Linguistici

I sometimes think Italian sounds like the ee-language.

Let me try to explain, however I'm not sure this translates.

In Swedish, ”the ee-language” (i-språket, link in Swedish only), is a sort of language game, a play with words. Every vowel in every word is replaced by the letter i, in Swedish always pronounced ”ee”.

If Eey treeyd tee eempleey this reele in English it widd be keempletely inceempreheensible.

?

It's hard, maybe not possible to do this in a language like English with lots of diphthongs. I believe most languages have diphthongs, Swedish has none (almost).

I saw a sign today in Capri town, it said ”Intimissimi” (a boutique for underwear, ”the most intimate”).

Also the headline above, Linguistici (=”linguistically” in plural) sound like the ee-language (even though, ok all linguists reading this, there is a diphthong in gui).

Another example, instructions on our toiletseat: ”non gettare gli absorbenti igienici nei W.C.”.

I love that word, igienici. It's completely ee-language.

The other night we were invited, like all guests at the Villa San Michele, to join the director Peter Cottino to the regular Wednesday meeting, where new guests are introduced to the ways of this impressive institution, the San Michele Foundation.

If you're a newcomer, you are to present yourself in a few words.

At situations like this, when you're new and uncertain how things work, who isn't a little bit nervous? I couldn't help but toy with the idea of introducing myself in the ee-language.

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Sorry, in Swedish only:

Hij, jig hitir Lirs Fihri ich jig ir grifisk firmgiviri ich liriri pi Bickmins Disignhigskili. Jig irbitir mid in idig ginski birtglimd firfittiri, Illi Bjirni sim livdi millin 1890 ich 1969.”

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It may not surprise you that I didn't. (I think that had I done it, it would possibly have amused Ulla Bjerne, who was a bit of a prankster.)

Every Wednesday one guest has offered to present his or her work. This time, Anders Fahlbeck, a former assistent to Josef Oliv's, a legendary director of the institution, talked about his research on guests at the villa during the 1950's and 60's.

It was a very interesting talk and afterwards some of us had dinner at da Gemma, an institution in itself in Capri town.

Beautiful detail, Anders met his wife Åsa, also present, on Capri 1960, when she was working at the Swedish solar station then run by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.