425

Just one drink between the three of us.  Times are hard.

In this blogposting...

* Happy New Year

* AGM XXXIX

* Le Blog à Pépère

Tread softly...

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

For the many thousands of blogsters who haven’t quite managed to match the Happy New Year greetings with their appropriate languages in posting 422 and are thus losing considerable amounts of sleep unnecessarily, here’s the same list again - but sorted!

ALBANIAN - gëzuar vitin e ri
ALSATIAN - e glëckliches nëies / güets nëies johr
ARMENIAN - shnorhavor nor tari
BASQUE - urte berri on
BOSNIAN - sretna nova godina
BRETON - bloavezh mat / bloavez mad
CATALAN - bon any nou
CORNISH - bledhen nowedh da
CORSICAN - pace è salute
CROATIAN - sretna nova godina
CZECH - šťastný nový rok
DANISH - godt nytår
DUTCH - gelukkig nieuwjaar
ERSE - bliadhna mhath ur
ESPERANTO - feliĉan novan jaron
FAROESE - gott nýggjár
FINNISH - onnellista uutta vuotta
FLEMISH - gelukkig nieuwjaar
FRENCH - bonne année
GERMAN - frohes neues Jahr / prosit Neujahr
HAWAIIAN - hauoli makahiki hou
HUNGARIAN - boldog új évet
ICELANDIC - gleðilegt nýtt ár
IRISH - ath bhliain faoi mhaise
ITALIAN - felice anno nuovo / buon anno
LATIN - felix sit annus novus
LUXEMBOURGEOIS - e gudd neit Joër
MAORI - kia hari te tau hou
NORWEGIAN - godt nyttår
OCCITAN - bon annada
PORTUGUESE - feliz ano novo
SPANISH - feliz año nuevo
SWEDISH - gott nytt år
WELSH - blwyddyn newydd dda
As a lover of wordlore, I think this makes for quite a list. 

It shows up the deplorable spelling conventions of Irish and Erse, which give no clue at all about how the words should be pronounced. 

It demonstrates the weird Franco-German blancmange of Alsatian and Luxembourgeois, both now recognised as separate languages. 

Once again, French singles itself out, this time as the only language in the list not to feel obliged to include the word ‘new’.

It points up the close family relationship between Cornish, Breton and Welsh - the Breton language was taken to France by Celts from Cornwall and Wales - and between Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

Best of all, though, are the Polynesian/Pacific languages - Maori and Hawaiian.  Who wouldn’t simply melt when being wished kia hari te tau hou or hauoli makahiki hou by some grass-skirted nymphette or hunk with a flower in their hair?

Er...anyway…

Happy New Year.

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AGM XXXIX
The turnout for AGM XXXIX could best be described as ‘modest’.  Perhaps the Honourable Company was getting its own back for the last AGM, which Hildie and I both missed, by absenting its collective self from this one.

Such things are unimportant, though, in the great truckshunter scheme of things.  Hildie, Brenda and me made up a quorum and the AGM went swimmingly well.  It was a sunny day - naturally - and the company was good.  What more could we ask for!

Here are some photos of Hildie trying to melt into the background.

 

 

 

A big Thankyou to them both for all the chat, jokes and fun. 

And here’s to number 40!

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LE BLOG À PÉPÈRE
Take a look at Serge’s latest postings (as well as the wonderful postings from the Farne Islands blog).

His report - and specially the pictures - of the beard competition have given me some unlikely ideas for 2013.  You never know!

And the quotation he cites in another posting just about says it all.  If you’re not sure what it means, it says ‘God loves the birds and makes trees for them; mankind loves the birds and makes cages for them’.

Nuff said.

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CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or email me:  truckshunters@googlemail.com