also dry and trocken, although that's a little less obvious
Is English the least "Germanic" language within th
And also 'oder' and 'or', although it isn't quite so obvious either. However, 'humides' can be translated as 'humid' in English, even though it wasn't in that particular case.
Having said that, sometimes English can resemble French more than German. Here's an example of something which someone posted on this forum a while ago (corrected into better French):
En français:
J'ai inventé une langue artificielle qui est très facile d'apprendre avec la grammaire minimale et une vocabulaire très petite. La majorité de la vocabulaire est derivée par l'anglais et il y a des additions par le français. C'est une méthode excellente pour la communication internationale, n'est-ce pas? Est-ce que cette langue est compréhensible pour vous?
In English:
I have invented an artificial language which is very easy to learn with minimal grammar and a very small vocabulary. The majority of the vocabulary is derived from English and there are additions from French. This is an excellent method for international communication, isn't it? Is this language comprehensible for you?
Auf Deutsch:
Ich habe eine künstliche Sprache erfunden, die sehr einfach zu erlernen ist mit minimaler Grammatik und einem sehr kleinen Wortschatz. Die Majorität des Wortschatzes werden aus Englisch abgeleitet und es gibt Hinzufügung aus Französischem. Dieses ist eine ausgezeichnete Methode für internationale Kommunikation. Ist diese Sprache für Sie verständlich?
(I realise that the German is unlikely to be grammatically completely accurate).
Having said that, sometimes English can resemble French more than German. Here's an example of something which someone posted on this forum a while ago (corrected into better French):
En français:
J'ai inventé une langue artificielle qui est très facile d'apprendre avec la grammaire minimale et une vocabulaire très petite. La majorité de la vocabulaire est derivée par l'anglais et il y a des additions par le français. C'est une méthode excellente pour la communication internationale, n'est-ce pas? Est-ce que cette langue est compréhensible pour vous?
In English:
I have invented an artificial language which is very easy to learn with minimal grammar and a very small vocabulary. The majority of the vocabulary is derived from English and there are additions from French. This is an excellent method for international communication, isn't it? Is this language comprehensible for you?
Auf Deutsch:
Ich habe eine künstliche Sprache erfunden, die sehr einfach zu erlernen ist mit minimaler Grammatik und einem sehr kleinen Wortschatz. Die Majorität des Wortschatzes werden aus Englisch abgeleitet und es gibt Hinzufügung aus Französischem. Dieses ist eine ausgezeichnete Methode für internationale Kommunikation. Ist diese Sprache für Sie verständlich?
(I realise that the German is unlikely to be grammatically completely accurate).
True, the vocabulary may be closer in this instance, but with the grammar, etc., there's still a distance between English and French.
Yes. I say that all the time. It seems like most basic, low level words are Germanic in origin, while usually the more advanced words seem to be imported from French. We owe 60% of our vocabulary to French, so there you go.
A lot of common everyday words, and especially the numerical system, is very similar to German. Almost all of the cardinal numbers and the rest of the numbers seem just like their English equivalents, with only a difference in phonology.
A lot of common everyday words, and especially the numerical system, is very similar to German. Almost all of the cardinal numbers and the rest of the numbers seem just like their English equivalents, with only a difference in phonology.
« but with the grammar, etc., there's still a distance between English and French. »
In some ways though, English grammar is more like French grammar than German grammar (e.g. word order, lack of inflected cases etc.).
In some ways though, English grammar is more like French grammar than German grammar (e.g. word order, lack of inflected cases etc.).
Here are more examples of the Germanic element in basic words in English and in German. Now, if you pronounce the German letters correctly, you will arive at a word which is extremely close to the English equivalent.
Eng - boy, Ger - junge (like "young" or youth)
Eng - girl, Ger - Madchen (like the English "maiden")
Eng - man, Ger - mann
Eng - house, Ger - haus
Eng - hello, Ger - hallo
Eng - fire, Ger - feuer
Eng - water, Ger - wasser
Eng - wind, Ger - wind
Eng - heat, Ger - hitze
Eng - hunger, Ger - hunger
Eng - God, Ger - Gott
Eng - love, Ger - Liebe
Eng - good, Ger - gut
Eng - cold, Ger - kalt
You see, these are all very basic, primitive words, which were commonly used, and were not going to be supplanted by French words after the Norman Conquest.
Eng - boy, Ger - junge (like "young" or youth)
Eng - girl, Ger - Madchen (like the English "maiden")
Eng - man, Ger - mann
Eng - house, Ger - haus
Eng - hello, Ger - hallo
Eng - fire, Ger - feuer
Eng - water, Ger - wasser
Eng - wind, Ger - wind
Eng - heat, Ger - hitze
Eng - hunger, Ger - hunger
Eng - God, Ger - Gott
Eng - love, Ger - Liebe
Eng - good, Ger - gut
Eng - cold, Ger - kalt
You see, these are all very basic, primitive words, which were commonly used, and were not going to be supplanted by French words after the Norman Conquest.
>>In some ways though, English grammar is more like French grammar than German grammar (e.g. word order, lack of inflected cases etc.). <<
Yes, but on the other hand English does have strong verbs etc.
Yes, but on the other hand English does have strong verbs etc.
That's saying what they lack, rather than what they have in common; French has a past tense, whilst neither English nor German does. Also with the adjectives coming after the noun.
English and German share the same foundations, it's just that on top of the English foundations comes a lot of French vocabulary.
English and German share the same foundations, it's just that on top of the English foundations comes a lot of French vocabulary.
zxczxc,
>>That's saying what they lack, rather than what they have in common; French has a past tense, whilst neither English nor German does. Also with the adjectives coming after the noun. <<
What?! then what tense is "He walked to the store" ?
Adding Dutch:
Eng - boy, Ger - junge (compare "Bube") , Du - jongen (compare "boef")
Eng - girl, Ger - Madchen (compare "maiden"), Du - meisje(compare "maiden")
Eng - man, Ger - mann, Du - man
Eng - house, Ger - haus, Du - huis
Eng - hello, Ger - hallo, Du - Hallo/Hoi (compare "ahoy")
Eng - fire, Ger - feuer, Du - vuur
Eng - water, Ger - wasser, Du - water
Eng - wind, Ger - wind, Du - wind
Eng - heat, Ger - hitze, Du - hitte
Eng - hunger, Ger - hunger, Du - honger
Eng - God, Ger - Gott , Du - God
Eng - love, Ger - Liebe, Du - liefde
Eng - good, Ger - gut, Du - goed
Eng - cold, Ger - kalt, Du - koud
>>That's saying what they lack, rather than what they have in common; French has a past tense, whilst neither English nor German does. Also with the adjectives coming after the noun. <<
What?! then what tense is "He walked to the store" ?
Adding Dutch:
Eng - boy, Ger - junge (compare "Bube") , Du - jongen (compare "boef")
Eng - girl, Ger - Madchen (compare "maiden"), Du - meisje(compare "maiden")
Eng - man, Ger - mann, Du - man
Eng - house, Ger - haus, Du - huis
Eng - hello, Ger - hallo, Du - Hallo/Hoi (compare "ahoy")
Eng - fire, Ger - feuer, Du - vuur
Eng - water, Ger - wasser, Du - water
Eng - wind, Ger - wind, Du - wind
Eng - heat, Ger - hitze, Du - hitte
Eng - hunger, Ger - hunger, Du - honger
Eng - God, Ger - Gott , Du - God
Eng - love, Ger - Liebe, Du - liefde
Eng - good, Ger - gut, Du - goed
Eng - cold, Ger - kalt, Du - koud
Woops, I meant to say a future tense, e.g. j'irai or whatever it is in French. English and German require "will/shall" and "werden" respectively.
Also with "boy", in English you'll often hear "young'un", which is basically the same as the German and Dutch.
Also with "boy", in English you'll often hear "young'un", which is basically the same as the German and Dutch.
Even so, it lacks a future tense where the verb itself changes... unlike French.
>>In some ways though, English grammar is more like French grammar than German grammar (e.g. word order, lack of inflected cases etc.). <<
This is true, but it's not due to French influence.
English grammar (syntax) is Scandinavian and is the result of the two people groups living side by side during the Middle English period. Compare the following sentences for "I will sell you the horse that pulls my cart" in Old English and Old Norse:
Old English- Ic sello the thaet hors thaet minne waegn draegth.
Old Norse- Ek mun selja ther hrossit er dregr vagn mine.
[cf. Mod. Ger.- Ich werde dir das Pferd/(das Ross) das meinen Wagen zieht verkaufen. <OR>- Ich verkaufe dir das Pferd/(das Ross) das meinen Wagen zieht.]
Modern English follows word for word the Old Norse sentence except for the placement of "my" after the noun. This transfer of syntax was already in progress BEFORE French had any sizeable influence on English.
This is true, but it's not due to French influence.
English grammar (syntax) is Scandinavian and is the result of the two people groups living side by side during the Middle English period. Compare the following sentences for "I will sell you the horse that pulls my cart" in Old English and Old Norse:
Old English- Ic sello the thaet hors thaet minne waegn draegth.
Old Norse- Ek mun selja ther hrossit er dregr vagn mine.
[cf. Mod. Ger.- Ich werde dir das Pferd/(das Ross) das meinen Wagen zieht verkaufen. <OR>- Ich verkaufe dir das Pferd/(das Ross) das meinen Wagen zieht.]
Modern English follows word for word the Old Norse sentence except for the placement of "my" after the noun. This transfer of syntax was already in progress BEFORE French had any sizeable influence on English.
The future tense in Romance languages IS derived somewhat like in germanic--it consists of the
Infinitive + the conjugated form of HAVE, used modally and in postposition (except for first & second person plural which just use the verbal conjugation).
For instance French "I will eat" is "je mangerai" ("je" + "manger" + "ai" or "I" + "eat" + "have" [i.e. I have to eat, I will eat]).
The future tense in Latin involved using an -ab- added to the stem as in "amabo", "I will love".
Infinitive + the conjugated form of HAVE, used modally and in postposition (except for first & second person plural which just use the verbal conjugation).
For instance French "I will eat" is "je mangerai" ("je" + "manger" + "ai" or "I" + "eat" + "have" [i.e. I have to eat, I will eat]).
The future tense in Latin involved using an -ab- added to the stem as in "amabo", "I will love".