Well, thanks for bringing up another point.Germanic language like Dutch and German have way more irregular verbs than Spanish.
European language?
>>I know nothing of German - do all verbs have multiple cases in all persons? I see some of them are the same. There are four cases in that German example six in the Spanish one. <<
In many cases, there are five different forms. The first-person plural and the third-person plural always have the same verb form.
lernen(learn):
lerne
lernst
lernt
lernen
lernet
lernen
In many cases, there are five different forms. The first-person plural and the third-person plural always have the same verb form.
lernen(learn):
lerne
lernst
lernt
lernen
lernet
lernen
El sistema temporal alemán es mucho más fácil que el español: tiene sólo seis tiempos. Dos de ellos presentan formas verbales simples, los cuatro restantes presentan formas compuestas. El español dispone de un total de 17 paradigmas temporales, 5 de ellos simples y 12 compuestos. En cuanto a la distribución de los tiempos, el sistema verbal alemán es, por lo tanto, menos rico y matizado que el español.
My translation of Jose's post:
German's tense system is much easier than Spanish's, having only six tenses. Two of them are simple, the remaining four being compound. Spanish has a total of 17 tenses, 5 of them simple and 12 compound. Looking at the distribution of tenses, German's verb system is, therefore, less rich and less precise than Spanish's.
German's tense system is much easier than Spanish's, having only six tenses. Two of them are simple, the remaining four being compound. Spanish has a total of 17 tenses, 5 of them simple and 12 compound. Looking at the distribution of tenses, German's verb system is, therefore, less rich and less precise than Spanish's.
Isn't the verb system one of the most complex aspects of Spanish grammar? What happens when you compare German (or even English) plurals with Spanish plurals, for example?
http://german.about.com/library/blplural01.htm
German plurals are complicated, but Spanish plurals are simple.
German plurals are complicated, but Spanish plurals are simple.
Tiffany Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:31 pm GMT:
<<I know nothing of German - do all verbs have multiple cases in all persons? I see some of them are the same. There are four cases in that German example six in the Spanish one.>>
If we talk about verbs, is it linguistically correct call the different verb forms cases? The term ''case'' belongs only to nouns, as far as I know.
<<I don't think anyone can define a language as simple or difficult. Whereas one characteristic of a language may seem simple compared to others, the imbalance is usually balanced out by another characteristic. At least this is my opinion.>>
This im my opinion, too!
<<I know nothing of German - do all verbs have multiple cases in all persons? I see some of them are the same. There are four cases in that German example six in the Spanish one.>>
If we talk about verbs, is it linguistically correct call the different verb forms cases? The term ''case'' belongs only to nouns, as far as I know.
<<I don't think anyone can define a language as simple or difficult. Whereas one characteristic of a language may seem simple compared to others, the imbalance is usually balanced out by another characteristic. At least this is my opinion.>>
This im my opinion, too!
eito(jpn) Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:03 pm GMT:
>>I know nothing of German - do all verbs have multiple cases in all persons? I see some of them are the same. There are four cases in that German example six in the Spanish one. <<
In many cases, there are five different forms. The first-person plural and the third-person plural always have the same verb form.
lernen(learn):
lerne
lernst
lernt
lernen
lernet
lernen
Eito, the conjugation paradigm you provide is somewhat out of date. In contemporary German it is like that:
lernen
ich lerne
du lernst
er, sie, es lernt
wir lernen
ihr lernt
sie lernen
So there're actually only 4 different forms!
Jose, Guest: Besides the verb's inflectional system, there are other words, i.e. adverbs etc., to convey information about when and how an action is performed. So, what one language achieves with verbal inflection is done by additional words in another. I think, every languages provides means to be as precise as needed.
Talking about verbal complexity, you also must take into accout that in languages with compound tenses, it might be possible that the order of the respective part may change as is in German subordinate clause (Nebensatz).
>>I know nothing of German - do all verbs have multiple cases in all persons? I see some of them are the same. There are four cases in that German example six in the Spanish one. <<
In many cases, there are five different forms. The first-person plural and the third-person plural always have the same verb form.
lernen(learn):
lerne
lernst
lernt
lernen
lernet
lernen
Eito, the conjugation paradigm you provide is somewhat out of date. In contemporary German it is like that:
lernen
ich lerne
du lernst
er, sie, es lernt
wir lernen
ihr lernt
sie lernen
So there're actually only 4 different forms!
Jose, Guest: Besides the verb's inflectional system, there are other words, i.e. adverbs etc., to convey information about when and how an action is performed. So, what one language achieves with verbal inflection is done by additional words in another. I think, every languages provides means to be as precise as needed.
Talking about verbal complexity, you also must take into accout that in languages with compound tenses, it might be possible that the order of the respective part may change as is in German subordinate clause (Nebensatz).
Sander Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:00 pm GMT:
<<There will never be a European language.But there might be (a) dominant language(s).>>
Yes, most likely!
<<English? Maybe, but it is not usefull when considering it's possition in Europe only 2 nations speak English and both of them are Islands.>>
English is spoken all over the world, so why talking about an Euopean language or such a language others than English? Monroe doctrine applied to Europe?
<<German? German is probably the best choice.Although the language is difficult to learn it's central position and enormous amount of speakers make it very powerful.>>
Thanks for this positiv evaluation according to my mother tongue!
<<But like I said there's never going to be 1 language.>>
Yes!
<<I've created a plan idea though.Based on Indo European.
Every indoeuropean language speaker learns 2 constructed languages.Based outside of his or her own language group.Together with his/her own language.
So;
Germanic speaker:
* constructed Romance language
* constructed Slavic language
Romance speaker:
* constructed Germanic language
* constructed Slavic language
Slavic speaker:
* constructed Romance language
* constructed Germanic language
That way these people can ALWAYS communicate with eatchother. >>
Better plan: Instead of wasting time with trying to learn constructed languages with minor importance, where there're almost no teachers and hardly a chance to practice, try to learn English best. This is the purpose antimoon.com is dedicated to!
Besides that, if your're really interested in languages, try to learn one or more endangered languages, e.g. Scotish Gaelic. Or try to learn a non indogermanic language also spoken in Europe, e.g. Turkish. This will -- I hope -- help to understand each other.
<<There will never be a European language.But there might be (a) dominant language(s).>>
Yes, most likely!
<<English? Maybe, but it is not usefull when considering it's possition in Europe only 2 nations speak English and both of them are Islands.>>
English is spoken all over the world, so why talking about an Euopean language or such a language others than English? Monroe doctrine applied to Europe?
<<German? German is probably the best choice.Although the language is difficult to learn it's central position and enormous amount of speakers make it very powerful.>>
Thanks for this positiv evaluation according to my mother tongue!
<<But like I said there's never going to be 1 language.>>
Yes!
<<I've created a plan idea though.Based on Indo European.
Every indoeuropean language speaker learns 2 constructed languages.Based outside of his or her own language group.Together with his/her own language.
So;
Germanic speaker:
* constructed Romance language
* constructed Slavic language
Romance speaker:
* constructed Germanic language
* constructed Slavic language
Slavic speaker:
* constructed Romance language
* constructed Germanic language
That way these people can ALWAYS communicate with eatchother. >>
Better plan: Instead of wasting time with trying to learn constructed languages with minor importance, where there're almost no teachers and hardly a chance to practice, try to learn English best. This is the purpose antimoon.com is dedicated to!
Besides that, if your're really interested in languages, try to learn one or more endangered languages, e.g. Scotish Gaelic. Or try to learn a non indogermanic language also spoken in Europe, e.g. Turkish. This will -- I hope -- help to understand each other.
=>Better plan: Instead of wasting time with trying to learn constructed languages with minor importance, where there're almost no teachers and hardly a chance to practice, try to learn English best.<=
A lot of people are not going to except that mainly because of pride.But then again a lot of people can't even speak their native language well....
I guess we should just continue as we do now.
A lot of people are not going to except that mainly because of pride.But then again a lot of people can't even speak their native language well....
I guess we should just continue as we do now.
As I posted in another thread about made up languages, for artificial or constructed languages, see: www.langmaker.com/db/mdl_a2z_index.htm
<<Jose, this is the English section.Respect the rules please. >>.
Why shouldn't he post in Spanish. Greg posts in French all the time but no-one says anything to him.
Why shouldn't he post in Spanish. Greg posts in French all the time but no-one says anything to him.
<<A lot of people are not going to except that mainly because of pride.But then again a lot of people can't even speak their native language well....>>
Then, this people have an odd notion of pride!
Today, you need to know English, even in non English speaking countries, that's for sure. You can't afford not to have a good knowledge of this language!
Then, this people have an odd notion of pride!
Today, you need to know English, even in non English speaking countries, that's for sure. You can't afford not to have a good knowledge of this language!