English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

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kiamlaluno

09:02

This is not a question but a warning, as the OP reports.

This would have been a question, but since I have discovered a source that confirms my belief, this is more of a warning. If you are in a meeting with British (or Canadians as it so happened) and Americans, and at some point it is agreed to table the idea, the British think we will discuss it no...

I guess it should be closed as it's not really a question.

kiamlaluno

09:35

This question is not about English at all.

Q: Numeral inside a word?

There is a speed sign on a nearby reservation that has a 7 in the middle of it. I know native languages were primarily spoken and not written but I have never seen a word with a numeral in it before and am curious. Anyone know of other examples of this? I can't remember the word but I searched it...

spelling numerals

I didn't know the usage of framing a question. :-)

Q: Framing a question

I am the third daughter of my parents. How to frame a question that gives this answer?

usage question-mark

4 hours later…

Robusto

14:05

@kiamlaluno: One of the meanings of frame is (verb, trans.) "form or articulate (words) : *he walked out before she could frame a reply.*" It connotes, to me, finding the proper context and word-choice to make a question or answer clearly understood and meaningful.

2 hours later…

RegDwight

15:48

@Robusto: Lots of interesting discussions I have missed. Have to catch up. Let's see. 1) I was actually taught forte fortissimo for fff rather than fortississimo. 2) Umberto Eco rules, are you familiar with Harry Mulisch? If you liked Foucault's Pendulum, you'll probably love Mulisch's The Discovery of Heaven.

3) Haven't read Baudolino, is it really that great? I remember mixed reviews. 4) It should be Wen suchen Sie hier rather than Wem suchen sie hier :P and 5) I've been a regular to Area51 since day 1 (okay, more like day 9), so if you feel lost or confused, just at-mention me and I'll be happy to help.

RegDwight

15:58

Aaaand I'm out again. See you tomorrow.

Robusto

16:14

@RegDwight: Yeah, Wen suchen sie ... I saw that right after but don't know how to edit chat messages, or if we can.

BTW, I didn't mean Sie I meant sie (3rd person pl.)

Robusto

16:30

@RegDwight: Ha, another drive-by. Well, damn. In order, then:

1) I always heard fortississimo in Chicago, where I studied flute; I admit it may be local and non-standard.

2) Not familiar with Mulisch, but I will give him a look. Thanks.

3) Baudolino isn't as good as The Name of the Rose or Foucault's Pendulum, but it's pretty damn good. I think those two books set expectations that everything he writes will be ein Meisterstück. I have a particular interest in the period, as I once had the desire to write a novel about Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. Baudolino is delightful, if not exactly a masterpiece; but if we limit ourselves only the greatest things ever we miss a lot, ne?

Eco is always entertaining, interesting, and educational. He also illuminates some of his themes from other works, such as Gnosticism, which also interests me.

4) See above comment.

5) Thanks, I will.

Addendum: When I said "illuminates some of his themes" I should have reestablished the context: I meant in Baudolino he does this.

Another correction: "if we limit ourselves [to] only the greatest things..."

@Vitaly: Regarding our discussion about authors who were born in another country and writing in the tongue of their adoptive country, I think we may or may not want to include Kazuo Ishiguro, born in Japan and moved to England.

Of course, that begs the question of what is or is not a native speaker. Ishiguro was 6 when he moved to England, and that's arguably still young enough to acquire a native's grasp of the language. Especially if you're talking about a freaking genius like Ishiguro.

3 hours later…

Robusto

19:21

I hope this isn't just someone trying to be clever with a question:

A: Is there a mnemonic for remembering how to spell mnemonic?

If it were a class of words you're talking about, I'd say a mnemonic would be useful. But as you are referring to a single instance, why create a mnemonic that you will have to remember (and may get wrong) to remember another word. That adds an unnecessary burden (and abstraction) to the task.

Gah, I linked to my answer instead of to the question. Here's the question:

Q: Is there a mnemonic for remembering how to spell mnemonic?

It is ironic that a device that is supposed to make our lives easier is so hard to spell. Is there a mnemonic for the spelling of mnemonic?

mnemonic

Someone just being cute?

Pilgrim

19:59

Is this thing logged?

3 hours later…

kiamlaluno

23:08

This question seems too broad.

Q: To hyphenate or not?

I asked this question on the writers stackexchange and it was voted as off-topic and I was redirected to ask here instead. So here's my question: As a non-native speaker of English and an engineer by training, I always get confused about hyphenation and almost always end up referring to Google e...