Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Boring! Have a fight!
Is English an inferior language?
Does the simplicity of English grammar make the language inferior to other more complex languages such as Finnish, Russian or German?
I dont think so. English is a descent of (Low) Saxon (German lanquage) from the earliest settlers and has the same way of constructing words and sentences. I myself live in the netherlands near the german border in an Low Saxon erea. I can read English as wel as German but don see English as simpler. And dont forget the german language underwent a couple of centruries ago al sort of rules (as Dutch) taken by socalled languagescientist who in their nearominded thought to decide how the standard language should look like and naturel dialect got a lower status.
I dont think so. English is a descent of (Low) Saxon (German lanquage) from the earliest settlers and has the same way of constructing words and sentences. I myself live in the netherlands near the german border in an Low Saxon erea. I can read English as wel as German but don see English as simpler. And dont forget the german language underwent a couple of centruries ago al sort of rules (as Dutch) taken by socalled languagescientist who in their nearominded thought to decide how the standard language should look like and naturel dialect got a lower status.
English is as simplified with respect to German as Romance languages are from Latin. Also English has been influenced by Norse. English feels more Norsic than continental Germanic languages.
>>English is as simplified with respect to German as Romance languages are from Latin. Also English has been influenced by Norse. English feels more Norsic than continental Germanic languages.<<
While English is certainly simplified in terms of morphology, is it simpler than German overall? If English had the same genders, verb conjugations and declensions as German, but everything else was as English is now, English would surely be the much harder of the two languages, because many other aspects of German are much easier. It just depends how much importance you want to attach to morphology.
While English is certainly simplified in terms of morphology, is it simpler than German overall? If English had the same genders, verb conjugations and declensions as German, but everything else was as English is now, English would surely be the much harder of the two languages, because many other aspects of German are much easier. It just depends how much importance you want to attach to morphology.
<<many other aspects of German are much easier.>>
Just out of curiosity, which aspects of German are easier?
Just out of curiosity, which aspects of German are easier?
If English had the same genders, verb conjugations and declensions as German, but everything else was as English is now, English would
It would, but since English lacks all of these things it's easier.
It would, but since English lacks all of these things it's easier.
>>Just out of curiosity, which aspects of German are easier? <<
The tense system is far easier. No progressive tense (although there is a form of one in some dialects, but it's not standard and so you don't have to worry about it). The distinction between past simple and perfect is nowhere near as complex. In spoken speech you can get away with using the perfect most of the time. No will/going to distinction.
The verb 'werden' (to become). Can be used where in English you have to choose from a variety of words - become, get, go etc. Also always used for the passive whereas English uses either 'be' or 'get' and these aren't completey interchangable.
It's a V2 language meaning the finite verb in the main clause always has to go second, while in a subclause it has to go at the end. The position of the finite verb in English varies depending on which other words are in the sentence. English also has some weird rules about inverting word order in certain sentences i.e. Never again will I do that', when usually the subject comes before the verb.
Expression of the indirect object is easier. You just always use the dative form. English uses a werid mixture of word order and the preposition 'to' to convey this, and once again it's not interchangable, it depends on the verb as to what is acceptable.
The tense system is far easier. No progressive tense (although there is a form of one in some dialects, but it's not standard and so you don't have to worry about it). The distinction between past simple and perfect is nowhere near as complex. In spoken speech you can get away with using the perfect most of the time. No will/going to distinction.
The verb 'werden' (to become). Can be used where in English you have to choose from a variety of words - become, get, go etc. Also always used for the passive whereas English uses either 'be' or 'get' and these aren't completey interchangable.
It's a V2 language meaning the finite verb in the main clause always has to go second, while in a subclause it has to go at the end. The position of the finite verb in English varies depending on which other words are in the sentence. English also has some weird rules about inverting word order in certain sentences i.e. Never again will I do that', when usually the subject comes before the verb.
Expression of the indirect object is easier. You just always use the dative form. English uses a werid mixture of word order and the preposition 'to' to convey this, and once again it's not interchangable, it depends on the verb as to what is acceptable.
Also the distinction in English between using a possessive 's form or the preposition 'of' is not met by the same complexity in German.
On a more superficial level, German doesn't use 'do' as an auxilliary, so questions are always formed by using word order i.e. Magst du das? (Do you like that?) Actually the verb second rule does not apply to questions. Negatives are always formed with just 'nicht'. However I don't think this generally poses many problems for learners.
A form of 'Kein' always used where English might use either 'no' or not a'.
Not the same chaos with 'could/might/was able to'. Just a clear konnte/koennte distinction.
Not the problem with 'must' and 'have to' having different meanings once you negate them.
On a more superficial level, German doesn't use 'do' as an auxilliary, so questions are always formed by using word order i.e. Magst du das? (Do you like that?) Actually the verb second rule does not apply to questions. Negatives are always formed with just 'nicht'. However I don't think this generally poses many problems for learners.
A form of 'Kein' always used where English might use either 'no' or not a'.
Not the same chaos with 'could/might/was able to'. Just a clear konnte/koennte distinction.
Not the problem with 'must' and 'have to' having different meanings once you negate them.
"Les Britanniques sont trop ***PAUVRES*** pour s'acquitter de leur contribution financière... On les rembourse chaque année avec un chèque équivalent à leur "investissement" dans l'UE !"
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I didn't know whether to laugh or cry the other day when the EU declared that Britain will soon become "bankrupt."
That's the same EU that makes Britain hand £60 billion to it every year. That's the equivalent of about £1000 for every man, woman and child in Britain.
To save Britain from going bankrupt, all we have to do is withdraw from the EU, saving the economy £60 billion annually and leaving every man, woman and child £1000 a year better off.
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I didn't know whether to laugh or cry the other day when the EU declared that Britain will soon become "bankrupt."
That's the same EU that makes Britain hand £60 billion to it every year. That's the equivalent of about £1000 for every man, woman and child in Britain.
To save Britain from going bankrupt, all we have to do is withdraw from the EU, saving the economy £60 billion annually and leaving every man, woman and child £1000 a year better off.
Though I don't think many French farmers would be too pleased if Britain did that. Where would they get the money to buy their sports cars?
English pay and shut up.
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Greetings, friend. Om Mani Padme Hum.
http://www.swastika-info.com/images/asien/tibet/hochstehnder-lama-in-tibet.jpg
http://www.swastika-info.com/images/asien/tibet/hochstehnder-lama-in-tibet.jpg
Wow, besides debating the validity of the question can anyone actually answer it?