You think English is easy??? - Page 2

**dbailey** · January 24th, 2010, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrfixit

Why do we deplane but we don't deboat,debus or detrain?

I dunno, I have an afro-caribean friend who often takes deplane, deboat and detrain

hugleflip · January 24th, 2010, 12:53 PM

English is such a strange language because it takes elements from many other languages. These fair isles have been invaded so many times in the distant past and each time the language of the invaders was infused into the native languages which were the celtic languages. The original words got changed over time to what we have today. A lot of the new words in the english language are now americanisms like deplane and dove (as in dove into the water) we would say dived. Nowadays it's being bastardised further by text language with a lot of the countries youth struggling to read and write in the correct way.

**RyderKnightley** · January 24th, 2010, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hugleflip

English is such a strange language because it takes elements from many other languages.

Didn't the French want to exclude English as one of the official languages of the EU because they said it wasn't actually a language, just a bastard son of so many others? Or is that just an urban myth?
English is my first language, but even I don't know how to pronounce tons of words (normally local words or place names) because their are few hard and fast rules about letter sounds. So I feel sorry for those for whom English is not their first language.

iufrenchman · January 24th, 2010, 03:41 PM

The plural of box is boxes;
but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice;
yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

**henryf** · January 24th, 2010, 04:14 PM

James Galway : I am a flute player not a flautist. I don't own and have never played a flaut.

**seany65** · January 24th, 2010, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iufrenchman

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice;
yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

The plural for House depends on how 'posh' you are. Most people say 'houses', but the queen etc. says 'Hizes'.

**dbailey** · January 24th, 2010, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seany65

The plural for House depends on how 'posh' you are. Most people say 'houses', but the queen etc. says 'Hizes'.

And when prince Charles replies in the affirmative he draws attention to his prominent facial feature.

'Will you be going to Wimbledon this year your Highness?'

answer

'Ears'

a lot of toffs say ears when they mean YES

and his name is often pronouned ... Prints Chorlz

**electile disfunction** · January 24th, 2010, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyderKnightley

... it wasn't actually a language, just a bastard son of so many others?

My grandfather used to call English "a dog from every village".

e.d.

hugleflip · January 25th, 2010, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyderKnightley

Didn't the French want to exclude English as one of the official languages of the EU because they said it wasn't actually a language.

You never know, there has always been friction between the two countries & I'm sure they would like to get one up on the "rosibifs". Saying that there are a lot of French words used in the English language.
On a seperate note as a non Welsh speaking Welshman I used to find it a nightmare in school with Welsh lessons & French lessons, the similarities with some of the words used to have me writing Welsh words down for French & vica versa. eg, Window in French is fenetre, in Welsh, fenister. No wonder my grades were shite!

**dbailey** · January 25th, 2010, 07:59 PM

Me and my friend Dave were having this conversation last year.

I was saying that french was a very difficult language to learn because of items having a gender and word pronounciation not matching the letters that it is made up of.

I said that it is so difficult that I dont even know the word for 'Duck'

and Dave says..

duck is 'Cannard'

And I say, damn straight...its 'kin ard...........

January 24th, 2010, 03:41 PM	#14
iufrenchman Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 238 Thanks: 1,676 Thanked 2,536 Times in 228 Posts	More oddities The plural of box is boxes; but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes. One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose should never be meese. You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice; yet the plural of house is houses, not hice. If the plural of man is always called men, why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

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January 24th, 2010, 12:53 PM	#12
hugleflip Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Wales Posts: 191 Thanks: 4,568 Thanked 6,880 Times in 189 Posts	English is such a strange language because it takes elements from many other languages. These fair isles have been invaded so many times in the distant past and each time the language of the invaders was infused into the native languages which were the celtic languages. The original words got changed over time to what we have today. A lot of the new words in the english language are now americanisms like deplane and dove (as in dove into the water) we would say dived. Nowadays it's being bastardised further by text language with a lot of the countries youth struggling to read and write in the correct way.

January 24th, 2010, 04:14 PM	#15
henryf Vintage Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Great Britain Posts: 966 Thanks: 3,105 Thanked 20,144 Times in 941 Posts	James Galway : I am a flute player not a flautist. I don't own and have never played a flaut.

January 25th, 2010, 07:59 PM	#20
dbailey Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Wharfedale, Yorkshire, UK Posts: 2,298 Thanks: 137,964 Thanked 24,965 Times in 2,218 Posts	Me and my friend Dave were having this conversation last year. I was saying that french was a very difficult language to learn because of items having a gender and word pronounciation not matching the letters that it is made up of. I said that it is so difficult that I dont even know the word for 'Duck' and Dave says.. duck is 'Cannard' And I say, damn straight...its 'kin ard...........