German language German (Deutsch [ˈdɔʏtʃ]) is a West Germanic language that derives most of its vocabulary from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.[9] Several German words are derived from Latin and Greek, and fewer are borrowed from French and English. Widely spoken languages which are most similar to German include Luxembourgish, Dutch, the Frisian languages, the Scandinavian languages, and English. German is the native language of about 100 million people, making it the most widely spoken native language in the European Union and one of the major languages of the world.[10] German is a pluricentric language, with multiple countries having their own standardised variants (e.g. Austrian German, Swiss Standard German) as well as many dialects. History[edit] Origins[edit] The history of the German language begins with the High German consonant shift during the migration period, which separated Old High German dialects from Old Saxon. Modern German[edit] Germany[edit] Switzerland[edit]
Home Welcome to fsi-language-courses.org - the home for language courses developed by the Foreign Service Institute. These courses were developed by the United States government and are in the public domain. This site is dedicated to making these language courses freely available in an electronic format. This site is not affiliated in any way with any government entity; it is an independent, non-profit effort to foster the learning of worldwide languages. Courses here are made available through the private efforts of individuals who are donating their time and resources to provide quality materials for language learning. Website back up. April 13, 2013 The site has been down for two months to the day. On the bright side, there are now other sources for these materials: Please bookmark these sites as well. Catching Up January 16, 2011 The following texts have been posted over the months since this page's last update: Various Updates April 16, 2010 New Material January 29, 2010 November 12, 2009 New Text
Yoruba religion The Yorùbá religion comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practices of the Yorùbá people. Its homeland is in Southwestern Nigeria and the adjoining parts of Benin and Togo, a region that has come to be known as Yorùbáland. Yorùbá religion is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder. Beliefs[edit] According to Kola Abimbola, the Yorùbá have evolved a robust cosmology.[1] In brief, it holds that all human beings possess what is known as "Àyànmô"[4] (destiny, fate) and are expected to eventually become one in spirit with Olódùmarè (Olòrún, the divine creator and source of all energy). Each person attempts to achieve transcendence and find their destiny in Òrún-Réré (the spiritual realm of those who do good and beneficial things). Those who stop growing spiritually, in any of their given lives, are destined for "Òrún-Apadi" (the invisible realm of potsherds). Prayer to one's Orí Òrún produces an immediate sensation of joy. Olódùmarè[edit] See also[edit]
English language English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and is now a global lingua franca.[5][6] It is an official language of almost 60 sovereign states and the most commonly spoken language in sovereign states including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and a number of Caribbean nations. It is the third-most-common native language in the world, after Mandarin and Spanish.[7] It is widely learned as a second language and is an official language of the European Union and of the United Nations, as well as of many world organisations. English arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and what is now southeast Scotland. The Norman conquest of England in the 11th century gave rise to heavy borrowings from Norman French: thus a layer of elaborate vocabulary, particularly in the field of governance, and some Romance-language spelling conventions[17][18] were added to what had by then become Middle English. Etymology
Learn 40 Languages for Free: Spanish, English, Chinese & More How to learn languages for free? This collection features lessons in 48 languages, including Spanish, French, English, Mandarin, Italian, Russian and more. Download audio lessons to your computer or mp3 player and you’re good to go. Amharic Foreign Service Institute Basic Amharic — Audio — TextbookLessons with dialogues, drills, exercises, and narratives will teach you the basics of this language spoken in Ethiopia. Ancient Greek Ancient Greek Introduction — Web SiteThe UT-Austin Linguistics Research Center provides an overview of Ancient Greek and 10 lessons based on famous Greek texts. Arabic Bookmark our free Arabic lessons section. American Sign Language Introductory American Sign Language Course — YouTubeBy the end of this course you should have a basic bank of ASL words that you are able to use to form simple sentences. Bambara Bambara in Mali — Web SiteLessons from the Peace Corps. Bulgarian Cambodian Catalan Chinese Czech Danish Lao
Mesopotamian religion The god Marduk and his dragon Mušḫuššu Mesopotamian religion refers to the religious beliefs and practices followed by the Sumerian and East Semitic Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian and later migrant Arameans and Chaldeans, living in Mesopotamia (a region encompassing modern Iraq, Kuwait, southeast Turkey and northeast Syria) that dominated the region for a period of 4200 years from the fourth millennium BCE throughout Mesopotamia to approximately the 10th century CE in Assyria.[1] Mesopotamian polytheism was the only religion in ancient Mesopotamia for thousands of years before entering a period of gradual decline beginning between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE. Reconstruction[edit] As with most dead religions, many aspects of the common practices and intricacies of the doctrine have been lost and forgotten over time. History[edit] Overview map of ancient Mesopotamia. Akkadian names first appear in king lists of these states circa 2800 BCE. Religion in the Neo-Assyrian Empire[edit] "Enlil!
Germanic languages This article is about a branch of languages. It is not to be confused with German language. The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of approximately 500 million people[nb 1] mainly in North America, Oceania, Western and Northern Europe. The West Germanic branch includes the two most widely spoken Germanic languages: English, with approximately 300–400 million native speakers,[3][nb 2] and German, with over 100 million native speakers.[4] Other major West Germanic languages are Dutch with 23 million speakers,[5] Low German with approximately 5 million in Germany[6] and 1.7 million in the Netherlands,[7] and Afrikaans, an offshoot of Dutch, with over 7.2 million.[8] The main North Germanic languages are Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, and Faroese, which have a combined total of about 20 million speakers.[9] The East Germanic branch included Gothic, Burgundian, and Vandalic, all of which are now extinct. History[edit]
Free Language Courses Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire (/sɨˈluːsɪd/; from Greek: Σελεύκεια, Seleúkeia) was a Hellenistic state ruled by the Seleucid dynasty founded by Seleucus I Nicator following the division of the empire created by Alexander the Great.[4][5][6][7] Seleucus received Babylonia and, from there, expanded his dominions to include much of Alexander's near eastern territories. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Kuwait, Persia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and northwest parts of India. History[edit] Partition of Alexander's empire[edit] Alexander conquered the Persian Empire under its last Achaemenid dynast, Darius III, within a short time frame and died young, leaving an expansive empire of partly Hellenised culture without an adult heir. The empire was put under the authority of a regent in the person of Perdiccas in 323 BC, and the territories were divided between Alexander's generals, who thereby became satraps, at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC.
Lingua franca A lingua franca also called a bridge language, or vehicular language, is a language systematically (as opposed to occasionally, or casually) used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.[1] Lingua francas have arisen around the globe throughout human history, sometimes for commercial reasons (so-called "trade languages") but also for diplomatic and administrative convenience, and as a means of exchanging information between scientists and other scholars of different nationalities. The term originates with one such language, Mediterranean Lingua Franca. Characteristics[edit] "Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic history or structure of the language:[2] though pidgins and creoles often function as lingua francas, many such languages are neither pidgins nor creoles. Etymology[edit] Examples[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] Hall, R.A.
UniLang • Home //_.YORUBA.CULTURAL.INSTITUTE._\\ Apply for Summer Intensive Apply for One on One Tutorial Apply for Online Course Background Based upon the requests of native speakers of Yoruba who want to learn the language, and upon our experience teaching students who have requested we teach groups they form, we have developed a fool-proof mechanism for learning the Yoruba language. We are certain without a doubt that anyone who takes our courses can become fluent by completing the full curriculum. The Yoruba Cultural Institute offers a number of learning options. More importantly, our program focuses primarily on realistic dialogue for students of all levels. Extra-Curricular In addition to classroom instruction, our program supports language learning through outside cultural activities that emphasize language use. Immersion Intensive (Summer: June to August) (Fall: September to November) What’s NYC in the Summer but a festival of African Culture? SUMMER DATES: June 3 to August 21st Location: Brooklyn, NY Course Includes: Apply Now Apply Now
Greek language Greek (Modern Greek: ελληνικά [eliniˈka] "Greek" and ελληνική γλώσσα [eliniˈci ˈɣlosa] ( ) "Greek language") is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, western Asia Minor, Greece, and the Aegean Islands, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history; other systems, such as Linear B and the Cypriot syllabary, were previously used. The alphabet arose from the Phoenician script and was in turn the basis of the Latin, Cyrillic, Coptic, and many other writing systems. The Greek language holds an important place in the histories of Europe, the more loosely defined Western world, and Christianity; the canon of ancient Greek literature includes works of monumental importance and influence for the future Western canon such as the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey. Idealized portrayal of Homer History[edit]
Origins of Zydeco and Cajun Music by Tom Dempsey Origins of Zydeco and Cajun Music by Tom Dempsey, Seattle, WA. May 1996 My love for zydeco dancing inspired me to dig into the history of zydeco music. I discovered that over several generations, Acadians became “Cajuns,” and the word “Creole” changed meaning several times. Acadian Settlers Were Expelled Back in the early 1600’s, French settlers immigrated to Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia, Canada), bringing with them old folk songs of medieval France. “Creole” Changes Definition In the early Louisiana settlements, the term “Creole” referred to people of French or Spanish parentage who were born in Louisiana. Many non-enslaved Creoles, light-skinned blacks, or mulattos formed an aristocratic society in New Orleans during the time of slavery. Today, the nouns “Creole” and “Cajun” have the following common interpretations: • “Creole” usually refers to “a French-speaking black of Southwest Louisiana.” Acadian Becomes “Cajun” Encyclopedia of Cajun Culture