Why is it a sterotype? It's true that some national groups are taller on average than others. We have different genes. There's nothing wrong with that.
The relationships between the neo-Latin languages
One thing that continues to fascinate me is how, formerly short populations are now nearly as tall as traditionally tall populations. In places like Japan, kids of my generation are 6 inches taller than their grandfathers. I don't know what explains this dramatic increase in height in two generations in populations that were historically, for all of history, very short.
But Fab, wouldn't you say its true that at least among the older generations, Italians and Spaniards are shorter than Danes and Dutchmen? How tall would you say the average Spaniard or Italian is? And what about the average for men from where you live? It was Nice wasn't it?
But Fab, wouldn't you say its true that at least among the older generations, Italians and Spaniards are shorter than Danes and Dutchmen? How tall would you say the average Spaniard or Italian is? And what about the average for men from where you live? It was Nice wasn't it?
the average Frenchman is about 1,75m, the french woman about 1,62m
These number are similar in Spain and Italy.
" One thing that continues to fascinate me is how, formerly short populations are now nearly as tall as traditionally tall populations "
What you don't understand is that not everything is linked with genetics, especially height, even if it can be a greater predisposition to become tall. Most scientist think that food, regime and way of life are at the origin of most of the height differences, and genetics at second place.
When I see my grand parents, they were really much smaller than my generation. I'm myself quite small (1,70m), by my grandfather was about 1,60 only which is very small for a man. a lot of ederly women in France are between 1,50 and 1,55 only, while young aldut women may be around 1,60/1,65
When I spoke of stereotypes it was about people of Dalmatia. Most people would assume due to the mediterranean stereotype of smaller people taht they would be small while they are the tallest Europeans, ahead Scandinavia !...
These number are similar in Spain and Italy.
" One thing that continues to fascinate me is how, formerly short populations are now nearly as tall as traditionally tall populations "
What you don't understand is that not everything is linked with genetics, especially height, even if it can be a greater predisposition to become tall. Most scientist think that food, regime and way of life are at the origin of most of the height differences, and genetics at second place.
When I see my grand parents, they were really much smaller than my generation. I'm myself quite small (1,70m), by my grandfather was about 1,60 only which is very small for a man. a lot of ederly women in France are between 1,50 and 1,55 only, while young aldut women may be around 1,60/1,65
When I spoke of stereotypes it was about people of Dalmatia. Most people would assume due to the mediterranean stereotype of smaller people taht they would be small while they are the tallest Europeans, ahead Scandinavia !...
What's really interesting, and very unique about northern Europeans is their biological production of the lactase enzyme. The vast majority of the world's population is lactose intolerant, with Native Americans and East Asians being the most lactose intolerant populations in the world. It is no conincedence that the tradition of drinking milk is non-existent in these cultures. About 85% of southern Europeans are lactose intolerant as well. The only people who seem to possess the gene for digestion of the milk sugar lactose, are northern Europeans, where 90% of northern Europeans are able to digest lactose. Everyone is born with the ability to digest lactose, which is necessary for benefiting from vital mother's milk. But, the production of the enzyme needed to break down lactose stops in most humans around the age of five. Many cultures around the world used to, and still do, breastfeed their children until the age of five. Northern Europeans however, have managed to develop a gene which allows them to produce that lactase enzyme all the way through adulthood. As long as milk is digestable, it is an excellent, plentiful source of calcium and protein, both of which are essential for growth. Perhaps this is part of what has given NE a height advantage over others. Interestingly, my family matches the stats. My mother's side, who are of Spanish origin, are nearly all lactose intolerant. My father's side, who are of Welsh/English origin, are all lactose tolerant. The good thing about it is, this northern european gene is usually passed down to children of mixed ancestry, so long as one parent carries the gene, because it is dominant. And as far as the height issue is concerned with regard to my family, it is tough to say. My family grew up on a Mexican diet, and lived in a North American physical environment, but there are short people in my family, and there are also those who are over six feet, or over 180 cm. My tallest uncle is 6'4. The average height in my family for men is 5'10.
What's really interesting, and very unique about northern Europeans is their biological production of the lactase enzyme. The vast majority of the world's population is lactose intolerant, with Native Americans and East Asians being the most lactose intolerant populations in the world. It is no conincedence that the tradition of drinking milk is non-existent in these cultures. About 85% of southern Europeans are lactose intolerant as well. The only people who seem to possess the gene for digestion of the milk sugar lactose, are northern Europeans, where 90% of northern Europeans are able to digest lactose. Everyone is born with the ability to digest lactose, which is necessary for benefiting from vital mother's milk. But, the production of the enzyme needed to break down lactose stops in most humans around the age of five. Many cultures around the world used to, and still do, breastfeed their children until the age of five. Northern Europeans however, have managed to develop a gene which allows them to produce that lactase enzyme all the way through adulthood. As long as milk is digestable, it is an excellent, plentiful source of calcium and protein, both of which are essential for growth. Perhaps this is part of what has given NE a height advantage over others. Interestingly, my family matches the stats. My mother's side, who are of Spanish origin, are nearly all lactose intolerant. My father's side, who are of Welsh/English origin, are all lactose tolerant. The good thing about it is, this northern european gene is usually passed down to children of mixed ancestry, so long as one parent carries the gene, because it is dominant. And as far as the height issue is concerned with regard to my family, it is tough to say. My family grew up on a Mexican diet, and lived in a North American physical environment, but there are short people in my family, and there are also those who are over six feet, or over 180 cm. My tallest uncle is 6'4. The average height in my family for men is 5'10.
I don't know for northern Europe, but I saw that in the USA, drinking milk, as an adult, is a common thing. In France, after 3 years, milk is generally consumed only in Cheeses and Yaourts. An adult that would drink milk would seem very strange.
LAA : « One thing that continues to fascinate me is how, formerly short populations are now nearly as tall as traditionally tall populations. »
LAA : « What's really interesting, and very unique about northern Europeans is their biological production of the lactase enzyme. »
On est très heureux pour toi mais ceci est un site ***LINGUISTIQUE***.
Brennus : merci d'intervenir. Le sujet porte sur les ***LANGUES*** néolatines.
LAA : « What's really interesting, and very unique about northern Europeans is their biological production of the lactase enzyme. »
On est très heureux pour toi mais ceci est un site ***LINGUISTIQUE***.
Brennus : merci d'intervenir. Le sujet porte sur les ***LANGUES*** néolatines.
"The good thing about it is, this northern european gene is usually passed down to children of mixed ancestry, so long as one parent carries the gene, because it is dominant. And as far as the height issue is concerned with regard to my family"
This is so true because I inherited the hight of my grandfather (of northern european decent. I am 179cm and my brother is 175cm. Both of my parents are around 162cm (the gene must of skipped a generation). Though many of the guys on the brazilian side are tall too.
This is so true because I inherited the hight of my grandfather (of northern european decent. I am 179cm and my brother is 175cm. Both of my parents are around 162cm (the gene must of skipped a generation). Though many of the guys on the brazilian side are tall too.
the average of french is I think about 1,75m for male and 1,62m for female. When I said there wasn't much difference of height in Europe it was a generalisation, I thought especially outside of norterhn Europe, where there can be some exception such as in Scandinavia and Netherlands.
As for Catalan, it is an interesting language, although it sounds very different to both spanish and french, it can seem in many ways as an intermediary beetween both in its grammar and vocabulary.
I personally plan to move to Barcelona, that is why I had an iniciation to Catalan. Knowing Catalan is nice to be accepted by local catalan people because even if everybody is completly fluent in Castillan it can be percieved as offensive to not try at all to speak at least a little bit of catalan and do everything in castillan only. To make friends, to work or to study it is also quite necesary to know a bit of catalan.
As for Catalan, it is an interesting language, although it sounds very different to both spanish and french, it can seem in many ways as an intermediary beetween both in its grammar and vocabulary.
I personally plan to move to Barcelona, that is why I had an iniciation to Catalan. Knowing Catalan is nice to be accepted by local catalan people because even if everybody is completly fluent in Castillan it can be percieved as offensive to not try at all to speak at least a little bit of catalan and do everything in castillan only. To make friends, to work or to study it is also quite necesary to know a bit of catalan.
>> The last theory that explains why Dutchmen are tall says that being people living under the level of the sea and the natural and evolutive process of growing of all form of life on earth have been during millions of years just over or at level of the sea. When such condition is broken, like living under the level of the sea, the atypical exposure to the magnetic field of earth at that level during many years eventually would affects the biological process of growing. It's like the plants which look for the sunlight in a dark environment, they tend to enlarge their stalks. Interesting isn't it ? <<
Sound like crap really. The Dutch have only been reclaiming land (thus living under sea level) for about 1700 years. The Dutch belonged to the smaller of the Europeans until about the 1930s. It was not until after the second world war they slowly became the tallest people on earth.
Various theories have been established to explain why, including one that claims that the Dutch started to grow faster when boys and girl schools were founded, this would have increased the amount of (growth) hormones and together with the Dutch diet (lots of vegetables and diary products) would have cause the a growth explosion.
Sound like crap really. The Dutch have only been reclaiming land (thus living under sea level) for about 1700 years. The Dutch belonged to the smaller of the Europeans until about the 1930s. It was not until after the second world war they slowly became the tallest people on earth.
Various theories have been established to explain why, including one that claims that the Dutch started to grow faster when boys and girl schools were founded, this would have increased the amount of (growth) hormones and together with the Dutch diet (lots of vegetables and diary products) would have cause the a growth explosion.
Another theory says that Dutchmen being good farmers tended to use good amounts of fertilizer then mischief kids used to play barefoot over it resulting in an genetic alteration of growing. Interesting as well isn't it ?
And I think you are all forgetting one key point: Genetics. After all, height is still 90% heritable. It's only been recently that Dutch people have enjoyed a high standard of living, as in quality health care, good nutrition, etc. If other enviromental factors are all perfect, someone who has the genes for tallness will grow to be tall, because with proper enviromental factors, he will be able to reach his full potential for growth. Had living standards been as good in Northern Europe two hundred years ago, the Dutch would have been taller than Americans, because as is being seen now, the Dutch, so long as enviromental factors are good, are naturally very tall people.
Fab,
If you said that there wasn't a difference between heights in northern and southern Europe, then why are you now acknowledgeing that you are average in France, while you are considered a midget in Holland? That to me would seem to indicate a drastic difference in height.
Fab,
If you said that there wasn't a difference between heights in northern and southern Europe, then why are you now acknowledgeing that you are average in France, while you are considered a midget in Holland? That to me would seem to indicate a drastic difference in height.
I'm not the moderator, but I'd like to repeat Brennus' message in case it was missed: "People's physical characteristics (eye, hair, skin color, height etc.) are some aspects of anthropology that have no bearing upon linguistics or languages, so I think you can always exclude them from forum discussions."
Perhaps we can now return to the discussion of relationships between neo-Latin languages. I believe discussion was started on Catalan? I wish Jordi were here, as he knew more about them than anyone else (in my recollection).
Perhaps we can now return to the discussion of relationships between neo-Latin languages. I believe discussion was started on Catalan? I wish Jordi were here, as he knew more about them than anyone else (in my recollection).
Everybody in this forum,
The two posts above are not mine, the guest who was arguing with Brennus this morning, for two simple reasons: even being anonimous I wouldn't insult anyone, and I wouldn't use this place to post stupid jokes. I insist to stick to languages yet....
The two posts above are not mine, the guest who was arguing with Brennus this morning, for two simple reasons: even being anonimous I wouldn't insult anyone, and I wouldn't use this place to post stupid jokes. I insist to stick to languages yet....