Is it just me..

[brixtonbrood]

or is Eyjafjallajokull clearly a dodgy transliteration of the well known Aztec god Asdfghjkl?

Just me then? (Tiny loves volcanoes and wanted me to tell him the name of this one, so I gave it my best shot).

Tube stations all have a very smart and official-looking poster outside them saying
Are You Travelling To Heathrow? - Beware of Icelandic Volcano Ash! (or words to that effect) which makes me want to pinch myself and wake up.

Good luck to travelling friends though; I'm sure the surreality doesn't make it less frustrating.

Comments

[tortipede.livejournal.com]

Am in the process of writing an assignment on language change... am thinking of including (for the sake of being topical) the trivia (trivium?) that -jökull is originally the same as the -icle of English icicle. They have big icicles in Iceland... and they hide volcanoes underneath them.

[jackfirecat.livejournal.com]

I am pleased to learn this: thanks!

[sparkymark.livejournal.com]

Just too big for the scrabble board.

[k425.livejournal.com]

I think it's pronounced eya-fyalla-yerkle.

[tortipede.livejournal.com]

Pretty much, although if we're going to get all Icelandic about it (which I bet the news media aren't) the double Ls actually make a 'lateral click' sound – like the 'tl' in the English word 'bottle' (especially if you whisper it, since technically it's voiceless). I'd hazard a guess that the IPA might be something like /eijafjatl̥a'jœkʏtl̥/ – but I'm not convinced that that will either display correctly or help in any way whatsoever...

[k425.livejournal.com]

The IPA will only help people like you and me who can read and pronounce it!

Love your icon.

[jackfirecat.livejournal.com]

>Tiny loves volcanoes

Then Gullstruck Island is a book to get ready for when he's a bit older.

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

We have it - but by the time he is ready for it he will love, oh, I dunno, Theramins.