Killing the English language.
Discussion
The englishy language is a mismatch of lots of language. Its very development is from new evolving language. This is just another step, whether you like it or not... Most of the word you say have been bastardised from other languages, and converted to suit outselves... I presume you speak latin, and nothing but?
If anyone is interested, there is a great piece on local radio here (newstalk106.ie) at about 2.40 every monday afternoon (it's streamed live). It is with a Professor of Hiberno English called Prof. Terry Dolan. Each week they pick a topic and discuss words associated with that topic, primarily the origons of, meanings of and misinterpretations of etc, etc. It's only on for about 10 minutes but I find it's compulsive listening hearing where all those everyday words actually came from. Handy, as it's on the only radio show I listen to.
My favorite is the word bosch. Can't remember the topic that it came from but it means "reasonably poor" and origionates in ancient greek. Nice. Especially as Bosch is our biggest competitor.
>> Edited by up-the-dubs on Tuesday 15th November 23:59
My favorite is the word bosch. Can't remember the topic that it came from but it means "reasonably poor" and origionates in ancient greek. Nice. Especially as Bosch is our biggest competitor.
Newstalk 106 website said:
Our language: Prof of Hiberno English in UCD, Terry Dolan takes every day words in the English language and traces their origins and meanings every Monday at 2.40.
>> Edited by up-the-dubs on Tuesday 15th November 23:59
ING MIDDLE LANE !! 
.los angeles said:
I like some of the America traffic signs. The designers depend less on abstract shapes and more on words, assuming drivers can read, bless them. Where we put a small round sign circled in red with a slash across it meaning, no entry, here they set up a very large round, in-yer-face, sign stating:
WRONG WAY!
American signs are great. They come out of the ground very easily. Not that I'd know this kind of thing.
The local cops didn't like us too much
.Mac GT said:
One day, I will find their keyboard....one day
OI YOU
IN THE ROVER 414
GET OUT OF THEING MIDDLE LANE !!
My mother in law loves doing 60 in the middle lane,so my wife tells me, then anyone coming to overtake her at 70 prompts her so predictable response "Here comes speedy!" which is why I never got into any car with her driving in all the nine years I have known her.I would be divorced by now if I did.Say no more!
andy mac said:
The englishy language is a mismatch of lots of language. Its very development is from new evolving language. This is just another step, whether you like it or not... Most of the word you say have been bastardised from other languages, and converted to suit outselves... I presume you speak latin, and nothing but?
I heard a nice analogy from a professor of languages on the radio once - to paraphrase, he said "Most languages borrow a few words from others; English drags other languages down a dark alley and mugs them for all they've got."
Surely the reason why English is the international language is because it is a total slut, accomodating the perversions of every culture, fad and fashion. It has 3 times as many words as any other language and is ever changing. In contrast some of the dead languages like Arabic and French are policed so rigidly they will eventually become irrelavent. In arabic they have 400 words for sword. They have no word for computer IIRC. English is the future, unfortunately it will be Valley girl English. 
For non-English speakers, the choice for learning a second language is fairly simple. English is so widely spoken, it's the logical choice. I maintain that this is the reason why English speakers have such a poor record for being multilingual.
What do you choose as a second language? It's not so clear-cut is it? French? Spanish? German? Something off-the-wall like Japanese? There's too much to choose from!
What do you choose as a second language? It's not so clear-cut is it? French? Spanish? German? Something off-the-wall like Japanese? There's too much to choose from!
Witchfinder said:
For non-English speakers, the choice for learning a second language is fairly simple. English is so widely spoken, it's the logical choice. I maintain that this is the reason why English speakers have such a poor record for being multilingual.
What do you choose as a second language? It's not so clear-cut is it? French? Spanish? German? Something off-the-wall like Japanese? There's too much to choose from!
Exactly. A German waitress in a Swiss restaurant had a go at us Brits for not speaking any other language. So i asked her that exact question - "what second language would you choose if your first language was English?". She stormed off.
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