What do you think are the demerits of English as compared with other languages?
Demerits of English
1) Morphology is too simple -- no genders, no noun cases, only two numbers, no subjunctive (or other verb moods), no polyagreement of verbs, no ergativity, not polysynthetic, etc., etc.
2) Uses alphabet - much more impressive/intimidating to use Chinese-style characters
3) Phonology too simple -- needs tones, clicks, pops, whistles, pauses, lots of strange sounds, etc.
2) Uses alphabet - much more impressive/intimidating to use Chinese-style characters
3) Phonology too simple -- needs tones, clicks, pops, whistles, pauses, lots of strange sounds, etc.
Demerits? I didn't know that English was a boy in boarding school.
It reminds me of a joke.
There was a guy who lived in a back holler somewhere who became the guardian to a boy and a girl after his widowed sister died in childbirth. He was a slow talking and thinking man. The nurse brought him the girl and asked what he wanted to name her.
"That would be Deniece."
"And the boy?" asked the nurse.
"That would be de nephew."
It reminds me of a joke.
There was a guy who lived in a back holler somewhere who became the guardian to a boy and a girl after his widowed sister died in childbirth. He was a slow talking and thinking man. The nurse brought him the girl and asked what he wanted to name her.
"That would be Deniece."
"And the boy?" asked the nurse.
"That would be de nephew."
<<English phonogy is not easy at all, particularly vowel sounds. >>
English is supposed to have "average" phonological difficuly. There are bound to be tougher languages out there, hence a demerit for English.
English is supposed to have "average" phonological difficuly. There are bound to be tougher languages out there, hence a demerit for English.