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Because English is a terrible, thrown-together, inconsistent language, and nobody even using English words can keep completely straight what words are spelled "

by RajT88 4y ago

Because English is a terrible, thrown-together, inconsistent language, and nobody even using English words can keep completely straight what words are spelled "ie" or "ei". There's a rhyme they teach children who are learning to read, "I before E except after C". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_before_E_except_after_C https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_before_E_except_after_C No matter what extra verses they add, there's still plenty of exceptions. English spelling is not consistent no matter how many rules you add to it.

ajmurmann 4y ago
German solved this by refactoring the spelling. My spelling grades went from Ds and Es to Bs over night. In hindsight is the most German thing to not only have centrally standardized spelling but to bring order to it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_orthography_reform_of_1996 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_orthography_reform_of...
adolph 4y ago
English is the JavaScript of languages. As a result everything will be written in it eventually. https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-principle-of-least-power/ https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-principle-of-least-power/ Edit: also the relationship between pronunciation, spelling and meaning is less architectural and more archeological as English developed in the nexus of at least two divergent language groups and reflects pragmatic choices and new development that lead to the appearance of inconsistency from the outside.
hogepiyo 4y ago
Isn't inconsistency just a natural facet of any language that developed organically over time? We aren't talking about a programming language here. I don't see how it's any different to gendered articles in German not really having much of a logical basis to them or kanji readings in Japanese just being something you learn on a case by case basis. I'm only talking about languages I have personal experience with; I'm sure there are others that could be commented on.

by RajT88 4y ago

ajmurmann 4y ago

German solved this by refactoring the spelling. My spelling grades went from Ds and Es to Bs over night. In hindsight is the most German thing to not only have centrally standardized spelling but to bring order to it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_orthography_reform_of_1996 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_orthography_reform_of...

adolph 4y ago

English is the JavaScript of languages. As a result everything will be written in it eventually. https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-principle-of-least-power/ https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-principle-of-least-power/ Edit: also the relationship between pronunciation, spelling and meaning is less architectural and more archeological as English developed in the nexus of at least two divergent language groups and reflects pragmatic choices and new development that lead to the appearance of inconsistency from the outside.

hogepiyo 4y ago

Isn't inconsistency just a natural facet of any language that developed organically over time? We aren't talking about a programming language here. I don't see how it's any different to gendered articles in German not really having much of a logical basis to them or kanji readings in Japanese just being something you learn on a case by case basis. I'm only talking about languages I have personal experience with; I'm sure there are others that could be commented on.