Kana for kids!

[muckefuck]

Today I'm working on Japanese children's books because, well, as I've mentioned before, I'm the only one here who knows how. (And--as I've doubtless also mentioned before--it's a sad day indeed when I'm your kanji expert.) Right now I'm looking at what must be the crudest internationalisation job ever. We have here the regular Japanese edition--cover all in kana--with English text printed on what look like Post-Its pasted over the Japanese text. As a co-worker remarked, it's sure to teach kids the languages since they'll yank off the slips in no time and be left with nothing but hiragana.

I also have to wonder if anyone told the translators where the text was going. The grammar is flawless, bu there is much talk of catching and eating "sillaginoids". (As another co-worker said, "I vaguely recognise that as a term referring to a form of life." "Good thing we teach 'em phonics!" I replied.) The frickin' OED doesn't even have this word! However, a quick web search finds that you can easily buy merchandise with the corresponding kanji. Be the first on your block to advertise your sillaginoidophilia!

Comments

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

AFAICT from Fishbase, any relationship would be at the level of Order (Perciformes). Sillago looks Latinate, but I can't find a Latin etymon, so perhaps it is derived from dialectal English sillago. It gets tough, after all, to come up with fresh names for all them fishies!