French language

Réponse   Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:58 pm GMT
"English still remains a GErmanic language!"

Obviously. Lots of English sentences can be built using only words of Germanic origin, while it is nearly impossible with only Romance words.
Guest   Sun Mar 15, 2009 1:09 pm GMT
English is a substratally celticized, superstratally romanized, Low German dialect to be more precise. Those are the words of a renowned German linguist by the way, not mine.
Parisien   Sun Mar 15, 2009 2:28 pm GMT
"English is a substratally celticized, superstratally romanized, Low German dialect to be more precise."

- Celtic, Low German and French all have closed front vowels.
How come they are not present in English?
Guest   Sun Mar 15, 2009 2:38 pm GMT
I'm not a linguist so I can't give you an answer to that.
ola   Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:35 pm GMT
French language substratally celticized,superstratally germanized.
Maximilien   Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:40 pm GMT
Ne paniquez pas, la mère MArie est toujours là!
yo   Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:42 pm GMT
ola,

I am impressed, you seem to be a real spialist, AMAZING!!!!!!!!
Maximilien   Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:48 pm GMT
guest



hou sucker
Maximilien   Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:49 pm GMT
guest



hou sucker
12438   Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:14 pm GMT
<<Obviously. Lots of English sentences can be built using only words of Germanic origin, while it is nearly impossible with only Romance words.>>

Can anyone give an example of a reasonable-sounding English sentence (of 10 words or more) using only Romance words
purist   Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:33 pm GMT
Can anyone give an example of a reasonable-sounding English sentence (of 10 words or more) using only Romance words

It's impossible because all English basic words (articles, pronouns and so on) are germanic and not latin! That's why English is classified as a Germanic language.
Jimmi CLIF   Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:40 pm GMT
Here is one:

Ta mère pus du cul et sent le poisson pourri de Marseille.
Leasnam   Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:02 pm GMT
<<English is a substratally celticized, superstratally romanized, Low German dialect to be more precise. Those are the words of a renowned German linguist by the way, not mine. >>

That is one man's opinion. The fact that he is a Linguist and also that he is German does not lend any additional credence to his point of view.

I do not agree that the celtic aspect of English is sufficient to classify it as a substratum, as indeed many of the core English speakers remained of Anglo-Saxon lineage. Only around the fringes does a celtic substratum appear (like in Scots, and in English dialects)
Guest   Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:21 pm GMT
I'd say any substratal influence should be classify it as substratum, no matter how slight it is, and In English they are more than just trivial. The origin of the present progressive tense, the do-perisphrasis, lack of external possessors for example are all posited as being substratum features from insular celtic.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Dx-qL0anXSYC&pg=PA235&lpg=PA235&dq=celtic+english+in+contact&source=bl&ots=VJJODNklzf&sig=PYgPa-pJ6ypV99UOHtQHmrOZJgU&hl=en&ei=72q9SfrcCIaW_gbD9531Bw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA27,M1
CID   Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:38 pm GMT
<<The origin of the present progressive tense>>

I read the link provided.

There seems to be some confusion here in regards to the English present progressive tense. According to "English and Celtic in Contact" the Celtic languages use the verb "to be" plus a verbal noun, whereas Modern English uses a similar yet completely different contruction of "be" plus present participle adjective ("I am go-ing").

Is this supposed to make me think English has had an impact from Celtic? Where are the words? --the lexicon? I might entertain this were it not for the lack of Celtic lexicon. After all, lexicon is stage 1 in linguistic transfer.