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I, we, two, three. Go back 10,000 years and chill with the ancestors, and you'll find we have those words in common. British scientists from Reading University have analyzed words in the Indo-European languages to determine which ones might have been understood generations ago. "Five" and "one" are a bit younger. "Four" came even more recently, which makes sense, what with the game of bridge being a recent invention.
Photographer: Aaron Selbig, Homer News
Pedal to the metal Drivers in the Homer Ice Racing Association jockey for position in a race last weekend on Beluga Lake.
Not that the written words themselves are that old -- you know, "t-w-o." Holy cuneiform, Betsteroids! Written representations of sounds didn't come about until relatively recently. We're talking sounds here. Long, long ago back before Facebook was invented, linguists think ancient people would understand you if you said "I, we, two, three."
Fast-changing words die out, the linguists said, like the concept of "dirty." In the Indo-European languages, there are 46 different ways to say that, many of them made up by small children trying to describe icky bodily functions.
Just when ya think everything new under the sun was invented this century by slacker Gen X geniuses still living with the 'rents, whew, it's good to know that some things go back a few millennia. Words endure and ideas endure, and heck, we might have something in common with people who probably looked like us, even if they didn't have indoor plumbing. Wait, some of our neighbors don't have indoor plumbing. You see?
So celebrate the ancient, the classic and the really good ideas that last forever, hey, maybe with some of these Best Bets:
BEST THE SIGNS THEY ARE A-CHANGING BET: Want to put up one of those flashy Vegas signs with flickering flamingos and neon lights? Better run it by the city first. If you want to learn the rules for business signs, attend the Homer signs workshops with the city planning and zoning office at 8:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. today and noon Saturday at the Homer Chamber of Commerce. And, yes, political candidates -- you have to follow the sign rules, too.
BEST ON THE TOWN BET: With an art opening this Friday at Fat Olives, First Friday goes a little outside the usual route. Get back in the arts groove with First Friday events. See page 17 for all the new shows.
BEST BIG BEAT BET: Musical instruments don't get any more ancient than the human voice, but back about 10,000 B.C. they sure weren't singing like Ball in the House. Check out the Human Beat Box and other wonders with a concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Mariner Theatre. Admission is $25 general, $20 Homer Council on the Arts members or $15 for youth age 18 and under. Meet the guys in person with a community potluck at 7 p.m. Friday at HCOA.
BEST BIG SCIENCE BET: Want to learn the latest science about Kachemak Bay? Check out the fifth Kachemak Bay Science Conference this weekend. The conference starts at noon Friday and runs through Saturday with a $15 fee. Visit www.kachemakbayscience.org for all the details.
BEST BIRD ON BRO' BET: With longer days and warmer weather, it's time to get out and bird. You never know what weird feathered critter will show up. Learn about birds with some of Homer's best birders for the monthly Kachemak Bay Birders First Saturday outing at noon, well, Saturday. Meet at the end of the road parking lot on the Homer Spit by the ferry dock. Dress warmly and bring those binos.
BEST WILD BLUE YONDER BET: The U.S. Air Force doesn't just fly jets really, really fast. Its band "Top Cover" knows how to get your feet a tappin', too. Best of all, it's your tax dollars at work, so you can hear them for free in a community concert at 7 p.m. today at the Mariner Theatre.
Homer's Best Bets
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