Finnish Compound Words

Finnish has many compound words. Many of them are very descriptive. Here are ten:

1) autotalli (garage) (car + stable)

2) jääkaappi (refrigerator) (ice + closet)

3) kenkälusikka (shoehorn) (shoe + spoon)

4) laskuvarjo (parachute) (bill + shadow)

5) lentokone (airplane) (flight + machine)

6) lohikäärme (dragon) (salmon + snake)

7) mehujää (popsicle) (juice + ice)

8) silmämuna (eyeball) (eye + egg)

9) tietokone (computer) (knowledge + machine)

10) valtameri (ocean) (power + sea)

Many Finnish compound words are formed as in English. The word kirjahylly (bookshelf) consists of kirja (book) and hylly (shelf). However, a number of compound words are formed differently. The Finnish word maailma (world) is not a compound word in English. It consists of maa (world) and ilma (air).

Skylark

The Hungarian writer Dezső Kosztolányi wrote Skylark. It is the story of an elderly couple and their daughter. The parents are disappointed that their daughter has not married, but she is a good girl and they adore her. When she goes away for one week to visit relatives, they wonder how they will manage without her.

To their surprise, they start to enjoy life again. They play the piano, go out to eat, go to the theatre, drink, party and meet friends they have not seen in a long time. They have such a good time that they come to the realization that their daughter is a burden to them. She takes good care of them, but their life is not ideal.

When Skylark returns from her vacation, the parents realize how isolated they have been in their small town and how their lives used to be. They also realize that Skylark is not an attractive girl and will probably never marry. Though they are all disappointed, it is a reality that they accept.

The novel Skylark is about the relationship of Skylark and her elderly parents. When the daughter goes away, the parents are filled with sadness and wonder how they will live without her. However, as time passes, they rediscover the joy that has gone from their lives.

When Skylark returns, the reader can only wonder if the lives of Skylark and her parents will change or if they will go back to the way they used to be. Skylark and her parents love one another, but their lives have become very quiet and routine. It is best for them to enjoy life more.

Translated Song (City In Light)

The Swedish singer Tommy Körberg is well-known in Sweden. One of his most popular songs is Stad i Ljus (City in Light). Here are the lyrics along with my English translation:

Stad i Ljus

Min resa var mot solen,

långt bortom alla slutna rum,

Där allting är oändligt

och alla gränser har förevigt suddats ut.

Jag ville se miraklet

och höra ord som föder liv,

Bli buren av en styrka,

som bara växer när jag anat mitt motiv.

Stad i ljus, i ett land utan namn,

Ge mig liv, där allting föds på nytt.

Och så när allt förändrats,

när tiden inte längre finns,

Så ser jag oss tilsammans,

och då är resan slut,

Det enda som vi minns.

Stad i ljus, i ett land utan namn,

Ge mig liv, där allting föds på nytt.

Stad i ljus, i ett land utan namn,

Ge mig liv, där allting föds på nytt.

City in Light

My journey was to the sun,

Far beyond all enclosed spaces,

Where everything is endless

And all borders have been erased forever.

I wanted to see the miracle

And hear words which bear life,

Be carried by a force

Which only grows when it senses my motive.

City in light in a land without name,

Give me life where all is born again.

And so when all has changed,

When time no longer exists,

So I see us together,

And then the journey is over,

The only thing that we remember.

City in light in a land without name,

Give me life where all is born again,

City in light in a land without name,

Give me life where all is born again.

English Word Stress and Sentence Stress

English is a language with variable stress. Though many words have first-syllable stress, it can also occur with other syllables. Sentence stress is also important. In sentences many monosyllabic words are stressed more than others.

Variable word stress can be illustrated with the words photograph, photographer and photographic. Though the three words are related, they are all stressed differently. The word photograph has first-syllable stress, the word photographer has second-syllable stress and photographic has third-syllable stress.

The modal verb can is monosyllabic, In has two pronunciations, strong and weak. The strong pronunciation occurs when it is stressed and the weak pronunciation when it is unstressed.

In the sentence Yes, I can, the word can has strong stress. However, in the sentence You can sing very well, the word can is usually unstressed and pronounced with either a syllabic nasal or schwa. If the word can is stressed, the sentence sounds emphatic or as a response to a sentence such as I can't sing very well.

In sentences certain words are said with more prominence than others. Notice the stress in the following sentences:

We want to start.

We want to start the presentation.

We want to start the presentation after lunch.

We want to start the presentation after lunch, but we understand if we can't.

English stress is important both at the word level and sentence level. Many English words that may be stressed in isolation are unstressed in sentences. Words such as can have two pronunciations. The stressed pronunciation is strong, and the unstressed pronunciation is weak.

Poem (If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking)

The American poet Emily Dickinson wrote many beautiful poems. The poem If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking is known by the first verse, but it is untitled. It is a short poem with only seven verses.

If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking

If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not die in vain.

The poem addresses the meaning of life. In a world full of sorrow, the narrator considers sympathy and compassion towards others ways of living a life with purpose. The poem reminds us that we can help others to overcome sadness.

Capitalization of Nouns In German

German nouns are always capitalized. This is true regardless of the position of the noun in the sentence. This rule of punctuation sets German apart from most languages.

Here are examples:

Mein Zug steht auf Gleis drei. (My train is on track three)

Ich trink jeden Morgen Kaffee. (I drink coffee every morning)

Meine Schwester hat ein schönes Haus. (My sister has a beautiful house)

Der Garten hat viele Pflanzen und Blumen. (The garden has many plants and flowers)

Das Frühstück ist oft eine kleine Mahlzeit des Tages. (Breakfast is often a small meal of the day)

One rule of German punctuation is that all nouns must be capitalized. It was also once a rule of Danish punctuation, but the rule was abolished in 1948. The result of capitalizion of nouns in German is that they are easily identified in the sentence.

Positions in Volleyball

Many fans of volleyball may not be familiar with all the positions. Each time has six players on the court at one time. They rotate so that they all have the opportunity to serve.

The setter is the main contributor to the offence of the team. It is the setter's role to place the ball well for one of the attacking players. The setter is usually on the right side of the court and behind the opposite hitter.

In the middle of the court is the middle blocker. The middle blocker next to the setter is the middle blocker in the back court. The middle blocker in the back court can be substituted for the libero. The libero cannot serve, block or spike the ball and can only play in the back court.

To the left of the middle blocker is the outside hitter. The outside hitter in the back court can also be next to the libero.

In the front court and in front of the setter is the opposite hitter. The opposite hitter is on the right.

Next to the opposite hitter is the middle blocker. The one in the front court plays next to the opposite hitter.

The final position is for the outside hitter. The outside hitter is on the left. 

Numbers can also be used to refer to the positions. The outside hitter in the front court is number 1, and the outside hitter in the back court is number 2. The middle blocker in the back court or the libero is number 3, and the setter is number 4. The opposite hitter in the front row is number 5, and the middle blocker in the front row is number 6.

Two other positions are the defensive specialist and the serving specialist. The defensive specialist plays in the same position as the middle blocker in the back court and the libero. Teams can substitute any player for the defensive specialist, and the defensive specialist is not include in the team's total of twelve subsitutions.

The serving specialist with a very strong serve who enters the game to improve the team's chances of winning a point. If the team loses the serve, the serving specialist is removed from the court.

Volleyball teams have six players on the court at one time. However, in the back court, teams may have a middle blocker, libero or defensive specialist. In special circumstances, they may also choose to add a serving specialist.