What’s so good about English?

[thefoxaroo]

I’ve never professed to be well educated. Coming from a family who by today’s standards would be considered poor, so too was my schooling. Hampered further by impatient, domineering parents and by a learning difficulty that back then I didn’t know the name of

Comments

[carlfoxmarten]

You might also want to check out (if only for the comedy aspect) the Open University short series on A History of English, in ten minutes...
(the link is to the first of ten minute-long videos)

If English has been a dustbin of a language, does that mean that it has a bit more of a right to be the universal language, or would that make things even more confusing?

[thefoxaroo]

Those videos are hilarious! :D

Not sure about English's rise to becoming a universal language. The documentary I'm watching has a chapter on that, but I'm a long way before reaching this point.

Logically I guess that a language which has bits from other nations would make it more compatible and adaptive than languages formed in isolation, yes, so there is that I guess.

[carlfoxmarten]

If English wasn't my first language, I'd rather learn a language that mine had a hand in creating, as opposed to one that nobody's language had a part in.
(yes, I'm looking at you, Esperanto!)

[deckardcanine]

What? Esperanto samples numerous languages. That's the point.

[dewhitton]

I love that series; it's brilliant! I really like the Bible translation episode.

English is a dynamic and evolving language, not afraid to steel words from other languages. No one tries to keep it "pure," unlike the French Government who has a department to keep the French Language uncontaminated by foreign words.

[dhlawrence]

They try, but it never happens. French has assimilated a lot of English expressions, especially from the Internet.

[r_caton]

Welsh does that... with "welshed" spelling
"gofi" for example. Wanna guess what that's bean?

[thefoxaroo]

No idea. What's "Gofi" mean?

On the subject of Welsh... Play from 2:18 to 2:30.

[dhlawrence]

It's a good series. In the last episode they pay a visit to your shores.

Latin changed over the years as well; that's why there is "Classical" Latin and "Vulgar" Latin. All languages change, even the ons that try to fight it. The French set up an academy to keep their language free of contamination but they've assimilated a lot of English words, especially since the Internet took off.

[thefoxaroo]

Yes Aussie is mentioned in the intro. I've no idea what to expect when I reach that chapter.

"Free of contamination" well said! And yes, the internet contaminates everything!

Poses a difficulty for time travellers, unless the accompany the Doctor.