Yaron Matras
@YaronMatras
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Linguist; founder of @mlmanchester; multilingualism, multiculturalism, anti-racism; language documentation; Israel/Palestine peace 🟣 🇮🇱🇵🇸🇪🇺
Joined June 2021
In my fortchcoming book (Cambridge University Press, April 2024) I discuss the tensions between multilingual society & the monolingual policy mindset, decoloniality & neoliberalism, the city as multilingual utopia and prospects & constraints on university public engagement
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According @guardian a university vice chancellor said “I don’t care if it’s bloody, as long as the blood spills within the union,” This is not just about pay and pensions, it’s about basic values, dignity, humanity - which UK unis are losing fast
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I've never shared this publicly: I lived in UK for 28 years. When asked by strangers where I'm from (I have a north American accent) I never once said 'Israel'; always evaded, said I lived in different places (which was partly true).
Israeli Jewish ppl in the UK are under layers of threat. They tell me they’re not speaking Hebrew in public. Not attending life events. Making their lives smaller. Antisemitism has exploded and Israelis and Jews disappear. Yet mobs roam the streets freely. It’s chilling.
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Just received my copy of this exciting collection, with my contribution on Structural Outcomes of Language Contact
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@HeidiBachram when lutheran Christians bury their dead they're slient. When Jews bury their dead they cry loudly. There are cultural differences. With which we will have to live if we ever want peace and partnership. Let's focus on the real evil, there's plenty to call out.
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Notice that she is the only politician who is calling for a BILATERAL ceasefire and declares unequivocally that Hamas and everything it represents needs to be gone. There is some hope for a sane Britain after all. (The audience cheered).
What is happening in Gaza is not right. We need a two-state solution, Hamas gone, and an immediate bilateral ceasefire, now. Solving this will be one of the hardest things that we have ever done, but if we don't try, the same thing will happen over and over again.
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I left my post at a UK university after 25 years because the intensity of antisemitism and its denial in the UK academic environment became unbearable.
I'm proud of this too.
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@maryam_dh for him it's not about solidarity but about ranting that Islam is inherently oppressive, and he chooses Intl Women's Day to do that, exposing his prejudices, not his concern for the women of Iran.
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The @ucu is now actively and explicitly opposed to Israeli-Palestinian co/existence and is implicitly supporting the Hamas and Iran-backed genocidal rhetoric .
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“Researchers who choose to research with and for marginalized communities are often in the margins themselves in their own institutions, disciplines and research communities” (Linda Tuhiwai Smith)
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Delighted that based on my language analysis report a young Kurd from Syria won his appeal at Birmingham Immigration and Asylum Tribunal against rejection of his asylum application and will now be allowed to stay in UK.
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@HeidiBachram we should be careful not to equate every Palestinian flag or indeed sympathy for Palestinian with Hamas, or we shut down all doors for any prospective peaveful settlement.
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Delighted to announce a new volume in @dg_mouton LCB series: Jim Hlavac & Diana Stolac on Croatian in diaspora: breaking new ground in #heritagelanguage research
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So now Palestinian President Abbas is calling on Hamas to agree a bilateral ceasefire while the pro-Palestine movement on the streets of London continue to demand from Israel a one-sided ceasefire.
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@alexnunns @OwenJones84 It's his personal take that the film was shown to "legitimize military activities". And he's only saying this to delegitimize the empathy with the victims and the call to prevent things like this happening again.
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What do you make of this mirror image online-farmed translation in emulated Urdu (?) in a suburb of Manchester? [ = IS KRTYFYD HLAL ALL AWR ČAKN ]
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Romani linguistics is thriving: this book by Giulia Meli on the dialect of the Shinte Rosengre just appeared in print; and in September Milan will host the 15th international conference on Romani linguistics
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Some exciting new titles coming up soon in LCB (Language Contact & Bilingualism) series with @dg_mouton! And if you have an idea for either a monograph or an edited collection then do get in touch!
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I have continued my collaboration with Russian academics since February 2022. That does not make me complicit in Russia's war against Ukraine. Calls to boycott Israeli academia are discriminatory and motivated by pure hate and aggression.
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Now, we've been waiting for this for such a long time. Now finally in advanced production stage and should be out real soon!
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Miller should have been sacked directly for his antisemitism instead of diverting the discussion to whether antizionism is or isn’t a protected belief.
THREAD: Let’s check in with David Miller, here speaking at an event in Tower Hamlets on the 6th of October alongside Aaron Maté. Here Miller talks about the ‘Zionist billionaire class’, Jewish over representation, Zionist infiltration and Jewish economic privilege…. 🧵 🎥
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Our book on Structural and Typological Variation in the Dialects of #Kurdish has now been formally announced:
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Taking inspiration once again from @SaraNAhmed’s words: Those not going the way things flow are seen as obstructing the flow. We need to get in the way if we are to get anywhere. (But when we do, institutions retaliate).
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Linguistic diversity is a static fact. Multilingualism is a dynamic practice. Public engagement can choose to simply describe the fact, or to actively support the practice.
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Delighted to share a panel next week at @UniBremen on the Future of Linguistics / Linguistics of the Future. @HWK_IAS
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Tonight was such an exciting milestone in Manchester’s reflection on #Multilingualism and a game changer as we put together a new civic partnership with @cityoflanguages @McrMuseum @MCRCityofLit @McrPoetryLib & int’l links; thanks to @Becky_Swain @Afzal4Gorton @RahmanCllr
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@RachelMoiselle Actually the vernacular language at the time was Aramaic not Hebrew, and in that language the pronunciation is Mariam, closer to Arabic than to Hebrew. That doesn't challenge the principal point you're making, but it's important to get the detail right too.
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Sixteen years ago we launched the world's first online resource to document the #Romani language and were featured in this report on BBC World News #InternationalMotherLanguageDay
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"Academia has become a highly unattractive environment for human creativity, while it should be an environment, a specialized one, ideally tailored to precisely that.” Jan Blommaert, 2020.
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A classic example of why we fear this movement: it indulges in typical Jewish world domination conspiracy theories. And we are not seeing any vocal opposition from those participating.
Apparently, Israel is going to enslave humanity using "robot dogs". London, Nov 23'
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The argument for learning languages should not be 'soft power', 'progressive patriotism' or 'make Brexit work' but acknowledge multilingual society & human rights and build bridges between people and communities #MCRIMLD23 #MotherLanguageDay.
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Watching @BBCWorld going out of their way to ‘verify’ images of Israeli air defences intercepting Iranian missiles. Has anyone seen them ‘verify’ Hamas figures of casualties in Gaza?.
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Just arrived! The book in which I describe how I led a project on multilingualism & public engagement at @UoMSALC and why the civic university ambition is a mirage
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Looking forward to 17th Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics, 10-21 July 2023. Registration is now open.
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I was invited to contribute to this with a chapter on Romani. Then a condition was set: I was to find a co-author who was "herself indigenous". Now there's a different chapter on Romani. Neither 'her' nor 'indigenous'. So much for human rights.
Last publication for the year - received this fantastic book in the post today. My chapter is on linguistic human rights in Tibet, and describes the various forms of denialism I’ve met in my advocacy work promoting language rights for all Tibetans.
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@nicolelampert reminds of the joke about the shipwrecked Jew who survived alone on an island and built 3 houses: one his home, one the synagogue he went to, and third the synagogue he didn't go to.
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Jan Blommaert wrote shortly before his premature death in 2021: “We need an activist attitude, in which knowledge is activated to arrive at a more just and equitable society.” #MCRIMLD23
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My personal sense of security remains shaken after the shocking experiences of antisemitism in the British academic sector.
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Many households in England & Wales have multiple languages. Thanks to @ONS for including this figure in the newly release stats; compensates just a bit for the inadequacy of the question 'main language' that only allows individual to specify one language @thbaketal
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We need a non binary approach to the Israeli Palestinian conflict: you can be pro Palestinian and accept Israeli Jewish identity, fight antisemitism and call out Israeli war crimes, work towards a shared future while denouncing those on all sides who sabotage it.
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casual Twitter metadata analysis: some followers like my pro Palestinian posts, others like those on antisemitism. they rarely converge. I feel lonely. binarism prevails: they want you to choose one side or the other. but that's not how you achieve conviviality 🇵🇸🇮🇱.
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@BellaWallerstei Well they're actually prompted in Arabic by sbdy in the background probably IDF to say whether UNWRA is helping them. If I was starving and someone gave me food in return for a statement I would take the deal . .
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Why and How should we protect Multlilingualism? Online event Tue, 21 February 2023 18:30 GMT (19:30 CET) register here #MCRIMLD23
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On International Roma Day I had the pleasure of opening the first course unit on Romani Linguistics to be offered at a German University - at @unihh .Adjes vazdem o angluno kurso pa romani chib ande-k univerziteto ande Germanija
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Am Donnerstag sprechen wir an der Uni Bremen über die Zukunft der Linguistik und die Linguistik der Zukunft (15-17 Uhr) @HWK_IAS
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#Urdu now 2nd official language at Manchester airport @QaisraShahraz @Sheraz72 @thezahidhussain @Afzal4Gorton
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@Assita_Kanko Why is it wrong for a visitor to respect the conventions of the country she’s visiting? Any secular Arab woman will tell you that declining to touch a woman is considered a sign of respect in that culture, touching her is disrespectful. Same in observant Jewish culture.
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I think this book is one of the best concise introductions both to the history of antisemitism and to that of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. It also offers a nuanced analysis of the intersection of postmodernist anti-imperialism and antisemitism in current left politics.
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"Hand in hand, Islamism and anti-colonialism celebrate the victim myths of Muslims. In this way, the cruel mass murders of October 7th could be reinterpreted as an uprising of the oppressed" says @AhmadMansour__ .
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Jeremy Corbyn: "Our friends from Hamas are dedicated toward good and long term peace".Owen Jones: "No evidence of rape".
"Women raped by Hamas were found with nails driven into their thighs and groin and were passed around by terrorists who slaughtered them after or even during gang-rape, horrifying new witness accounts of October 7 reveal."
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Devastated to hear about the passing of Bernard Spolsky, a giant in the study of language policy, Jewish languages, and more. A great loss to the research community.
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At worked in UK higher education for 25 years. I was rebuked every time I addressed antisemitism.
@SussexUni I have written to both @SussexUni and @USSU to complain about Women’s officer Hanin Barghouti who celebrated the murderous Hamas rampage on the streets of Brighton. I cannot imagine how she can provide safe care for Jewish or Israeli female students. I hope they act quickly.
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Another exciting week ahead at @LeidenHum Linguistics Summer School: looking forward to discussions with students and evening lectures
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My paper on 'Decolonising language in the city: Multilingual repertoires, institutional practice and civic engagement in a UK urban setting' has now appeared in WPs Urban Languages & Literacies #MCRIMLD23 @HWK_IAS @Languagedivers1 @Lg_on_the_Move .
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Thanks to @BritishAcademy_ for hosting my conversation with Ben Rampton on ‘Speech & the City’ @CambUP_LangLing
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The Languages of Moscow project is pioneering researchinto the Russian capital's diverse ethnic and linguistic composition and aspects of multilingualism.
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In my forthcoming book, out later this month, I discuss multilingual citizenship as an alternative to the neo-imperialist focus on 'global Britain' to promote language learning, and why we need a comprehensive domestic language policy.
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Calling 'genocide' has become a rite of passage for those seeking to display their progressive credentials. It is a self-identification and rallying call, not a description of a state of affairs, not even an opinion, as it stubbornly evades scrutiny of facts. 1/2.
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Bradford Immigration Tribunal decides in favour of Syrian Kurd's asylum claim. Judge wrote: "flaws [in Home Office language report] identified by Prof Matras are of such fundamental nature as to wholly.undermine the reliability of that report".
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'Language Contact in Sanandaj A Study of the Impact of Iranian on Neo-Aramaic' by Geoffrey Khan and Masoud Mohammadirad has now been published and is available through open access @dg_mouton
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Seventeen years ago we launched '#Romani dialects interactive' - a web resource with maps and audio files on Romani dialects. Listen to the short interview I gave about this resource to Gareth Mitchell of BBC's 'Go Digital':
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@nicolelampert There's no contradiction. Hamas are responsible, and IDF may have made tactical mistakes that cost Israeli lives. IDF also tries to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza but it makes mistakes and sometimes it also takes strategically calculated risks.
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We have now produced 20 volumes in the Language Contact & Bilingualism series with @dg_mouton with more exciting titles in production! Get in touch if you have an idea for a book:
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1/2 .Join @aziz0nomics @Beverle86616690 and me on Wed 9 Oct 19 hrs UK time for a @centre_as online seminar on 'Decoding antisemitism after 7 Oct: The linguistic angle'.Registration below, and see part 2 of this post for background reading.
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@bengidley @ucu Rejecting and actively sabotaging dialogue is implicit support for the Iran / Hamas position which calls for annihilation and explicitly rules out negotiation of any kind.
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How ridiculous it is that at NATO summit press conf 🇹🇷 is referred to in English as ‘Türkiye’. Are you calling 🇩🇪 Deutschland, 🇪🇸 España, etc? Or is this just the linguistic payment for political support?.
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Language Diversity as a reputational commodity or Multilingualism as a human rights & decolonial agenda? Don't forget to register for @cityoflanguages @MACFESTUK @MCRCityofLit online #MotherLanguageDay event on Tue 21 Feb 18:30 GMT 19:30 CET #MCRIMLD23
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Excited by the launch this month of our new documentation project on Iranian Zargari Romani at @oeaw .
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Did you know that the first Arabic speakers in Manchester were Jewish merchants from Aleppo?
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How can Jews who claim a Right to Return after 2000 years deny Palestinians a Right to Return after 75 years?.
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At the @cityoflanguages @MACFESTUK @MCRCityofLit #motherlanguageday event tonight I will be asking our panelists whether there is a difference between 'linguistic diversity' and 'multilingualism' and how each relates to personal experiences, culture & human rights #MCRIMLD23
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This discredits everything this person has worked towards on climate emergency. She is driven by ignorance, hate and an urge to show her belonging to a cult. It gives insights into how people got behind witch hunts and pogroms in medieval times, and genocide in modern times . .
Week 299. Malmö says NO to genocide! People from all over Sweden are gathering in Malmö this week, where Eurovision is taking place, to protest against Israel’s participation in the competition and to demand a #FreePalestine and #CeasefireNow ! Yesterday we were tens of thousands
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I repeat my call to rename #MCRIMLD23 'Mother and Father Language Day' to acknowledge the contributions of father to transmitting home languages and break stereotypical gender roles @UNESCOUK @MCRCityofLit @bevcraig @IndigeniseMcr.
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In this lovely video Shivani and Kamal discuss similarities between Sanskrit and Domari and challenge each other to guess word meanings
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Today is Rembrandt’ birthday. We get to enter his museum for free!
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There's no peace without ending occupation. Some forms of resistance are understandable & some deserve support. Randomly murdering citizens in homes & parading their naked bodies on streets isn't. Those cheering Hamas today act out of racist hatred, not concern for human rights.
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Shame on an otherwise respected commentator for disseminating utterly inflammatory disinformation which completely discredits her @BBCNews @SkyNews @CNN.
Israeli soldiers are conducting mass sexual assault on Palestinians in and around Shifa hospital. They rape and execute. Commit the crime and bury the victims and terrorize the witnesses. No words.
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Some fifteen years ago I was teased by a head of department who asked whether I used my consultation hours to talk to Jewish students about “how to kill Arabs”. I was then tricked by HR into not making a complaint, instead promised mediation, which then never happened.
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All in a name? What do Michif, Angloromani, Light Walpiri and Lekoudesch really have in common? My plenary talk next week at #ICL2024 Poznań
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BBC investigation so far cautiously supports Israel position that it did not attack Gaza hospital. Those determined to demonise Israel will not care about evidence or the credibility of Hamas .
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Very much looking forward to this tomorrow: workshop on linguistic landscapes, university of Cologne
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“Every space Zionists enter should be unsafe for them” is a direct incitement to violence against anyone who is Israeli or Jewish or is remotely associated with Israel regardless of their views or actions. I urge @Macquarie_Uni to take action @centre_as.
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@HeidiBachram I'm with you. i just think we should carefully pick what we choose to react to. Even criminals have families that are happy to have them back. We should focus our attention on the inhumane deeds, not on the human instincts.
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Essential reading for those who see in Israel a liberal democracy Disneyland to be defended politically at all cost, and for those who write off ‘Zionist’ as intrinsically racist-supremacist-colonialist.
If you haven’t read my @JewishChron piece, please add it to your weekend reading. Telling the truth to ourselves is the first step towards revival. “We have to choose: Do we back Bibi or support Israel?”. via @JewishChron.
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While @HackneyAbbott has made some offensive comments about Jews lately she deserves unconditional support in the face of the racism directed at her and we must firmly confront the racism apologists who downplay it .
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Only in British English is it pragmatically acceptable to say "I acted decisively" to mean "I changed my mind". (One of the reasons I suffered for 25 yrs working for a large institution)
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Happy International Roma Day!.T'aven baxtale romale! Te anel tumenge kado djes but zoripe ta jekhetanipe!
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