The Linguist

@CIOL_Linguists SUMMER 2023 The Linguist 29 OPINION & COMMENT including the poomoji and rolling eyes! 2 To add to the potential woes, what if the emoji received is not the same image you sent? Smiling faces sent from an iPhone can look different when received on an Android phone. 3 I love that emojis are constantly expanding and revealing new possibilities. Microsoft Teams would be rather one-dimensional without them, and in my head my colleagues acquire alter egos based on their favourites. Are they thinking the same about me? Notes 1 Rhatigan, D (2019) 'The Cultural Phenomenon of Emoji'. In Adobe Blog; cutt.ly/AdobeBlog 2 Wann, B (2022) '20 Emojis You Should Never Use at Work'. In benjaminwann.com/blog 3 Peralta, E (2016) 'Lost in Translation: Study finds interpretation of emojis can vary widely'. In The Two-Way, NPR; cutt.ly/EmojisLost sparking positive conversations about cultural and societal issues. I often have to message people in other teams who I've never chatted to and will never meet. Once the initial introduction is done, a friendly face or something encouraging like a rocket launching is all it takes to build a little rapport. They're good for cutting across age gaps too. However, they can and do go wrong. I've certainly communicated the wrong thing, or at the wrong level, like the time I sent rolling eyes to someone who couldn't see anything funny. Among the well-known fails are the aubergine and peach emojis, which have sexual connotations in many countries and are likely to offend. Cultural awareness is vital, as in every other type of communication. Things that look straightforward or universally understood can still miss the mark and much hard-won warmth can be quickly undone. A face with tears is courting misinterpretation, unless you're sure you know the recipient well enough. Are they tears of joy? Or frustration? Or just straight crying?! A recent business blog post offered timely warnings about emojis to avoid in this setting, Kate Trotman MCIL is Chair of The Linguist Editorial Board and a Legal Project Manager for Questel Language Solutions (morningtrans.com). TL Across 1 A high voice in Italian. (4) 3 Languages group associated mainly with the Horn of Africa. (8) 9 Most of the population of this francophone country speak Arabic. (7) 10 Formerly the Gold Coast, 80% of this country's citizens speak Akan languages. (5) 11 _____ talk is associated with the religious movement followed by Bob Marley. (5) 12 Thaler coins are the origin of this currency. (6) 14 The country bordering only Senegal. (6) 16 Mother tongue of Mo Farah. (6) 19 An example of hypocorism, this was word of the year in 2013. (6) 21 To improvise, at one's pleasure. (2-3) 24 City in Senegal from Wolof for 'tamarind'. (5) 25 The sunset prayer in Islam. (7) 26 They probably speak Lettish. (8) 27 Once the Ivory Coast, now ___ d'Ivoire. (4) Down 1 Another self. (5,3) 2 They distinguish meaning in many oriental languages, but also Bantu. (5) 4 Swahili is an official language of this country. (6) 5 German philosopher who features in Monty Python's Philosophers Song. (5) 6 Lizard from Maori 'peaks on the back'. (7) 7 Francophone nation where Arabic is spoken. (4) 8 Local soldier serving the armies of colonial powers in Africa. (6) 13 English, Shona and Ndebele are the most spoken languages here. (8) 15 South African mammal, probably named after its association with termite mounds. (7) 17 Longest river in S Africa. (6) 18 Namibia used to be known as ______ South West Africa. (6) 20 The principal language of Iran. (5) 22 Music in a very slow tempo. (5) 23 Something, or someone, revered. (4) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Crossword no.34 Solution, page 34 © SHUTTERSTOCK

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