General Discussion

Igel

(37,516 posts)

84. So does English.

Sun Jan 13, 2013, 04:34 PM

Jan 2013

We just put spaces between words.

Arnie Duncan enjoys all the Department of Education cabinet appointee position perks that are permitted by law.

Yesterday a Harris County high school science student tried to fit a miniSDHC-format cell phone card adapter into his standard HP tablet SD card slot.

Notice the nouns. "Department of Education cabinet appointee position perk". "Harris County high school science student." "Mini-SDHC-format cell phone card adapter." "HP tablet SD card slot."

Just try to use the "adjective" form of those few words in my examples have. "A Harris County high school scientific student." "Department of Education cabinet appointee positional perk." Yeah. Doesn't work. They're compounds.

All the people that go around complaining that "X" has to be an adjective in form and not just function utterly miss that English is a Germanic language. Like German, we have adjective suffixes. Like German, we freely compound.

For formal linguistic purposes we talk of "coercion" and say that these nouns are coerced (syntactically) into functioning as adjectives. They are still special adjectives, though, because their stress properties are a bit different from normal adjective-noun phrases.

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English should be designated as the world's language [View all] quinnox Jan 2013 OP

Why English? blogslut Jan 2013 #1

Because that's the only language the OP has been able to learn. FSogol Jan 2013 #182

Because this is DU: ellisonz Jan 2013 #193

LOL: "Hide it so MIRT can decide." FSogol Jan 2013 #194

That alert reminds me of my favorite language joke: FSogol Jan 2013 #195

. Orrex Jan 2013 #2

I will second that Angry Dragon Jan 2013 #5

... RKP5637 Jan 2013 #9

lol quinnox Jan 2013 #16

Don't bogart the popcorn... awoke_in_2003 Jan 2013 #64

why not English samsingh Jan 2013 #3

Why not Zoidberg? theKed Jan 2013 #169

it's not spoken by very many people samsingh Jan 2013 #184

to quote your avatar... keroro gunsou Jan 2013 #196

Spanish would make more sense arcane1 Jan 2013 #4

No it wouldn't. The OP said "WORLD" not US of America. vaberella Jan 2013 #35

Actually, Spanish is #2 blogslut Jan 2013 #44

But how many learn it as a second language? Confusious Jan 2013 #49

Hell if I know blogslut Jan 2013 #50

In terms of total number of speakers, Spanish is behind Chinese and English FarCenter Jan 2013 #103

Which is exactly what I was referring too.n/t vaberella Jan 2013 #127

Cool blogslut Jan 2013 #145

No it wouldn't Confusious Jan 2013 #48

Korean would make even better sense bhikkhu Jan 2013 #124

You are right...but they are adapting to Western culture more and more. vaberella Jan 2013 #129

English orthography could be readily simplified. Jackpine Radical Jan 2013 #131

The International Phonetic Alphabet could be used FarCenter Jan 2013 #141

We can't even update the QWERTY keyboard Jenoch Jan 2013 #163

Thanks for posting this ... Most Americans couldn't even understand the simple metric system. I RKP5637 Jan 2013 #176

Well, the REST of the English-speaking world has at least gone metric. Jackpine Radical Jan 2013 #181

Funny you should ask... Kalidurga Jan 2013 #135

Not really. Ask Brazil. WinkyDink Jan 2013 #175

OR we can continue strengthening our synapses by learning other languages BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #6

I was just reading a few days ago ... surrealAmerican Jan 2013 #29

Latin! n/t RKP5637 Jan 2013 #7

How about you learn how to spell it correctly first. dipsydoodle Jan 2013 #8

You mean, spell with the extra (and unnecessary) "u"s? JustABozoOnThisBus Jan 2013 #178

ha ha dipsydoodle Jan 2013 #179

How about Chinese? It's the most spoken language in the world. eom BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #10

Is it? Mandarin or Cantonese? Orrex Jan 2013 #12

Mandarin and Cantonese are considered dialects rather than separate languages. BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #24

Anyway, what about the other question? Orrex Jan 2013 #27

What is the distinction? Elaborate. eom BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #34

Okay Orrex Jan 2013 #42

Strange, but from that same page BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #54

You're misreading the numbers Orrex Jan 2013 #62

I don't assert anything other than what I've read by BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #72

You're arguing a point that's been multiply refuted Orrex Jan 2013 #78

Maybe it's been refuted in your mind since it's about winning an argument for you BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #101

It's not "all about winning." That's a petulent objection. Orrex Jan 2013 #133

Yes, it's petulant. So why was that your objective? BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #168

It is typical of the person losing an argument to complain about the person winning the argument Orrex Jan 2013 #170

Someone who speaks canton can't understand mandarin Confusious Jan 2013 #99

My inclination for Chinese languages is to trust in the username of 'Confuscious'. randome Jan 2013 #105

Oh, I believe you completely. 100%. BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #112

YOU can look it up on the web. pangaia Jan 2013 #185

My experience in China, and having a Chinese wife, pangaia Jan 2013 #57

Spanish is easier to learn than English or Mandarin. pnwmom Jan 2013 #147

agree! I was trying to say rice and I was saying poop all because of the intonation lunasun Jan 2013 #155

Spanish is much easier than French or English to spell, because it doesn't have all those pnwmom Jan 2013 #157

Here you go blogslut Jan 2013 #31

Thank you for this. Mandarin BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #40

Well, more and more people *do* study Chinese War Horse Jan 2013 #19

True. On the other hand, imo, Spanish is the easiest language to learn BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #30

Spanish is easiest IF you speak English or another Western European language Lydia Leftcoast Jan 2013 #59

Wow. That was one intelligent student! BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #63

Interesting.. pangaia Jan 2013 #71

English is actually my second language War Horse Jan 2013 #65

American-English is my first language (born in the U.S.) BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #83

Interesting, indeed War Horse Jan 2013 #94

And not suited to being a lingua franca. Spider Jerusalem Jan 2013 #23

Many people believe the same thing about the English lang - as BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #61

I have a high school buddy Jenoch Jan 2013 #164

The problem with Chinese Confusious Jan 2013 #51

Holy Testicle Tuesday, I can work on my Chinese swearing! backscatter712 Jan 2013 #113

Too limited, too imprecise, too many regional variations, too difficult to learn. Egalitarian Thug Jan 2013 #151

That's true. I agree. eom BlueCaliDem Jan 2013 #161

I'm under the distinct impression that its various dialects SheilaT Jan 2013 #180

ugh Viva_La_Revolution Jan 2013 #11

Only if English gets rid of its crazy grammar, etc. LiberalEsto Jan 2013 #13

that is part of its charm quinnox Jan 2013 #14

The problem with that is dialects and regional variations as well as sound shifts... Spider Jerusalem Jan 2013 #25

Oh Scots or Cockney-perfect example of this all for one and why it doesnt go too far for speech lunasun Jan 2013 #156

Second that. DetlefK Jan 2013 #45

German has problems with "der, die and das" articles LiberalEsto Jan 2013 #76

So does English. Igel Jan 2013 #84

I call for a general Jackpine Radical Jan 2013 #132

Um... LiberalEsto Jan 2013 #140

Special meeting of an Armistice Committee. Jackpine Radical Jan 2013 #159

Sehr dank LiberalEsto Jan 2013 #173

There, their, they're, them?? loyalsister Jan 2013 #122

Or better - its completely arbitrary spelling bhikkhu Jan 2013 #123

The advantage of the Chinese system Jackpine Radical Jan 2013 #160

Here is a list of words in English that might be problematic Jenoch Jan 2013 #165

The Tough Coughs as He Ploughs the Dough FSogol Jan 2013 #183

It already is a lingua franca in many respects War Horse Jan 2013 #15

who are we to say what the world's language should be? spanone Jan 2013 #17

I'd go for something retro... pinboy3niner Jan 2013 #18

How about Indo-European? arcane1 Jan 2013 #21

Some status quo proponents would say that that Tower of Babel is too damn short! pinboy3niner Jan 2013 #39

LMAO! arcane1 Jan 2013 #46

All Internet protocols are written in English Recursion Jan 2013 #20

What a horrible idea. nt. polly7 Jan 2013 #22

Esperanto MrScorpio Jan 2013 #26

I prefer Interlingua -- similar to Spanish with fewer quirks. hunter Jan 2013 #108

Once this thread sets the world standard, Speck Tater Jan 2013 #28

Chinese is coming up...and even our people are learning it to compete in the world market. vaberella Jan 2013 #32

If Chinese competes with English I would be surprised Confusious Jan 2013 #89

Actually... vaberella Jan 2013 #126

2 billion speak English Confusious Jan 2013 #134

Sounds like a path to illiterateship... pinboy3niner Jan 2013 #33

Yeah. Lets make English the world's *offical* language. redgreenandblue Jan 2013 #37

Somehow I don't think those morans War Horse Jan 2013 #69

Why not Engrish, it would be much more fun HarveyDarkey Jan 2013 #36

Why? It's difficult to learn, a hodgepodge of borrowings from other languages, MineralMan Jan 2013 #38

Someone once told me that English is a Germanic language War Horse Jan 2013 #55

That's pretty close. MineralMan Jan 2013 #77

Oh, how I know about the exceptions... :) War Horse Jan 2013 #109

2 billion people speak English Confusious Jan 2013 #90

I don't see the need for an official world language The Second Stone Jan 2013 #41

The world's marketplace already has designated English. former9thward Jan 2013 #43

I find it interesting that the few posts that express this point of view have NO responses. A HERETIC I AM Jan 2013 #189

I am no cheerleader for globalism. former9thward Jan 2013 #190

What for? sibelian Jan 2013 #47

Its easier to "conquer" when you take their culture/language away. darkangel218 Jan 2013 #52

How about we not "infer" what someone thinks? Confusious Jan 2013 #91

English is already being taught all over the world. darkangel218 Jan 2013 #100

"official" doesn't really mean much Confusious Jan 2013 #106

most of the world doesn't speak english bowens43 Jan 2013 #53

Non native speakers of English Confusious Jan 2013 #92

English is already pretty official davidn3600 Jan 2013 #56

IMO the thing that's holding Europe back... CJCRANE Jan 2013 #58

I don't think that is a problem. pangaia Jan 2013 #85

I'm thinking of the EU government... CJCRANE Jan 2013 #102

Let's all start speaking Esperanto! csziggy Jan 2013 #60

Esperanto draws on a few European languages. Igel Jan 2013 #96

I am dumber for having read this OP. (nt) Posteritatis Jan 2013 #66

Best answer Lithos Jan 2013 #75

Make it offical. nt awoke_in_2003 Jan 2013 #67

English is thoroughly laughable pseudo-language jpak Jan 2013 #68

Mandarin please. Coyotl Jan 2013 #70

So is Mandarin Lithos Jan 2013 #74

What an absurd notion Lithos Jan 2013 #73

Old joke I first heard in Europe: thucythucy Jan 2013 #79

Google is on the case. (Google translate) sadbear Jan 2013 #80

Yeah sure... 99Forever Jan 2013 #81

Why should people be encouraged to abandon their culture? Agnosticsherbet Jan 2013 #82

I hate the idea. Glassunion Jan 2013 #86

Many countries have the english language taught in their southernyankeebelle Jan 2013 #87

yIDoghQo' bluedigger Jan 2013 #88

Actually, I think it is. RebelOne Jan 2013 #93

It kinda already is. Separation Jan 2013 #95

I'm okay with that. Imperial System of measurement too. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2013 #97

Esperanto, designed for just that purpose, much better than Spanish or Englis ProgressiveProfessor Jan 2013 #98

Esperanto is unnecessarily difficult for non-European language speakers. hunter Jan 2013 #120

There arw Jenoch Jan 2013 #104

But most of those people are not widely dispersed throughout the world. randome Jan 2013 #107

Actually, the Indians wouldn't disagree Confusious Jan 2013 #110

"English is an official language of India." War Horse Jan 2013 #115

I did not know that. Jenoch Jan 2013 #162

The best way to do it is to not do it MannyGoldstein Jan 2013 #111

I think the official language... actslikeacarrot Jan 2013 #114

Lol! I would vote for that! Confusious Jan 2013 #117

It's already the de facto world language in things like aviation Warpy Jan 2013 #116

There's a saying among translators War Horse Jan 2013 #118

Instead of promoting a single European... Puha Ekapi Jan 2013 #119

Whose English? And what would that mean? bhikkhu Jan 2013 #121

With thanks to Backscatter712 - GoneOffShore Jan 2013 #125

LOL limpyhobbler Jan 2013 #128

Which is it English or American? whistler162 Jan 2013 #130

I'm American I took English as a second language. Kalidurga Jan 2013 #146

Some good and bad DonCoquixote Jan 2013 #136

No, no, no! I vote for Spanish. English spelling is so effed up. raccoon Jan 2013 #137

How about we all sprout wings and fly around pooping cinnamon rolls for our hungry animal friends? dorkulon Jan 2013 #138

What? Force the teabaggers to learn a new language? Buns_of_Fire Jan 2013 #139

What would that mean? Would everyone be forbidden to speak any OTHER languages? n/t. Ken Burch Jan 2013 #142

No need to declare it an official language, it is already the language spoken in more places than hedgehog Jan 2013 #143

On the numbers, there's a far stronger case for making Mandarin the world language. n/t. Ken Burch Jan 2013 #144

English has been the language of international business for most of a century already Hekate Jan 2013 #148

All airline pilots must communicate in English. Historic NY Jan 2013 #149

It is already the de facto lingua franca (irony smiley goes here), so what's the issues? n/t Egalitarian Thug Jan 2013 #150

Absurd. n/t cheapdate Jan 2013 #152

I am sincerely hoping that you are joking when you say that the world speaking English would be Number23 Jan 2013 #153

If one wanted a more explicit language it should in fact be German not English. n/t RKP5637 Jan 2013 #177

Mandarin or Spanish unless your "world" is very very small and centrally located near you lunasun Jan 2013 #154

Your world must be small. 1.8 billion people speak English Confusious Jan 2013 #172

Waar heeft iedereen het toch over? cvoogt Jan 2013 #158

"...let's have English officially recognized as the world language." Jenoch Jan 2013 #166

There's no governing body to enforce that treestar Jan 2013 #167

meh... AsahinaKimi Jan 2013 #171

Hello? English pretty much IS the de facto world language. WinkyDink Jan 2013 #174

Um, no. a la izquierda Jan 2013 #186

+1000! Puha Ekapi Jan 2013 #188

Language is a unifier of culture within many cultures. AZ Progressive Jan 2013 #187

Really? We should be putting Anglo-Saxon culture in the ashbin of history. Name one people who RB TexLa Jan 2013 #191

The Peoples Front of Judea? A HERETIC I AM Jan 2013 #192