 5, 2025 at 1:35 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
See under: hyperbole: For the start of the academic year, the municipality invites people to "Study in the center of the galaxy". While medieval maps cast Jerusalem as the center of the world, this takes it to a whole new level
#LinguisticLandscape #AdSpeak
Poster for the start of the academic year in Jerusalem is captioned "Study in the center of the galaxy"; graphic shows an astronaut sitting on a globe and reading a book
October 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
This sign I spotted at Lindos (Rhodes) is an interesting example of nominally bilingual signage that in practice, highlights the English and backgrounds the Greek. It's pretty clear who needs guidance for getting around the (lovely) town...
#LinguisticLandscape #Linguistics #Langsky #Greece
Bilingual Greek-English sign showing directions to Lindos Beach, Main Square and St. Paul Beach
October 23, 2025 at 8:18 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Sometimes municipal signage does change for the better: After the #Jerusalem municipality revamped their signs in the city center, the Arabic on this "Sukkat Shalom" sign looks much improved, compared to the older, incorrect "Iskat Shalom" version
#Diachronic #LinguisticLandscape #Linguistics
Trilingual "Sukkat Shalom" street sign, with correct Arabic Old trilingual "Sukkat Shalom" street sign, with Arabic reading "Iskat Shalom" incorrectly
October 21, 2025 at 7:24 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
When icons leave the digital world and appear in real life... not clear to me what the message is here though (beyond "we're digitally literate")
#LinguisticLandscape #Eilat #StreetArt
A sculpture on a waterfront in Eilat displaying three large icons, representing an @ sign, TikTok logo and # sign
September 17, 2025 at 9:54 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
This howler in Google Maps ("Hose San Martin") is probably the result of an unfortunate transliteration from Hebrew, but that's still no excuse. I assume this was meant to be José de San Martín St.
#transliteration_fails #DigitalLL
An excerpt from Google Maps of Jerusalem presenting "Hose San Martin" Street, which should probably read José de San Martín Street
May 8, 2025 at 1:23 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Pesach is traditionally a season for holiday-oriented ad copy; here, a play on words between Hebrew/Aramaic phrase for "on one hand-on the other" (meḥad gisa-me'idach gisa) and Had Gadya liturgical song. All that is supposed to whet one's appetite for tuna fish...
#Linguistics #Langsky #DigitalLL
Ad for tuna products, saying "Mehad Gadya" it's tasty and nutritious, and "Meidach Gadya" it's Kosher for Pesach
March 30, 2025 at 12:03 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
And this is why diacritics matter:
Hebrew: New (referring to new traffic light)
English: New
Arabic: Iron ("ḥadid" rather than "jadid")
#LinguisticLandscape #Linguistics #translation_fails
Sign for a new traffic light reading "New" in Hebrew and English but "Iron" in Arabic due to missing diacritic ("ḥadid" rather than "jadid")
March 13, 2025 at 2:33 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
No man is an island: What do you do when Hebrew street name already has a perfectly good spelling in English, but pronunciation is different? 2 signs, 2 solutions (IMO, writing "Island" doesn't work here, should just write "Iceland")
#Linguistics #LinguisticLandscape #Langsky #transliteration_fails
Island (Iceland) street sign in three languages Island street sign in three languages - should read "Iceland" in English
March 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Two nearby signs leading to the Jerusalem Zoo Road ("Gan Hahayot Rd) show just how messed up Arabic signage can be- one has "darb" as road, but the other offers "min khilal" since Hebrew derech can also mean "through." cf. Latin "via"
#Linguistics #LinguisticLandscape #langsky #translation_fails
Street sign with "Gan Hahayot Road" (Zoo Road) in English and Hebrew, but incorrect Arabic indicating "through the zoo" Street sign with "Gan Hahayot Road" (Zoo Road) in English and Hebrew, with a better Arabic translation for Road ("darb")
March 3, 2025 at 8:38 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Gotta watch out for those specious penthouses
#translation_fails #LinguisticLandscape
Sign advertising "specious penthouses," garden apt. of 4-5 rooms, regular apt. of 4-7 rooms, underground parking and storage room
February 14, 2025 at 6:01 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
I may be calculating this wrong, but if Phil the groundhog sees its shadow on Feb 2, then there are six more months of wintry weather, which takes the cold all the way into August... oh wait. It's six more WEEKS, not six months. Sorry for the scare
www.almanac.com/groundhog-day
Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day, a day that some believe indicates whether spring is on its way or more wintry weather is coming. The Old Farmers Almanac explains that if a groundhog (Punxsutawney Phil) sees its shadow on this day, it means there will be six more months of wintry weather; if it doesn’t, then spring is around the corner.
January 18, 2025 at 8:26 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Happy World Arabic Language Day to all those who speak, learn or appreciate the language!
#WorldArabicLanguageDay
أطيب التهاني بمناسبة أليوم العالمي للغة العربية
Chart showing the Arabic alphabet (image: Pixabay)
December 18, 2024 at 9:53 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
This café demonstrates the adding of Hebrew vowels to signs in English characters: here, two ḥiriqs and a pataḥ (to make it even clearer how to read "Michali's"). As @aharoni.bsky.social explains, it can also give a sense of familiarity to the Hebrew reader
#LinguisticLandscape #linguistics #langsky
Cafe sign reads "Michali's" with Hebrew vowels added
December 12, 2024 at 8:35 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
I think of these as party horns, but this Curious George (not the original series, though) book suggests "party blowers"
Excerpt from "Curious George and the Birthday Surprise": "In the living room George found party blowers... and hats"
December 12, 2024 at 1:37 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
An interesting addition to the #LinguisticLandscape in Jerusalem: it looks like sign language but one ISL informant was unable to make sense of it. So just performative, or perhaps another sign language? Input welcome
#Linguistics #Langsky
A sign atop a building showing various hand gestures, possibly sign language
December 11, 2024 at 8:22 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Art at the promenade: "The Pomegranate" (Zoe Sever, 2001), a sculpture and monument in memory of the Jewish families of Macedonia and Salonika that perished in the Holocaust. A closer look shows the names of the families on the sculpture, making this part of the Jerusalem #LinguisticLandscape
The Pomegranate - sculpture located near the Sherover Promenade The Pomegranate - explanatory text in Hebrew and English The Pomegranate - closeup
November 30, 2024 at 9:09 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Hebrew is not always dominant in Jerusalem #LinguisticLandscape: The Muffin Boutique, founded by Montrealers, is almost exclusively in English (also promising "Montréal bagels"). But a sharp eye can spot the Hebrew: Kazeh `od lo ta`amta" - You haven't tasted anything like it
#Linguistics #Langsky
Muffin Boutique in Jerusalem (sign reads: Coffee and Bakery, and in Hebrew: You haven't tasted anything like it"). Vertically printed is the legend: Montréal bagels
November 30, 2024 at 2:27 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
It's not. That. Difficult.
To get the Arabic right on street signs. In this case: "Geralyahu Alon" instead of Gedalyahu Alon. And don't get me started on the vowels
#transliteration_fails #LinguisticLandscape #Linguistics #Langsky
Trilingual street sign that says "Gedalyahu Alon" in Hebrew and English but "Geralyahu Alon" in Arabic
November 27, 2024 at 8:01 AM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Creature might have been right at home Where the Wild Things Are
Scene from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, showing Max and the Wild Things hanging from trees
November 18, 2024 at 8:04 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Bilingual graffiti spotted in Jerusalem: "Woodstock for Peace" (Hebrew and Arabic). Apparently an ad for an upcoming festival, not just a reference to the original
#LinguisticLandscape #Linguistics #Langsky
Graffiti showing a dove with the caption "Woodstock for Peace" in Hebrew and Arabic
November 15, 2024 at 2:17 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Sometimes you get the feeling that the Arabic sign makers are just phoning it in...
On this bike rental sign, look at "annual subscription" versus "3 month subscription"
#translation_fails #LinguisticLandscape #Langsky 🐦🐦
On this sign, compare Arabic for "annual subscription" to Arabic for "3 month subscription" (hint: it's six of one and half a dozen of the other)
August 7, 2024 at 5:13 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Spotted downtown:
"Yeru-salam," in combined Hebrew and Arabic script. So "Jerusalem," but with peace included
Photo: Hagit
#LinguisticLandscape #graffiti #Langsky 🐦🐦
"Yeru-salam" graffiti in combined Hebrew and Arabic
June 28, 2024 at 1:08 PM
langpoljer.bsky.social
Another sign that tries but fails:
Is it Choyin? Is it Chofin? At least in English it's Chopin
#transliteration_fails #LinguisticLandscape #Langsky 🐦🐦
Trilingual "Frederic Chopin" sign in Hebrew, Arabic and English
May 10, 2024 at 8:39 AM