4 ms·
English is very germanic and the germanic languages are very functional as you say. However, it has both celtic and romantic influences (both formal latin thro
by nopassrecover 16y ago
English is very germanic and the germanic languages are very functional as you say. However, it has both celtic and romantic influences (both formal latin through the Roman conquest and later French influence). It is this interesting hybridisation that gives it both functional power (I hear an anecdote of how the French do not have a general purpose word for 'get', instead it is strongly contextual) and (often unused) artistic extensibility.
- a-priori 16y agoEnglish is interesting in that we almost have two independent vocabularies. When speaking informally, you tend to use Germanic words more, and when speaking formally, you tend to use Romance words. I'm writing this formally, which is why I'm using words like "speaking" (which comes from Latin) instead of "talking" (which comes from Middle English). For example, compare "I need to pick up bread from the store when I'm finished." (Romance words, sounds formal) to "I must get bread from the shop when I'm done." (Germanic words, sounds informal). Both mean the same thing, but (ignoring the stiff wording) the first sounds like something you would say to your grandmother, and the second sounds like something you'd say to your pal at the bar.
- a-priori 16y agoI'd like to add that this split can be traced back to the Norman invasion of England in 1066. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_conquest_of_England#Language http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_conquest_of_England#Lang...
- mahmud 16y agoMinor correction. "Speaking" sounded like Germanic to me, sprechen/spreken, and Merriam Webster confirmed it. The latin roots gave us "orate", "dictate", and "eloquence".
- a-priori 16y agoAh, yes, you are right about that. I don't know where I got the idea that "speak" was Latin-based.