FabSwingers.com forum: Learning English....

By *bony in Ivory OP Couple
over a year ago

Black&White Utopia

Saw this and thought I would share!

we'll begin with box,the plural is boxes,

But the plural of ox is oxen,not oxes

One fowl is goose,and two are called geese

Yet the plural of mouse is never called meese

You may find a lone mouse or a house full of mice;

but the plural of house is houses,not hice.

The plural of man is always men

But the plural of pan is never pen.

If I speak of a foot,and you show me two feet,

and I give you a book,would a pair be beek?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth

why shouldn't two booths be called beeth?

If the singular's this and the plural is these,

should the plural of kiss be ever called keese?

we speak of brother and also of brethren,

But though we say mother,we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he,his and him

But imagine the feminine ...........she,shis and shim.

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By *ampWithABrainWoman
over a year ago

Glasgow

There's actually no such thing as 'English' language hence these discrepancies. There are very few Anglo-Saxon words left in the language that is the first language for most of the uk.

The language we refer to as 'English' is almost entirely made up from loan words (words borrowed from other languages perhaps including slight spelling and pronunciation changes).

The main languages we borrow from in addition to older uk languages eg Gaelic are the Romance languages (lower med inc Latin, French, Spanish), Germanic (Northern European inc German, Prussian, Nordic languages.

But we also use words influenced by our colonial travels from various parts of Africa, Asia, aborigine/Maori and Native American

Therefore how a word changes from this to these or that is dependant on the rules applied to the original word as they would be in it's original language.

Here Endeth the linguistics lesson

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By *ce WingerMan
over a year ago

P.O. Box DE1 0NQ

Chaucer Þúsendfeald turnung byrignes

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"There's actually no such thing as 'English' language hence these discrepancies. There are very few Anglo-Saxon words left in the language that is the first language for most of the uk.

The language we refer to as 'English' is almost entirely made up from loan words (words borrowed from other languages perhaps including slight spelling and pronunciation changes).

But we also use words influenced by our colonial travels from various parts of Africa, Asia, aborigine/Maori and Native American

Therefore how a word changes from this to these or that is dependant on the rules applied to the original word as they would be in it's original language.

Here Endeth the linguistics lesson

One of my lecturers used to say, "English is a bastard language" and more or less echoed everything you typed Evie

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By *rightonsteveMan
over a year ago

Brighton - even Hove!

I understand English is a difficult language to learn. The rules are full of exceptions.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I understand English is a difficult language to learn. The rules are full of exceptions. "

After studying other languages and talking to foreigners who have learnt English and other languages I've come to the conclusion that despite it's irregularities English is just about the easiest language to learn.

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By *bony in Ivory OP Couple
over a year ago

Black&White Utopia

"There's actually no such thing as 'English' language hence these discrepancies. There are very few Anglo-Saxon words left in the language that is the first language for most of the uk.

The language we refer to as 'English' is almost entirely made up from loan words (words borrowed from other languages perhaps including slight spelling and pronunciation changes).

But we also use words influenced by our colonial travels from various parts of Africa, Asia, aborigine/Maori and Native American

Therefore how a word changes from this to these or that is dependant on the rules applied to the original word as they would be in it's original language.

Here Endeth the linguistics lesson

yeap really ' our' language is as diverse as its origins... With many variations... 'the Queens English' being just one of em!

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By *ranthamThroatMan
over a year ago

Grantham.

"There's actually no such thing as 'English' language hence these discrepancies. There are very few Anglo-Saxon words left in the language that is the first language for most of the uk.

The language we refer to as 'English' is almost entirely made up from loan words (words borrowed from other languages perhaps including slight spelling and pronunciation changes).

But we also use words influenced by our colonial travels from various parts of Africa, Asia, aborigine/Maori and Native American

Therefore how a word changes from this to these or that is dependant on the rules applied to the original word as they would be in it's original language.

Here Endeth the linguistics lesson

yeap really ' our' language is as diverse as its origins... With many variations... 'the Queens English' being just one of em!

Nice post, thanks!

Alas as a Scottish queen I do tend to speak another Queen's English

Slange!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I remember that being on the wall in my English language lessons at college

I found it really funny at the time that my tutor was German

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Chaucer Þúsendfeald turnung byrignes

"
Geoffrey chaucer

c. 1340-1400 buried in westminster abbey

Yes old english It must take a long time

To study and understand the text could

Read the canterbury tales then.

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By *bony in Ivory OP Couple
over a year ago

Black&White Utopia

"There's actually no such thing as 'English' language hence these discrepancies. There are very few Anglo-Saxon words left in the language that is the first language for most of the uk.

The language we refer to as 'English' is almost entirely made up from loan words (words borrowed from other languages perhaps including slight spelling and pronunciation changes).

But we also use words influenced by our colonial travels from various parts of Africa, Asia, aborigine/Maori and Native American

Therefore how a word changes from this to these or that is dependant on the rules applied to the original word as they would be in it's original language.

Here Endeth the linguistics lesson

yeap really ' our' language is as diverse as its origins... With many variations... 'the Queens English' being just one of em!

Nice post, thanks!

Alas as a Scottish queen I do tend to speak another Queen's English

Slange!"

still communicating! Innitt!

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