Large Scale Central

Language

General Discussion
#1

You know , Hans does quite well with his responses . You have to remember his mother tongue is not English , but the rather simpler constructed German .
The German language has a lot of big words which seem daunting at first , but are actually made up from a lot of
small words .
For example Horse--------------KlippenKloppen
Grazing Horse —Foddergeburneklippenkloppen
Zebra-------------Pinstripesuitenklippenkloppen
Grazing Zebra -pinstripesuitenfoddergeburnenklippenkloppen
Street Crossing(known as Zebra Xing) -----pinstripesuitenfoddergeburnenklippenkloppenoberstrasse .

These are just some examples . Just to whet your appetite .
Muke

#2

Muke,

That is really good!

Of course you’re right!

Please tell us more about languages, I personally find it a most fascinating subject. In the process of learning English I am always intrigued by how much the Anglo-Saxons “liberated” from the German and French languages. :wink: :slight_smile:
Most unusual for a “race of self-made man”.

But since I mentioned German and French, here are two tidbits that tie in with the Brits. The German one stems from one of my German friends (I have no idea where he got it from!!):

One day the original six in the EU are debating the upcoming occasion of the UK joining the EU. There were concerns regarding several issues and solutions were sought. Much discussion 'til the Dutch mentioned “No problem, just pull the plugs on those islands!”

The French happened during debate at the EU Parliament on new food regulations:

The Brits were after an exemption or relaxed rules for the content of sausages, to which one French deputy finally remarked: “The Brits must be the luckiest people in the world. When they run out of bread, they still have their sausages to eat.”
A direct reference to the high cereal content in Brit sausages, for which the exemption was sought.

OTOH thanks to the Brits we have railways. :wink: :slight_smile:

#3

“OTOH thanks to the Brits we have railways.”

And Churchill Seegars…

#4

For British sausages , read Haggis , then see if it makes sense .
You see , our English language is so beautiful it can describe an object in a multitude of ways ,the dreaded EU do not like this freedom giving ability and thus try to regulate it .
We get our own back by sending them prime examples of what we think of them in the form of commissioners . Like
Mrs.Peter Mandelson .
We get “directives” from these continental idiots–makes them feel better about losing the war .
"Zo , your cucumbers vill be strrrrraight ,not droopy and bent ,but strrrrrraight like good continental ones "
" Jar mine here , but you used all the viagra on your activities "
"Neffer mind zat , you vill alzo use kilometers "
"OK , John , gissa munny an’ we’ll change all the roadsigns , about 750million quid should do it ,mind ,that’s only for London . If you want to do the whole country , we can get the job done , cheap like , know what i mean ,wink , wink , 800 billion . Why yer gorn white ,John? "
EU --it means Envy Universal , “they” will do anything to get one over on the Brits .Then don’t understand why we keep laughing . Politely of course . That’s why we have to keep fighting off illegal immigrants , it’s such a dreadful miserable place to live . Like America ,same problem .
I wait now for the next accusation of needing to wind down and lighten up . Language and its use is fun .
Mile

#5

I think we need a new fourm called Mike Vs Hans

#6

This fire needs a little gasoline

#7

Tom-

Whatdoyathink I’ve been hauling in here?

Ethyl Grade!

#8

Dave , … Dave , You —you you haven’t been …GOADing me , have you ? I . I, I couldn’t bear it (sob)

Mike

#9

The way I heard it…

The next time the Krauts overrun the Frogs, the Brits will not only not come to the Frog’s rescue, but will insist that the Krauts keep the Frogs.

All in the name of world peace, whatever that is.

madwolf

#10

Mike…Mike.

When one sees two blokes having a go, what better than to toss some petrol onto the scrap and then stand back a bit with a match…

#11
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
I personally find it a most fascinating subject. In the process of learning English I am always intrigued by how much the Anglo-Saxons "liberated" from the German and French languages. ;) :) Most unusual for a "race of self-made man".
But of course, old boy. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes were Germanic tribes, so they brought Germanic dialects with them when they overran Romano-Celtic (or Celto-Romanic) Britain. As for the French, that was imposed by conquest by a bunch of gallicized Vikings (see William the Bastard). Of course, since then the English, unencumbered by an ossifying institution like the Academie Francaise, have borrowed words from anywhere and everywhere. It's a wonderful thing, language 8-)
#12
Chris Vernell said:
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
I personally find it a most fascinating subject. In the process of learning English I am always intrigued by how much the Anglo-Saxons "liberated" from the German and French languages. ;) :) Most unusual for a "race of self-made man".
But of course, old boy. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes were Germanic tribes, so they brought Germanic dialects with them when they overran Romano-Celtic (or Celto-Romanic) Britain. As for the French, that was imposed by conquest by a bunch of gallicized Vikings (see William the Bastard). Of course, since then the English, unencumbered by an ossifying institution like the Academie Francaise, have borrowed words from anywhere and everywhere. It's a wonderful thing, language 8-)
Chris,

Correct.

I’m aware of how often the British Isles were invaded, but it isn’t just the traces of language that were left behind - along with whatever else - the bemusement starts when you consider that “pain” is French for bread and yet in English the same word has an unpleasant feeling associated with it. Upon consideration a Swiss joker like myself could surmise : Way back when, the French invaders must have fed the locals some bread that didn’t agree with British gums.
And a similar thing must have happened with “merci” (Thanks in French).
Those are just two of many instances. You’re right, language is a wonderful thing. :wink: :slight_smile: :wink:

#13

One word we did not take into our language , commonly used and practised by Germanic peoples is Schadenfreude .
Only the Germans would have a special word meaning “deriving joy from the discomfort of others”.
Yes , of course , because we had the biggest Empire the world has ever seen , we took in a lot of words from overseas places .
India in particular is such a source .
"Bungalow " You all know what a bungalow is , but the origin of the word ?
Old Colonial to servant "Don’t build too high , just one storey , then bung a low roof on it "
" Verandah "
“Ve thought , Sahib , a porch would be most gratifying for your eminence so ve ran dah thing all round the house”
and so forth . So foreign words have been forming our language for a very long time .
It is maintained by some that the British settlers in America spoke exactly the way the Americans do today . If you read Shakespeare , you will find that his words are accented in such a way as to support this ,.
I could give a lot of examples , but if I put you on the right track with “Yea” for “Yeah” and leave you to think about that or even read Shakespeare , I am sure you will come to your own conclusion .
NEXT LESSON
Why it is correct to drive on the left .

Mike

#14

C’mon, English is an easy language … right? (The following are more fun read aloud.)

Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to cross the lough.

Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and and sounds like bird,
And dead: it’s said like bed, not bead –
For goodness sake don’t call it ‘deed’!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear;
And then there’s dose and rose and lose
Just look them up – and goose and choose,

And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart –
Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Man alive!
I’d mastered it when I was five!
And yet to write it, the more I tried,
I hadn’t learned it at fifty-five.

Oi Oont Noo Wer I em. (Anon, Liverpool, 196?)

Matthew (OV)
BA Engl. Lang. and Lit.

#15
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
I'm aware of how often the British Isles were invaded, but it isn't just the traces of language that were left behind - along with whatever else - the bemusement starts when you consider that "pain" is French for bread and yet in English the same word has an unpleasant feeling associated with it. Upon consideration a Swiss joker like myself could surmise : Way back when, the French invaders must have fed the locals some bread that didn't agree with British gums. And a similar thing must have happened with "merci" (Thanks in French). Those are just two of many instances. You're right, language is a wonderful thing. ;) :) ;)
On a more serious note, it's that very thing that gives us our multiple choices for fine shades of meaning often not available in other languages ....

Consider: Regal, Royal, Kingly … all approximately the same meaning, but not quite.

Regal, from Rex, Regis … from the Roman Empire, Latin The King. Implies the power and rule of the monarch, the power of the throne. (Whether or not their chariots were 56.5" wide is for another day.)

Kingly, from the Germanic/Anglo-Saxon languages of the ones who supplanted the Romans … Haet waes gud Kyning (approx.) Beowulf…
“That was a GOOD King…” and foundation for the word we usually use for the man himself.

Royal, from Norman French, Le Roi, The King, lending the pomp and circumstance later associated with that title by the likes of Louis XIV.

By keeping all of its history buried in its vocabulary, the English Language carries with it the ability to tell its own story in more colourful ways than most of the other nations who habitually “purify” their own languages to remove such influences.

And they thought I wasn’t paying attention in that class… Hmph. What a Regal, Royal, Kingly pain they must have thought me.

Matthew (OV)

#16
Quote:
One word we did not take into our language , commonly used and practised by Germanic peoples is Schadenfreude . Only the Germans would have a special word meaning "deriving joy from the discomfort of others".
But we do have a word for the same idea, "Congress."
#17

"But we do have a word for the same idea, “Congress.”

Tom, that’s was a good response.

#18

I agree , clever response , taken in the spirit intended .
Mike

#19

No one’s life, liberty or property is safe while the “Congress” (legislature) is in session.
Lazarus Long, Ca 2342

#20
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
the bemusement starts when you consider that "pain" is French for bread and yet in English the same word has an unpleasant feeling associated with it. Upon consideration a Swiss joker like myself could surmise : Way back when, the French invaders must have fed the locals some bread that didn't agree with British gums.
More likely to have been British cooking 8-). Mind you, the French (at least the northern variety) didn't know how to cook either until the Italians taught them. 8-) Though English "pain" is French "peine" rather than pain (panis), as I'm sure you know. Where the two solitudes get into real trouble is over words like demand(e), which in French is a request but in English an order. Back in the Dark Ages when I was learning German, we were bemused by such basic words as "wer" ("who" rather than "where") and "wo" ("where", not "who"), not to mention "wenn" ("if", not "when").