Question about percentages of Latinate vocab. in Gmc. langs

Josh   Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:18 am GMT
Obviously, English has more Latinate words than any other Germanic language. However, having looked through wikipedia articles written in other Gmc. languages, I can see that they are definitely far from being free of Latinates. It seems to me that of non-English Gmc. languages, Swedish is the most lexically Latinate. However, I would like to know, does anyone here have links to actual percentages in such Gmc. languages? I've tried searching many times to no avail.
Guest   Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:08 pm GMT
Many Latin words entered in English (also in Dutch) via French, on the other hand German adopted many words directly from Latin. Also, it's me or there are many surnames in Sweden that resemble Latin? I refer to those ending in -us.
Josh   Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:08 pm GMT
"Also, it's me or there are many surnames in Sweden that resemble Latin? I refer to those ending in -us."

One such name that occurs in all North Gmc. languages is Magnus. Apparently, the Scandinavians mistook the "Magnus" that was part of Charlemagne's title to be a proper name and adopted it as such.
Guest   Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:20 am GMT
WHAT!?
What the hell are you talking about?--What latinate words??? (see below [for mutual intelligibility with English])

"De Nederlandstalige Wikipedia telt op dit moment 509.146 artikelen. Help ook mee door artikelen te starten, te verbeteren of uit te breiden.
Uitgelicht


Salvador Allende (1908-1973) was een Chileens politicus en president van Chili van 1970 tot aan zijn dood in 1973. Na enige jaren als arts gewerkt te hebben, werd hij in 1937 verkozen tot parlementslid. Op 24 oktober 1970 werd Salvador Allende door het Congres tot president gekozen. Allende werd zo het eerste socialistische, democratisch gekozen staatshoofd in Latijns-Amerika. Aan Allendes bewind werd in 1973 abrupt een einde gemaakt door een rechtse militaire staatsgreep onder leiding van generaal Augusto Pinochet, waarbij Salvador Allende op 11 september om het leven kwam. (Lees verder)"

told ya
Josh   Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:16 am GMT
"WHAT!?
What the hell are you talking about?--What latinate words???"

I assume you're joking:

moment
artikelen x 2
politicus
president x 2
parlement
Congres
socialistische
democratisch
abrupt
militaire
staats x 2
generaal
Josh   Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:20 am GMT
The list I made doesn't count the names of the months, which are both latinate too.
Sarmackie   Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:16 pm GMT
Aren't the Germanic and Italic languages more closely related to each other than to other language families? Might that have something to do with it?
Guest   Sat Jan 10, 2009 12:26 am GMT
No, Slavic and Germanic languages are more related to each other. Italic and Celtic languages are more genetically related despite Germanic languages have many Italic(Latin and French) loanwords and not Slavic.
Josh   Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:58 pm GMT
Would it be fair to say that, as a group, Germanic languages have larger percentages of loanwoards than any other IE subfamily? I think this would be true even if English were disregarded.

Does anyone have anything that addresses my original question?
Leasnam   Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:06 pm GMT
<<No, Slavic and Germanic languages are more related to each other. Italic and Celtic languages are more genetically related despite Germanic languages have many Italic(Latin and French) loanwords and not Slavic. >>

This is actually not correct: Germanic is more closely related to Celtic and Italic than to Slavic. Slavic is a Satem IE language; Germanic, Celtic and Italic are Centum.

<<Would it be fair to say that, as a group, Germanic languages have larger percentages of loanwoards than any other IE subfamily? I think this would be true even if English were disregarded.>>

I would say no. Icelandic is practically pure Germanic in its lexicon. Additionally, Slavic languages by and large borrow words from Germanic languages in a way similar to how English and German borrow Latinate words...so one could say that Germanic is the "Latin" of the Slavic linguistic world
Skippy   Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:50 am GMT
Germanic and Italic languages are relatively closely related... Celtic is relatively close to both as well, although depending on who you're talking to, Celtic's relationship is curious... It was either the first of the three to split off or it stuck with the Italic languages a little longer.
Tok   Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:47 pm GMT
<<Additionally, Slavic languages by and large borrow words from Germanic languages in a way similar to how English and German borrow Latinate words...>>

Examples? They also borrow many Latinate words.
Leasnam   Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:38 pm GMT
<<Examples? They also borrow many Latinate words. >>

Oh, it's you again--Mr. Examples...

Well, alright Mr. Examples, since you are such a firm believer in having to always PROVE something...(sigh)

Old Church Slavic strěla - "arrow" < Germanic *strēla (cf. OHG strāla, OE strael)

OCS buky - "letter" < Gmc 'bōkō' (cf. 'book')

OCS lukъ - "onion" < Gmc 'lauka' (cf. OHG lauh, OIcel. laukr, English 'leak')

OCS gradъ - "enclosure" < Gmc 'gards' - (cf. "yard")

OCS lěkъ < Gmc 'lēka' (cf. Gothic lēkareis 'doctor'; Eng. "leech")

OCS plъkъ < Gmc 'fulkan' (cf. OE, OHG folc - "folk")

OCS brěgъ < Gmc 'bergaz' (cf. German 'Berg'; Eng 'barrow')

OCS žlěsti < Gmc geldan 'to buy-out' (cf. "yield")

in Serbian, the word for 'degree', as in 5 degrees Celsius is *stepen (cf. "step")
and the word for 'laundry' is *vesh [veš] (cf. "wash")
'roof' is *krov (cf. OE 'hrof' - "roof"), etc.
Josh   Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:22 am GMT
"Icelandic is practically pure Germanic in its lexicon."

And it's the most unrepresentative living Germanic language. It's not mutually intelligible with other North Gmc. languages, partly because they've borrowed so many words.