Cracking the language code The UK Linguistics Olympiad Dick Hudson UCS, November 2011.

Cracking the language codeThe UK Linguistics

Olympiad

Dick Hudson

UCS, November 2011

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.

A puzzle for Indiana Jonesuklo.org

Where is Cleopatra?uklo.org

Cleopatra

t

rp a a

p

tcl

e o

o l

e

Ptolemy

• Spot the pattern!

Football teams in Chineseuklo.org

Japanese hiraganauklo.org

See if you can sort out which is which.

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)

What's up in Manam?

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!

The Linguistics Olympiad

• Exotic glimpses of other cultures

• Code-cracking meets sudoku

• Compete

• thousands of other bright youngsters

• like the Maths Challenge

• To find out more, visit:

• www.uklo.org