Anthe (ಅಂತೆ) is one of my favorite words in the Kannada language. Somewhat meaningless by itself, it adds so much nuance and emotion when appended to a sentence that we Kannadigas cannot carry on a conversation without using it. Depending on the context and the speaker’s tone, anthe can convey an expression of surprise or the understanding that gossip is being shared. It could mean “so it happened,” “that’s how it is,” “apparently,” or “it seems.” The latter comes closest to a direct translation, but is a frustratingly simple choice. Anthe will only ever half-heartedly migrate to English.

Banu Mushtaq, whose short stories I have been translating recently, and whose “Red Lungi” appears in the Summer 2024 issue of The Paris Review, employs anthe generously. Mushtaq’s characters use anthe when reporting something someone said verbatim or when guessing how something might have happened. In another instance, she uses echo words with anthe, another common characteristic of the Kannada language: one character utters anthe-kanthe to refer to hearsay. There are also a whole lot of ellipses in Mushtaq’s stories … her sentences often trail off … like so … She mixes up her tenses here and there. It is always deliberate, this nod to the idea that time is not linear. The awareness that we inhabit different time zones and dimensions and live in stories within stories is commonplace in India. These narrative tools give Mushtaq’s work a sense of orality, as if she is sitting across from you and telling you the story.

Whenever Mushtaq and I do talk in real life, she is narrating, she is reporting, she is discussing the oppressive political scene in India, she is going back to her youth, laughing about that one time there was a fatwa issued against her for a story—they wanted her to stop writing, she told them to go to hell—she is constantly relaying anecdotes and thinking out loud and living through stories. There is more anthe in her urgency to convey everything all at once than I can hope to store in my notes.

My favorite function of the word is how its repetition in every other sentence, each differently intoned, allows a musicality to slip into daily speech. It gives everyday Kannada its impu, or melody.

The man who served on opposite sides in two world wars

Before you listen to this episode, we want to set one thing straight: despite Pete’s accusations, Marcus does not smoke crack cocaine. All right? All right.

Marcus, Jim and Pete catch up with the world of club football and quickly remember why Harry Redknapp definitely still records Match of the Day on his YouView box. The FA continue their hunt for the next England manager, with Eddie Howe now taking centre stage – Marcus, though, still thinks they’ll hold out for Pep Guardiola! Plus, unconfirmed reports that the Saudis are willing to pay Oasis to get back together as well as cover Ederson’s £900,000-per-week wages…

We're back on stage and tickets are out NOW! Join us at London Palladium on Friday September 20th 2024 for 'Football Ramble: Time Tunnel', a journey through football history like no other. Expect loads of laughs, all your Ramble favourites, and absolutely everything on Pete's USB stick. Get your tickets at footballramblelive.com!

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With Arsenal closing in on signing Riccardo Calafiori, they are likely to allow Jakub Kiwior to leave the club.

The Polish defender has been highly sought-after during this transfer window, with several clubs expressing interest in him.

During negotiations to sell Calafiori to Arsenal, Bologna discussed the possibility of signing Kiwior. Additionally, Juventus and Napoli have shown interest in him in recent weeks.

A report from Football Italia indicates that more clubs are now joining the race for his signature, including Inter Milan. The Serie A champions are actively seeking new defenders, especially after losing Juan Cabal to Juventus.

Inter Milan has now turned their attention to Kiwior and will make a move to sign him if Arsenal makes him available for transfer.

Emile Smith Rowe was one of the scorers as Arsenal defeated Leyton Orient 2-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly today.

Both Fulham and Crystal Palace have shown interest in the midfielder, especially after he lost his place in the first team at Arsenal.

Although the Gunners want him to stay, they will not stand in his way if he asks to leave, provided the offer is right.

As those two clubs try to sign him, Smith Rowe is preparing well for the new season, hopeful that he will be a starter if he remains at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta likes Smith Rowe and will give him chances to play if he stays fit. However, injuries have plagued him over the last few seasons.

Arsenal has become a good place for players to transition into management, as yet another former Gunner becomes a manager in a top European league.

The Gunners have enjoyed the talents of many great players throughout their history, particularly during Arsene Wenger’s tenure, which produced many leaders.

The Frenchman led his team to several domestic trophies, including the unbeaten 2003/2004 Premier League title.

Since Wenger’s departure in 2018, several former players who worked with him have become successful managers.

The current Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, played under Wenger, and the latest former Gunner to follow this path is Cesc Fabregas.

Arsenal has done all they can to keep Chido Obi Martin at the club, but there is a good chance the youngster, who scored ten goals in a game, will leave.

He is due for a new deal, and Arsenal has offered him one of the best terms ever extended to a teenager.

However, he has spoken to the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United, among other clubs.

He now has to decide whether to accept Arsenal’s offer or move to another top club, and he seems to be leaning towards an exit.

Obi Martin is not impressed that he did not get chances to play in the Arsenal first team despite his goal-scoring feats for the club’s youth teams.

Joe Biden continues to insist he’s continuing with his presidential campaign, but the list of Democrats pleading with him to drop out of the race keeps growing.

A dozen Congressional Democrats called on him to step aside on Friday—the largest single number in one day, according to the Washington Post.

That included Democrats in some of the party’s most competitive races, whose contests will help decide which party controls Congress next year.

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is locked in a tight race for re-election, on Friday became the fourth Democratic senator calling for Biden to step down. “I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me,” Brown said in a statement. “I think the President should end his campaign.”

Bologna CEO Claudio Fenucci has responded to calls for updates on the Riccardo Calafiori saga.

The defender’s complicated move to Arsenal is one of the biggest stories in Italian football right now.

Arsenal found him too good to ignore after watching the defender at Euro 2024, and they already have an agreement on personal terms with him.

They need to agree on a fee with Bologna and make payment before he can join them, but the move has stalled for now.

In the last few weeks, there has hardly been any movement, and Calafiori has been asked to return to the club for pre-season after his holiday.