what makes English Germanic?

Tiffany   Fri Dec 30, 2005 6:30 am GMT
Do you ever think these people are trolls who come here, pretending to be stupid and saying EXACTLY what will get you all inflamed?
Tiffany   Fri Dec 30, 2005 6:31 am GMT
In other words, responding to these people is a waste of time.
Sander   Fri Dec 30, 2005 9:49 am GMT
=>English is Germanic because it comes from French. As everybody knows, the french people are decendants of Franks, a Germanic tribe. <=

No, not really. The modern Dutch and Flemish are decendants of the Franks.Not the French.You overestimate the number of Franks in France when they ruled over the gauls/romans/galloromans.They we're incredibilly small in numbers.
Hopeful   Fri Dec 30, 2005 10:01 am GMT
Is the difference between (for example) Icelandic and Yiddish or Afrikaans and Swedish much smaller than the difference between Scots and English?

I (a Norwegian) can only understand the Northern Germanic languages (Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, and a little bit of some Icelandic)
All speakers of Germanic languages can't understand each other
The languages can look similar to strangers, but I can't say a word of German, Dutch or Afrikaans
Do the Scandinavian languages look Germanic at all?
Sander   Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:18 pm GMT
Of course they do.Don't worry though this isn't a Germanic feature the average Frenchman can't read much Romanian as well.

I'd describe the difference between Scots and English as;bigger than American and British English, but smaller than Swedish and Danish...
UnitedStatesian   Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:13 am GMT
<<I'd describe the difference between Scots and English as;bigger than American and British English, but smaller than Swedish and Danish...>>

That's interesting, because the small snippets of spoken Scots that I've heard are at least 75% unintelligible. Of course, some strong British accents are pretty much unintelligible to me, too.
Sander   Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:14 am GMT
It's not just the spoken language of course, it's the written language the grammer, loans etc.

75% is a bit much though...
Guest   Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:46 pm GMT
Sander :

it is not "grammer" but "grammar"
Sander   Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:52 pm GMT
Just think of it as a 'Chronic typo'.
fatnuggets   Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:15 am GMT
english originated from german thats what makes it germanic
UnitedStatesan   Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:19 am GMT
<<75% is a bit much though...>>

That's for spoken Scots, and 75% is only a rough guess. Written Scots is somewhat easier to understand, especially when modern English words are blended in. Somewhere I recall seeing a Website claiming to be written in Scots, which almost looked like joke (but it wasn't). It was fairly easy to decipher, though.
Sander   Sun Jan 01, 2006 10:29 am GMT
=>english originated from german thats what makes it germanic <=

English, did *not* originate from German.Just like Portuguese didn't originate from Spanish.
Jan   Sun Jan 01, 2006 10:42 am GMT
<No, not really. The modern Dutch and Flemish are decendants of the Franks.Not the French.You overestimate the number of Franks in France when they ruled over the gauls/romans/galloromans.They we're incredibilly small in numbers. >

Oh so you decided to separate us Flemish from you Dutch people now eh?

Whats with the sudden change of heart?

(BTW Thanks) =)

I hate it when some idiot call me a 'Begium Dutchman' brings me the sudden fits of anger.
Sander   Sun Jan 01, 2006 11:25 am GMT
Well, when you really think of it, Flemish and Dutch people have been mixing with eatchoter for centuries... there really is no genetic difference or so.

Flemings speak the same 'Dutch' as the 'Dutch' do (thank the English language for yet another irritating Homograph) and the language developed in both regions.And is regarded totally equal. (Not like American and British English for example)
Guest   Sun Jan 01, 2006 3:49 pm GMT
If they're regarded as totally equal, why are they described as two different languages: 1.Flemish AND 2.Dutch, instead of something like, Flemish Dutch and Dutch Dutch?