cracking the language code the uk linguistics olympiad dick hudson ucs, november 2011
TRANSCRIPT
What it takes
Brains to analyse to spot patterns
Determination to keep going when you're stuck
Imagination to keep an open mind to think outside the box
Why 'linguistics'?
Because the Olympiad is all about language Linguistics is the scientific study of
language The problems are about:
writing and sounds meanings grammar etc.
Ancient Greek – but in Roman letters
The Greek phrases A-H have been translated into English, but the translations 1-8 have been jumbled up. Your task is to un-jumble them.
uklo.org
Manam Island, Papua New Guinea
The sentences below tell us where Onkau, Kulu, Mombwa, Tola, Sulung, Sala, Pita and Butokang live. Can you work out who lives where?
uklo.org
auta = North ilau = South
ata = West awa = East(5)
(3)(4)
DEAD END!
THINK AGAIN!
Sala
Tola(1)
(2)
Where's North in Manam?
Is the sun always in the North?
Until recently, there were
• no maps
• no compasses
What are they like in Manam?
They're like us.
They enjoy a day at the seaside.
And they don't know where North is.
What's where in Manam Island?
The sentences below tell us where Onkau, Kulu, Mombwa, Tola, Sulung, Sala, Pita and Butokang live. Can you work out who lives where?
uklo.org
auta = up ilau = down
ata = left awa = right(5)
(3)
Sala
Tola
New idea: When relating two places, imagine standing between them facing uphill!
(4)
(6)Sulung
Pita(8)
Butokang
(7)
So what?
• Languages have very different ways of coding the same message.
• Cracking the code is a challenge.
• But they don't even always code the same meanings.
• And that is why I love linguistics!