4 ms·
Pretty much already happening across the well to do city folks here in the Netherlands. Ultimately you have to choose a language that everyone can express them
by Yeul 2y ago
Pretty much already happening across the well to do city folks here in the Netherlands.
Ultimately you have to choose a language that everyone can express themselves in and it sure as hell ain't Dutch lmao.
- acomjean 2y agoMy mom was a German / English technical translator in the US. At one point she said those Germans need to decide, English or German. I guess the French from time to time make French words for those with English roots. Though the German word for cell phone, “handy” is pretty great.
- ethbr1 2y agoThe French are pretty serious about preventing linguistic hegemony and fund measures to slow/prevent it.
- dylan604 2y agoBut the English euphemism for "handy" would sure cause some confusion, and potential disappointment. Just like the 'merican slang "double fisted" takes a whole other meaning in the UK
- em-bee 2y agoas a native german, speaking english fluently it drives me nuts. i mean, "handy" is not even borrowed like "computer" but invented by germans as a pseudo-anglicism.
- CRConrad 2y ago> Though the German word for cell phone, “handy” is pretty great. But it sounds rather silly in the standard German pronounciation of "henndii".
- retrac 2y agoDutch is so close to English that at times it is almost a dialect of English. "Ik zag de boot zinken." / "I saw the boat sink." The rest of the world can't watch English TV with subtitles for a few months/years and come away with a passing understanding of English. It's a much steeper cliff. The technical term is diglossia and it's much more common when the two languages are closely related. Latin being the written standard when the spoken language had evolved into Old French or Old Spanish is another classic example.
- anthk 2y agoOld Spanish (12th century, El Cid as an example) was closer on spelling to Latin than the 16/17th century one from Don Quixote.