What do you think about English becoming the default language

[phnx]

you said english was ‘colonization’, so think you just might be

[anon63818055]

I didn’t mean that the English language itself is colonisation, I just thought that loaning off so many words from other languages was some form of it. That probably is a stupid thing to think, but please don’t try insinuating that I myself am stupid. Please.

[Skyler2]

Yes, agreed.

@phnx

you said english was ‘colonization’, so think you just might be

Please try and treat other users with respect. Other people have different opinions and that’s okay.

@phlegmatic

I think you have to understand the English is actually very complex and some of the words they use are French or Spanish, old Latin, just pronounced in an English way.

The thing with the English language is that it’s just so complex. It almost seems unnecessary at times. I agree with the spelling, I just don’t get why it wasn’t modified in the first place. Even if it was derived from Latin, a language that died out…

[Ouijaloveletters]

I can see why you think it’s colonization.

[Skyler2]

@phnx

If anything, English is one of the simpler languages out there. It doesn’t have very many irregulars (i’m looking at you, spanish past participle), it’s one of the only languages without gendered objects, and it’s read left-to-right like most languages.

This is very true, I don’t entirely agree with the accents of French, to be honest. But you could take “tear” for example. Tear and tier are pronounce the same, but “tear” is pronounced differently. They also all mean completely different things. I think, for the most part, English is much better at the pronoun game.

[phlegmatic]

@Skyler2

Even if it was derived from Latin, a language that died out…

Again, language evolves, especially when time passes and population increases.

[phlegmatic]

@anon63818055

I just thought that loaning off so many words from other languages was some form of it.

Which can come from trade which as much as it trades goods, it trades or exchanges cultures, or rather introduces it to people who aren’t familiar.

@anon63818055

I just thought that loaning off so many words from other languages was some form of it.

In general though, why do you think that?

[phnx]

@phlegmatic

Which can come from trade which as much as it trades goods, it trades or exchanges cultures, or rather introduces it to people who aren’t familiar.

Exactly. Like, there’s no coyotes or cacti in Europe or Asia, so when they inevitably came to the new world, did you think they’d just make up completely random words for them?

[Duckling]

@Skyler2

Tear and tier are pronounce the same, but “tear” is pronounced differently.

~ Confused Quacking ~

[Duckling]

It just kinda bothers me how much of the English language is actually just words from other languages pronounced in a weird way…
The spelling mostly makes sense, but because it’s taken from so many different languages, the same letter combination can be read differently from case to case which makes it really hard to learn how to pronounce stuff in English… (Because most other languages actually have some patterns in how words/letters are pronounced, even those with silent ones)
Compared to German or russian, the sentence structure is also more restrictive, so it’s harder to form a grammatically correct sentence (in russian you can pretty much mix and match, in German you just have to pay attention to the verb position, but in English even adverbs and adjectives have to follow a certain order???)
But I still think that it’s an easier language than some others, because it seems to follow a pattern for most of the time

[Skyler2]

@Duckling

~ Confused Quacking ~

“There was a tear of joy shared between the two as father and son were reunited”
“Voila, one cake with three tiers!”
“Do not let the dog tear up my shoes, GEORGE.”

@Duckling

but in English even adverbs

I’m still not even sure what an adverb is-

[phnx]

Word that describes a verb, i.e. slowly, angrily, haughtily. Am I the only one that learned this in the third grade?

[Skyler2]

Oh, right. But colors or small would be adjectives. What about quick? Like, they’re as quick as a fox? Quickly would be an adverb, but quick?

[phlegmatic]

Quick is an adjective. Lol what.

I’m sorry, have you went to school? Or at least paid attention?

[phnx]

phleg back down-

kinda funny that a forum full of writers doesn’t know their adjective from adverbs tho

[phlegmatic]

@phnx

phleg back down-

It was a genuine question… Like if you paid attention in English class, you’re told what categories words go in and why.

@phnx

kinda funny that a forum full of writers doesn’t know their adjective from adverbs tho

I mean they can know how to write but not remember what words certain categories go in cos maybe it’s been a while. But rather complain and question words and why they are there, they can do that mentally and then research it. And it you don’t care enough to do so, there is clearly no point in even talking about it since it’s not important enough for you to actually try and figure out yourself. Asking the question when you don’t actually have the sources, sure, but if you do… use them. Food for thought I guess.

[Skyler2]

@phlegmatic

I’m sorry, have you went to school? Or at least paid attention?

Well that’s a little uncalled for, different places teach different things.
Just because I dont know something that you dont doesnt mean I didnt go to school.

@phlegmatic

But rather complain and question words and why they are there, they can do that mentally and then research it.

I do hope you’re not addressing me. I didnt complain, I only asked a question. A question that I didnt even ask you, I might add. Yes, i could have looked it up. That’s true. I just figured it’s nice to ask people so they can share what you know.

@phlegmatic

It was a genuine question… Like if you paid attention in English class, you’re told what categories words go in and why.

I… I did go to school. But I wasnt taught English categories or poems until grade 5 due to being in French Immersion, even then it was only different types of poems and grammatical elements such as an onomatopoeia or a hyperbole…

[phlegmatic]

Now then that’s understandable, and makes your case different. Fine.

But again, a google search doesn’t take long.

And I wasn’t addressing you specifically but my response was sparked by what you and others said.

[anon68003072]

This thread is a…time

In uni I wrote an essay about the idea of a universal language so I did research on language in general and you kinda learn that like, most European languages sound similar or follow similar rules and no not the same, we can all agree that German doesn’t sound like Spanish. To say English just takes words from other languages and cultures as though that’s a bad thing is to ignore other languages also having borrowed terms. Including btw not just European languages, countries outside of Europe also have borrowed terms, if not in spelling then in pronunciation.

Language is a constantly evolving thing, it’s not a group of men in robes sat in a room considering what should or shouldn’t be part of a specific language. Dictionaries and grammar rules evolve and get added to, plus taken away from all the time. Certain words being used in certain contexts is what brings them into other countries not “oh I like the sound of that, I’ll just grab it and change the meaning, nobody will notice” it’s gradual.

If you want to bring colonisation into the picture then look at the French, Dutch and English forcing people into either speaking their language or well…you can guess the connotations.

Now in terms of what I think of it becoming the default language, I don’t agree that it should and I don’t agree that there even should be a default language. Because eventually that would just become “speak this language or you will never understand us” which…no…you can’t force somebody to learn a language, think of the deaf community too. Think of what happens to the people who can’t speak it, it all just leads down a very messy path.