English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

15:00

It was funny because when you said it, your coworker turned and gave you a funny look, but you didn't notice.

"Oh, Kit's talking to herself again, it's going to be one of those days"

Mitch

looks suspiciously around at coworkers

coworkers look back suspiciously because this is a big effing corporate meeting

user116848

@Mitch You lost me. Why is "Nacho cheese" funny?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Arrowfar What do you call cheese that doesn't belong to you?

Mitch

@Arrowfar Well, that one joke is funny.

All the rest are meta-funny.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Mitch That's better than feta-money

Mitch

15:03

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I don't think you've ever had good fresh feta-money

@Arrowfar 'nacho' is how one pronounces 'not your' normally.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Mitch normally?

Mitch

normally.

nah-tcher

user116848

@Mitch Ahh now it makes sense. American accent right?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Mitch nah-tchier

Mitch

Yeah.

Kit Z. Fox

15:05

@Arrowfar Southeastern US.

Mitch

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Really?

Oh. I thought everyone... Oh.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Mitch yeah, the glide doesn't disappear, does it?

Kit Z. Fox

natchyo

Mitch

Well, it is a well known phenomenon of 'you' becoming ...

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Mitch becoming "y-" ?

Mitch

15:06

What do you want -> Whudja want

not becoming a glide but turning into a palatal.

user116848

@Mitch Also here we don't get "Nachos", "Tacos" etc. Here we get "shawarma" "kebab" etc. which are totally awesome too.

Mitch

injun joe

user116848

"Nachos", "Tacos" etc. are available too but not common.

Mitch

@Arrowfar 'That's kebab yo cheese' ... nope doesn't have the same punch

user116848

hehe

Mitch

15:07

but I'm sure we could work in shawerma somehow

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

That's nacho kebab.

Kit Z. Fox

mmm nacho kebab

Mitch

how about falafel?

user116848

Also Doner kebab.

Mitch

@KitZ.Fox that doesn't sound halal

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

15:08

Had too much to eat. Now I falafel.

Mitch

nice

user116848

Man I'm hungry all of a sudden :)

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

So hungry you Camembert it anymore?

user116848

:)

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

uhoh, foreign mod alert. Are our puns being flagged for being Munster-ous?

Kit Z. Fox

15:11

Huh? Who?

Oh. Jokes.

Matt E. Эллен

cranberry apple sauce Turkish delight

Kit Z. Fox

pipls making me crazy today. I think I need a tingle session

Mitch

@MattE.Эллен I know!

Relaxed pronunciation

Relaxed pronunciation (also called condensed pronunciation or word slurs) is a phenomenon that happens when the syllables of common words are slurred together. It is almost always present in normal speech, in all natural languages but not in some constructed languages, such as Loglan or Lojban, which are designed so that all words are parsable. Some shortened forms of words and phrases, such as contractions or weak forms can be considered to derive from relaxed pronunciations, but a phrase with a relaxed pronunciation is not the same as a contraction. In English, where contractions are common,...

I'm surprised there isn't a question on ELU relevant to that (to the 'did you' -> 'didja' transformation.

It's pretty universal in language (palatalization)

It's so universal, it's a mystery why standard Russian isn't all 'tch' and 'dj'.

Matt E. Эллен

@Mitch you should ask it!

Mitch

15:27

@MattE.Эллен ha ha. it's gen ref.

I closed my question before I thought of it.

user116848

@Mitch Good article. I use it all the time in my native language too:

user116848

> In Urdu, it is common to elide the sound /h/ ˂ہ˃ in normal speech. For example, آپ کہاں جا رہے ہیں āp kahāṅ jā rahay haiṅ will be pronounced آپ کاں جا رے ایں āp kān ja rai aiṅ.

user116848

From the same article.

Mitch

Could have been...'Why is sugar pronounced shuggar?'

But mostly 'why is 'what are you doing' pronounced 'whatcha doin'?'

It's not syntactic at all, it is purely phonological, if 'you' is preceded by a dental. LIke 'a' vs 'an'.

Kit Z. Fox

@Mitch Is it? Maybe you could think of an exception to ask about. Today would be a good day to ask.

Mitch

15:34

I used to say 'Rye-cheer' for 'Right here'. Until I got rehabilitated.

@KitZ.Fox I don't have a question about it.

are there any other words in English that start with /ju/?

and not 'huge'. that's only northern jersey/NYC.

Kit Z. Fox

I gat yer uj thin-ga-ma-bab rye cheer.

Mitch

I've always said 'this here' never 'thishere'.

yes, yet.

aha. Not yet -> Nah-tchet

Kit Z. Fox

notcher average guy.

Mitch

No, he's pretty average. trust me.

user116848

@KitZ.Fox So are you learning basic Arabic these days? You said you might study it.

Kit Z. Fox

15:42

@Arrowfar I'm looking for a good tool, preferably something I can listen to in my car.

Mitch

which arabic should one learn? I've heard that the arabic to read the Quran is different enough from everyday language in the home that you really need to study them separately.

user116848

@KitZ.Fox Ah I see. Yes there must lots of free audio on the internet. If I find something good I'll let you know.

Kit Z. Fox

Thanks.

user116848

@Mitch Yes exactly. Very different. Also I'm impressed that you know that :-)

user116848

@Mitch I don't know much just some basic stuff that they taught in school. Also we don't use the language here so I forgot almost all of it.

user116848

15:48

Still if I come across something (Arabic) I can make sense of it most of the time.

Mitch

@Arrowfar oh. duh. I guess the furthest west arabic goes is iraq or UAE

user116848

In some parts of Africa too.

Mitch

@Arrowfar sometimes falling down the wikipedia hole gets you something interesting.

user116848

Most Algerians know French and Arabic.

user116848

@Mitch Heh I know.

Mitch

15:53

@Arrowfar I was going west. East it goes as far as morocco, and they can barely understand Egyptians, and I think Iraqis can also barely understand Egyptians, so Moroccans and Iraqis I would guess understand each other even less than barely.

They have to work hard to to get to the point where they don't understand each other.

Kit Z. Fox

@Mitch I think maybe you two have different references for east and west.

user116848

@Mitch I see. But I don't follow, Iraq and UAE are already in the east, not west.

Mitch

@Arrowfar argh. Did I mix up east and west?

Dammit.

Can we start over?

user116848

Mitchy where is your compass? :-)

user116848

hehe.

Mitch

15:57

I was working from the international dateline.

user116848

Well I do that too all the time.

Mitch

then UAE is west and morocco is east.

It's like and and or or meet and join. They're pretty much identical in every way possible. Except for being opposite.

user116848

From where I live UAE is in west but it is still east you know (Middle East).

Matt E. Эллен

@Mitch usual, univer*, uniform, unitard

Mitch

unisex

Whuh-tchunisex hair stylist you go to?

Nope, doesn't work.

Matt E. Эллен

16:00

union

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Mitch Arabic is a family of languages. Presumably you'd start with standard Arabic, which is what's used on TV and such, and learn a local dialect if you planned to go to a particular country?

Mitch

'I love a man in thatchuniform'

no doesn't work either. depends on the uniform innit?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

universal unicycle union

Mitch

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I guess TV would be the better target.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Which reminds me to pay my dues.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

My understanding is that modern standard arabic is similar to classical arabic (the quran's language), but local dialects are as different from that as the romance languages are from latin.

Mitch

16:17

considers lojban

reconsiders

discards thoughts of lojban

Kit Z. Fox

hahaha

tchrist

> Recientemente a mi trabajo he recibido un montón de correos electrónicos que todos tenían '@Carol' cuando me mencionan en una cadena sobre tal o cual tema. Por favor, ¿me pudiera alguién explicar lo que quiera decir esa notación, y cómo me debo referir a ella en el futuro? --Carol.

> Lo siento, Carol, pero eso no tiene nada que ver con English Language and Usage.

Kit Z. Fox

Because @-mecion, that's why.

tchrist

I know, but this is not English, tu sais?

Kit Z. Fox

Isn't it?

tchrist

16:19

I think I've just shown that if you change out every single word to another language, it changes nothing. And therefore it is not related to English.

Kit Z. Fox

But it is because of English that we use the @, isn't it?

tchrist

I'm open to being persuaded of the contrary proposition.

Kit Z. Fox

It doesn't make sense in other languages, does it?

tchrist

@KitZ.Fox No, it's email addresses.

Kit Z. Fox

Still. Email addresses, same thing.

tchrist

16:20

[email protected]

That isn't English.

Kit Z. Fox

Because it is called 'at' in English.

kitty can be found at fox.com.

tchrist

And what do you think it is called elsewhere? :)

Kit Z. Fox

I dunno, but in French, it is not 'chez'.

Well. I don't think so.

tchrist

It’s une arrobe in French, una arroba in Spanish.

Oh no, it's arobase.

Well, sometimes.

Arobase

L'arobase (nom féminin), au Québec arobas, a commercial ou, par anglicisme, « at » également appelé arrobase, arrobe, arobaxe , arrobas ou parfois populairement arobasque[réf. souhaitée], est le caractère typographique @. Selon le Ramat de la typographie 2005, l'emploi du terme a commercial est réservé aux cas dans lesquels le caractère signifie « le prix unitaire d'un article »,, est un logogramme formé d'un a écrit en minuscule dont la patte du coin bas-droit est prolongée jusqu'à faire le tour de la lettre dans le sens inverse des aiguilles d'une montre en revenant au coin bas-droit : @. �...

Kit Z. Fox

> The fact that there is no single word in English for the symbol has prompted some writers to use the French arobase[3] or Spanish and Portuguese arroba—or to coin new words such as asperand,[4] ampersat,[5] apetail[citation needed], or "a snake" (because it looks like an a with a tail)[citation needed]—but none of these has achieved wide usage.

^ also wikipedia

tchrist

16:24

It’s simply the sign representing the vocative particle. The language is immaterial.

Kit Z. Fox

Surprisingly interesting.

@tchrist Is it?

tchrist

It represents a noun of direct address.

Tell me, O Carol, where is your status report?

Kit Z. Fox

I have never heard @ referred to as a vocative particle.

tchrist

Oh!

Kit Z. Fox

Although in that case, I understand what you are saying.

Except how is it possible that it is not language specific?

tchrist

16:26

Because it is a symbol.

And it is used this way in all languages because of the notation of mail addresses these days.

Mitch

I know what you're saying, but it's punctuation in English. so might as well allow answers on how to use it.

tchrist

Well.

Kit Z. Fox

@tchrist And I'm saying that the notation is the way it is because of English.

Mitch

I would think everything in Russian is offensive.

tchrist

I'm thinking that this same question could equally be posed in every single language site.

Mitch

16:28

a comma is not English either.

tchrist

Does that make sense?

Mitch

@tchrist probably (and that was my first impression too)

tchrist

That's why I don't think it's about English.

Kit Z. Fox

We've had other questions about punctuation, but I don't feel strongly about this in any case.

Mitch

and th answer in some other language would be "It's English for 'at', and that's what Twitter uses to identify the intended recipient"

Kit Z. Fox

16:30

at meaning to be located in a place.

tchrist

A matter of internet culture.

As it were.

Kit Z. Fox

Hello @Jasper.

user174558

@KitZ.Fox Hello! I just woke up. I am going to eat something soon.

Kit Z. Fox

Hat Dash approaches.

Veo

Hello

Kit Z. Fox

16:38

Hi

Veo

Can I ask a small question about a preposition I'm confused how to use?

Kit Z. Fox

Yes.

Veo

Is it right to say 'to make an exceptional consideration to accept' or 'to make an exceptional consideration of accepting'?

Matt E. Эллен

@tchrist internetlanguage.se

Kit Z. Fox

@Veo Probably the first. What's the whole sentence?

Also, that's not a preposition.

Veo

16:41

Oh!

Kit Z. Fox

Well. I don't think. I'm not an expert.

Veo

The referred to me to make an exceptional consideration to accept their offer.

Kit Z. Fox

'to accept' is an infinitive and 'of accepting' is a gerund phrase. I think.

@Veo OK, I don't understand that sentence.

What are you trying to express?

Veo

I hate my English :'( Let me try again :D

They referred to me as the vice president to make an exceptional consideration of accepting their new offer.

Kit Z. Fox

So you are the vice president?

And they want to know if you'll make an exception?

Veo

16:46

Well yes. But I live in a country where English is almost never used and I have to tell an Englishman what happened. So what I want to say is that a group of people came to me and asked if I could consider accepting their offer (we don't accept offers, generally)

Kit Z. Fox

OK. So the exceptional part is that you are not generally involved in these situations?

Veo

I mean the consideration is unique and has never been accepted before.

Kit Z. Fox

OK. I think I would suggest this then: They approached me as the vice president to ask that I consider accepting their offer.

That means that they contacted you (approach is not literal here) in your capacity as VP, and asked you to look over their offer.

Veo

Oh that's nice. Any possibilities of meddling the word 'exceptional' in there?

Kit Z. Fox

Possibly. It's the consideration that's exceptional and not the offer?

Veo

16:50

YEP!

Kit Z. Fox

And exceptional in terms of 'unusual' and not 'really good'?

Veo

Unique, atypical

Kit Z. Fox

OK. I think using 'exceptional' would be too ambiguous. Maybe try: They approached me as the vice president with the atypical request that I consider accepting their offer.

Or possibly: They approached me as the vice president to ask that make an exception and consider accepting their offer.

I'm not sure but I'm off for lunch. Maybe someone else can jump in.

Veo

You are of a great help. Thanks a lot.

tchrist

Should this question be migrated to ELU?

0

Q: Why "aversion" does not correspond to "aver"

I thought that the noun "aversion" derived from the verb "aver". However, it seems they have different meanings. My question is how can an English learner know such nouns ? I don't think there is a general rule. Should I consider such cases as the things that must be memorized ?

One issue is that the hypothesis is false.

I just know, well or think, that ELL doesn't do etymologies.

Mitch

17:03

@tchrist Do they not want it? It seems sufficiently answered for them.

tchrist

I just wondered.

No, I wasn't saying they don't want it.

The existing answers don't actually probe the differences, but probably that isn't the thrust of the question.

Cerberus

I do wonder about the etymology of aver.

It is a strange verb.

Affer?

Advert?

tchrist

> Etymology: a. Fr. avérer, cogn. with Pr. averar, Ital. avverare :– late L. *advērāre to make true, verify, prove to be true, f. ad to (factitive) + vērus true. Sense 2 was the earlier in Fr.

Cerberus

Ah, how odd.

All words from Late Latin are hard to guess.

tchrist

In part because Proto-Romance is a (re)constructed language.

Mitch

17:19

@Cerberus late latin was hard to guess. all those words are just like English phrasal verbs or German whatever-you-call-it verbs, a vague preposition plus a vague simple verb.

Cerberus

@tchrist What does that have to do with it?

@Mitch Mmm not sure that's true...

Mitch

verstanden, understand, comprendere.

having a mental acceptance of a subject is barely attachable to 'underneath' and 'standing' or 'taking with'

Cerberus

Comprehendere is not Late...

Mitch

OK, then any latin

Cerberus

But, yeah, the more abstract the verb, the harder it will be to guess its meaning from the components.

Mitch

17:21

borrowed into english late (or from french)

Cerberus

Greek composite verbs are much harder to guess!

Mitch

@Cerberus decide = cut off?

insist = sit in?

Cerberus

You cut off the discussion when you reach a decision?

Mitch

sure, but that's a long metaphorical trip

Cerberus

But not super long...

Compared to other languages.

Insist is less clear.

Mitch

17:23

if you don't already know the meaning of the combined word, there's little chance you'd figure it out.

cut? cutting what?

Cerberus

In context, you might figure it out.

Mitch

sure, choose one side sharply from another. like cutting

it's inscrutable to an outsider (also insiders, 'understand')

bmende

What do you guys think, "Your support and commitment is/are greatly appreciated."

Cerberus

They were having a discussion, but then the leader cut off to order retreat.

bmende

also hello...

Cerberus

17:25

Hi!

@bmende are

When the subject is x and y, it's plural.

With x or y, it's singular.

That's the convention.

bmende

I was thinking, peanut butter and jelly?

as in, if "peanut butter and jelly" gets an exception, perhaps "support and commitment" could too?

Cerberus

Yes, such exceptions are possible.

If you feel the two words truly form a strong unit together.

Up to the writer's discretion, I'd say.

user174558

1000 points on ELU, woo!

bmende

Me and my mom were both right then! Bye!

And thank you

I always feel like people don't like "thank yous" on this site

Cerberus

Hmm how do you mean?

user174558

17:30

You are not supposed to write thank you in questions.

Cerberus

It's fine to write thank you in a comment.

bmende

Yeah, I guess that's what I mean

Cerberus

But, yeah, not in questions or answers.

user174558

It's also fine if such a comment is deleted.

bmende

It makes sense

user174558

17:31

This is a very serious site, lol.

Cerberus

@JasperLoy But unnecessary.

bmende

lol

user174558

Jasper Loy

1k 1 13

grammar word-usage single-word-requests style synonyms usage word-choice

user174558

1000 is a nice number, yay!

Cerberus

But how long will you keep the account?

user174558

17:36

I don't know. The future is uncertain.

Mitch

The outlook is bleak

Cerberus

Outlook.com is blue.

Mitch

And zebras have streaks

Woo hoo! poetry game WON!

Your turn.

user174558

My gmail theme is "blue". My desktop background is "blue". My avatar is "blue". My desktop theme is "blue". QED.

Mitch

How can you read anything if it's all blue?

Cerberus

17:44

By selecting the text.

Mitch

Ohh... hidden secret text.

What is the secret? Is it so horrendous that you can't bear to even see it yourself?

Cerberus

No.

Seven.

Mitch

The ' '. The ' '

user174558

Did you notice the site looks different now? The rep is in bold.

user174558

2

Q: How to express the relationship that two numbers are not equal?

I know that for two numbers x and y, relationships like x < y (and x <= y sometimes) are called inequalities. Note here, there is an order between x and y, for example (3 < 5). But what's the correct usage to express the relationship that two numbers are merely not equal to each other, i.e. x <>...

word-usage

user174558

17:57

I hope this question becomes hot, lol.

Kit Z. Fox

@Mitch Everything I write is all blue.

Mitch

@JasperLoy what's wrong with 'unequal'?

user174558

@Mitch Nothing wrong. But not as common.

Mitch

I say more common.

user174558

Aha, you can post another answer then!

Mitch

18:07

"Does x equal y?" "No they are ... unequal."

I don't want to take away your wind.

I have no dog in this fight.

I have to see a man about a dog.

user174558

Wind? It's OK. I already have 1,000, so I may retire.

Mitch

That dog don't hunt.

Kit Z. Fox

Anybody else seeing this kind of behavior? meta.english.stackexchange.com/questions/7389/…

Mitch

SOmething about that sentence makes me think of donuts.

user174558

@KitZ.Fox Same here.

user174558

18:12

Did you guys see Mari's F**k you comment before it got deleted? Hehe.

user174558

Mari, Mary, Maria, Mariah.

Kit Z. Fox

I didn't. I saw it after.

Matt E. Эллен

Mary Mary
Quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

user174558

I upvoted the comments, lol.

user174558

Hairy Mary, lol.

user174558

18:19

I just had some delicious microwaved salmon.

user174558

Just put the salmon into the microwave and do nothing else.

Kit Z. Fox

I had a not very good bbq chicken sub for lunch.

user174558

We have Subway sandwiches here too.

user174558

They say 'Eat fresh, live well'. Some say 'Eat well, live fresh'.

user174558

Buddha says 'Desire is the cause of all suffering'. Mitch says 'Suffering is the cause of all desire'.

user174558

18:22

They say 'He who kneels before God can stand before man'. I say 'He who kneels before man can stand before God'.

Kit Z. Fox

God who kneels before me can stand before man.

Tonepoet

Why would you want jealousy to bow before you? That sounds dangerous...

Kit Z. Fox

Not sure anyone said that.

Tonepoet

Well God, or at leas the biblical one, is jealous so... =P

Kit Z. Fox

Sorry, still not following you. You're saying God = jealousy and kneeling = bowing?

Matt E. Эллен

18:28

before kneels me stand god man who can

Kit Z. Fox

kneels before @Matt

Just tying your shoelace though.

Matt E. Эллен

thanks!

@KitZ.Fox best to be on the safe side

user174558

@KitZ.Fox OMG, LOL. I was thinking of ...

Matt E. Эллен

kneels after @Kit

Kit Z. Fox

@JasperLoy ... doing that too? He's got another shoelace.

user174558

18:31

@MattE.Эллен OMG, LOL. I was thinking of ...

user174558

@Mitch Maybe we have been seeing very different books. I would go so far to say that I never saw unequal.

Matt E. Эллен

... monkey see, monkey do

Mitch

@JasperLoy He who kneels gets up with dirty pants

@JasperLoy Mitch is insufferable

user174558

Someone translated the Koran and there were two different versions. One used God and the other used Allah. It took me a long time to figure out the difference.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@MattE.Эллен Check that they're not tied together.

Matt E. Эллен

18:35

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 good point!

Mitch

@JasperLoy never? I mean 'distinct' isn't wrong. It just seems like a word one would use stylistically instead of using 'unequal' all the time.

@MattE.Эллен Please, not in front of the monkeys.

Matt E. Эллен

hey hey!

user174558

@Mitch Yes, never, lol.

Mitch

@JasperLoy Someone translated the bible and one said 'Do commit adultery'. I very quickly found out the difference.

user174558

@Mitch That is the Satanic version.

Mitch

18:37

The Koran that is translated is not the Koran.

@JasperLoy which one?

user174558

I now have a new theory. Maybe the Bible and the Koran are not from God but from the devil.

Mitch

looks askance

Holy shit, keep your voice down. They might hear you.

Matt E. Эллен

Cruella D'evil?

user174558

Therefore, they lead to massive killings and suffering.

Tonepoet

I'll need to recheck my bible in order to ascertain that although I believe I read a statement to the effect that "I am God and I am jealous." As for kneeling, it is a type of bowing.One definition of Bow has a definition of "To stoop, to fall upon the knees." whereas kneel has a definition of kneel is "To bend the knee, to fall upon the knees, sometimes with down." according to A.D.E.L...

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

18:38

@JasperLoy Oh, you were so close until you added the part after the "but"

2

Mitch

@MattE.Эллен Wait.. is that what they meant all this time?

user174558

@Tonepoet I could see your association from the start.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

of course, my most inflammatory statements always attract stars :|

Matt E. Эллен

@Mitch who? The dalmatians?

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 hopefully it won't attract flags...

Kit Z. Fox

Yeah, maybe a topic change is a good idea.

Matt E. Эллен

18:40

I am I the only one who watches Once Upon A time?

MoonOwl22

Good day to you all

Matt E. Эллен

It's like Disney's version of the Marvel Universe

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@MattE.Эллен Let them come! They can take my chatting ability but they'll never take my inflammation! or something.

Matt E. Эллен

It's hilarious

terdon

@MattE.Эллен I hope so. It isn't very good.

@MattE.Эллен ???? How much of it have you seen?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

18:40

@MattE.Эллен my mom watches it

Mitch

@MattE.Эллен The authors. Rob and Rob Sherman. The two brothers who wrote all the Disney musicals. The ones responsible for the Jungle Book and Bear Necessities and all that is excrescent about Disney World.

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon I'm up to date on Netflix

terdon

@MattE.Эллен And you find it hilarious? Really? Oh well, no accounting for taste, I guess.

Mitch

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 "Do we want the chatbot back?"?

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon yes! the ridiculousness of the plots and the way they shoehorn in all the Disney characters is hilarious

terdon

18:42

I couldn't take it after the first couple of seasons. I first thought it was a TV adaptation of Fables but then the plot got completely lost up its own rear and the acting. Oh, man. The "acting".

MoonOwl22

My English is bad and embarrassing me

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon yes! exactly.

MoonOwl22

Does anyone know of a way I could spend the next three years improving it

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@MoonOwl22 Move to a small town in an English-speaking country.

or a large town, but avoid areas where you can use your native language

Mitch

@terdon There's worse

Matt E. Эллен

18:43

reading, speaking, writing and listening to English all the time

Tonepoet

@JasperLoy For the sake of honesty and full disclosure, that makes you smarter than me. I just looked it up after realizing my mistake. Granted that's one of the main reasons I visit this website, to justify relearning words.

Matt E. Эллен

@Mitch interesting

BBL

Mitch

@MattE.Эллен I mean Disney World is fun and all but...

What's the nearest one to you, EuroDisney outside of Paris?

terdon

@MattE.Эллен Ah, that kind of 'hilarious'.

@Mitch Hey, don't diss bear necessities. Granted, when you first hear it at age 5 or so, you might have forever lost your ability to judge it objectively, but still.

Fun little tune.

And then you hear it in Spanish and your ears bleed.

user174558

Is Spanish very similar to Italian? Seems so to me.

Mitch

18:55

maybe it's not the song exactly but the animation that goes along with it. I remember seeing a documentary about Disney, and the animators (like anybody) used live people as models for their drawing/action.

Except the models were... themselves. They'd dance around themselves and then use that as their visual insipration.

user174558

It is interesting that French, Italian and Spanish are Italic languages but seem easier to learn than German which is a Germanic language like English.

Mitch

It wouldn't be so bad if I guess the animators were Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony.

But they were a bunch of old dudes from Nebraska who has learned to dance from the other old dudes at their nursing home.

@JasperLoy English is messed up dude.

It's the simplest of Germanic grammar with mostly french vocab.

Also the romance languages were civilized for so long that they were able to slow down language change.

Am I saying germanic languages are uncivilized? Yes, yes I am.

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…