Overview
boru niko = two balls
tsuna nihon = two ropes
uma nito = two horses
kami nimai = two sheets of paper
ashi gohon = five legs
ringo goko = five apples
sara gomai = five plates
kaba goto = five hippos
Now, how do the Japanese say “nine cucumbers”?*
a) kyuri kyuhon
b) kyuri kyuko
c) kyuri kyuhiki
d) kyuri kyuto
Bellos finds the intrigue—and the human element—in a dizzying array of ancient, modern, and even invented tongues, from hieroglyphs to Blissymbolics, Danish to Dothraki. Filled with unusual alphabets, fascinating characters, and intriguing local customs for time-telling, naming children, and more, this is a bravura book of brainteasers and beyond—it’s a globe-trotting, time-traveling celebration of language.
*The word endings depend on shape: Flat things end in -mai and spherical things end in -ko. Cucumbers are long things (like ropes and legs), so they end in -hon. The answer is (a)!
This book title, The Language Lover's Puzzle Book (A World Tour of Languages and Alphabets in 100 Amazing Puzzles), ISBN: 9781615198047, by Alex Bellos, published by The Experiment (November 9, 2021) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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