English sucks!

[Shropshire Slasher]

I decided I should post this after trying earlier today to communicate with non-English speakers, namely a couple of Hispanic speakers and one South Asian speaker. North Texas right now is a positive stew of diversity and I welcome it.

But English is ****ing hard when you think about it.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Looking back, I find it odd that I learned more about grammar, specifically verb tenses, in my Spanish classes than I ever learned in my English classes.

 

[Slacker]

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

La aplicación Apple Translate es tu amiga.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Here's a brief but interesting writeup on the origins of English grammar. Some high points: word order or syntax, originally more Germanic, was influenced by the Normans; irregularities in the verb "to be" likely come from the Norse; and the widespread discouragement of split infinitives and ending a sentence with a preposition is probably a leftover from Latin.
The Development of English Grammar | English Project

 

[Azrael]

English? Professors?

 

[Azrael]

English? Professors?

gift link

Meandering? Off-Script? Trump Insists His ‘Weave’ Is Oratorical Genius.

“I highly doubt that Donald Trump has any English professor friends,” said Timothy O’Brien, a Trump biographer. “What this really reflects is that he is aware of the criticism that he is publicly saying nonlinear, nonsensical word salad, and he is trying to pretend there is a strategy or logic behind it when there isn’t.”

 

[maumann]

Here's a brief but interesting writeup on the origins of English grammar. Some high points: word order or syntax, originally more Germanic, was influenced by the Normans; irregularities in the verb "to be" likely come from the Norse; and the widespread discouragement of split infinitives and ending a sentence with a preposition is probably a leftover from Latin.
The Development of English Grammar | English Project

The amazing thing about English as it has evolved is how many words we steal from other languages. While the core of English is Old Norse, Norman French and Latin, we gleefully swipe from Italian, Spanish, Yiddish/Eastern European, African and Far Eastern vocabularies.

Part of it is the melting pot of immigrants who have added words and phrases, but it's easier to describe rigatoni, tamales, bongo, mensch and anime without needing to Anglicize them.

I pity the French and their futile efforts to keep their language clear of outside influences. Your father was a hamster and your mother smells of elderberry!

 

[dixiehack]

Maybe we could have a thread without Trump. Just one.

 

[Azrael]

Maybe we could have a thread without Trump. Just one.

My fault.

But I thought the "Weave" tweet and the "English professors" lie were timely, and make a good (counter)point for this thread.

English is actually pretty easy compared to other languages. And the grammar is intuitive in many cases.

So much so, that even a glowering dunce can make himself understood occasionally.

 

[BTExpress]

Looking back, I find it odd that I learned more about grammar, specifically verb tenses, in my Spanish classes than I ever learned in my English classes.

That makes perfect sense. We learn our language and agree on many of its principles "because that just sounds right" without really grasping (or needing to grasp) WHY it sounds right. Or why we're actually saying some things wrong.

But when learning a language that requires you to say things like "to whom" (кому) instead of "who" (кто), you realize all those times you really should have said "to whom" in English but didn't.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

**** all y'all, I'm in the Hall of Fame.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

"Seed the ground" or "Cede the ground."

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

"Seed the ground" or "Cede the ground."

Cede the ground, but seed the field.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Decided to bump because of just some curiosities. Found this one thanks to Ayyy Eye: The longest sentence with the "WR" combination. And this time, not talking about the Smurfs in Dolphin Land.

The wretched writer wrote a wrong, wry wringing of his wrist to wrap the writhing, wrecked wren in a wreath

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

A person can be "dingy" and "dingy" at the same time.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

For a moment, I thought the Providence chapter of SJ.com started a new thread.

 

[HeinekenMan]

I decided I should post this after trying earlier today to communicate with non-English speakers, namely a couple of Hispanic speakers and one South Asian speaker. North Texas right now is a positive stew of diversity and I welcome it.

But English is ****ing hard when you think about it.

Yeah it’s a mess lol, spelling makes no sense, same word sounds different depending on mood apparently. But most people don’t care if it’s perfect, if you get the point across you’re good. Half of native speakers butcher it daily anyway.

 

[Songbird]

At work I’ve been using Google Translate on my phone to figure out their questions and direct them to the proper aisles for the things they want to buy. It’s been cool to communicate and the smiles that ensue bring the world together if just a little bit.