For andyb:
From http://xkcd.com
English Language
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xkcd is most excellentpeteamer wrote:From http://xkcd.com
No, actually I'm from New Mexico, though I naturally know all of the rhodies. I don't own any Wisconsin sweaters either. We may have been in the same Russian class though. I noticed your comment about how you're just starting to learn Russian. Were you taking Russisch Anfänger 1 on Tuesday evenings?Mescalero wrote: Are you one of the students from Rhode Island? Or the guy with the Wisconsin sweater who sits next to me in the jet engines lecture?
True, I of course like it because I can understand it. I do find it weird though when a English word is used when a German word would work just as well. I read some paper the other day that had observieren written when beobachten would have worked just fine. Stuff like that I find strange because then it's like I have to learn two new words instead of one. In English there only ever was one word for something because we just took the word. With English words coming into German it's like there's suddenly two words with exactly the same meaning for the same thing and that I can understand why it would be annoying.Mescalero wrote: Funny you say this. There are enough people in Germany who complain about all the foreign (mostly English) words which are used nowadays by Germans.
Thats just not true, we have our own words, and just like the "BORG" we "assimilate" words because they ADD something to our language.Stuff like that I find strange because then it's like I have to learn two new words instead of one. In English there only ever was one word for something because we just took the word.
Take "ghost" for example, we also think "Spirit", "Soul", and of course the german "Poltergeist".
You also mention ONLY one word for something, I honestly expect that what you actually meant was within your own dialogue/repesentation through your native tounge, and the wrong words were used. Please forgive me if you think I am being rude, you are not Amerecan so dont think I am punishing you for your lack of the language, I am here to help the English Language become more widespread, and not close in on itself like the frogs do.
Talking about a lack of words to express something, please suggest a word that I cant express using a sentence.??? There is none, this is the power the English language has over all others, it doesnt have to be correct to make sense, but it will make sense. Or to put this into perspective, i know very little of any language (other than English) but I do know a little German, and it similar enough to english to translate the rest through guesses and re-guesses - unlike French which is just nonsensical and illogical.
Andy
Yes, but I started a year ago in the winterterm 05/06. I am now in Russisch 3.Elixer wrote: We may have been in the same Russian class though. I noticed your comment about how you're just starting to learn Russian. Were you taking Russisch Anfänger 1 on Tuesday evenings?
I don't mind the integration of English words either, although sometimes it's a little strange to see an English word with a German pre- or suffix.
I never had the experience that paraphrasing something was easier in English that in other languages. You just need to know a lot of vocabulary to describe something instead of just saying one word.
English and German are both Germanic languages (or so I was told). French is a Romanic language so naturally it's easier if you stay within one king of languages. For frenchmen it's most likely a lot easier to read spanish than German. When I try to read something French and I oftenly deduct from English to understand the vocabulary.