Do you speak Spanish or were you just guessing? If you met migrant workers maybe Spanish wasn't even their first language. Why scorn people like that? Shame on you. So, you ended up having a better situation in life. Be happy for that.
Which language has the LARGEST vocabulary?
And as to the person who put down English speakers...maybe you don't hang out with an educated crowd...why is that?
Don't use big words until you gauge your audience. It's not easy, but that's the way it is.
Don't use big words until you gauge your audience. It's not easy, but that's the way it is.
<<Spanish speakers use a wider vocabulary in their everday speech, unlike English speaker. >>
To come in and drop a statement like this equates to absolutely NADA...
Instead, can you show us how this may be true? Then perhaps it may have some merit...
otherwise, it's just an empty opinion, and you know what they say about opinions right?
To come in and drop a statement like this equates to absolutely NADA...
Instead, can you show us how this may be true? Then perhaps it may have some merit...
otherwise, it's just an empty opinion, and you know what they say about opinions right?
<<and you know what they say about opinions right?>>
No I don't know. What do they say? What do they say?
No I don't know. What do they say? What do they say?
Are you mad, man? Don't ask about that opinion question! Vulgar people "love" to quote "what they say about opinions". Simple answer is this: Everyone has an opinion.
Spanish and other romance language speakers sometimes know the "big" words of English or can guess at them because they aren't so unusual in their own languages. Thus, they seem to use bigger words or higher-level words.
Examples:
polyglot
ambulate
Spanish and other romance language speakers sometimes know the "big" words of English or can guess at them because they aren't so unusual in their own languages. Thus, they seem to use bigger words or higher-level words.
Examples:
polyglot
ambulate
Can we ask in this way:which language has the LARGEST Amount of synonyms?
A previous thread:
English language nears 1 million word milestone.
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Adam Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:59 pm GMT
The English language is about to reach the 1 million word milestone, according to the estimates by some experts.
Although other people say different things.
BRITISH English uses SIX TIMES as many words as French (if you believe those people who say English uses "only" 600,000 words rather than almost a million) as French uses only 100,000 words - compared with 125,000 for Russian, 200,000 for German and 225,000 for Spanish.
etc etc
English language nears 1 million word milestone.
Pages: 1 2 Next page
Adam Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:59 pm GMT
The English language is about to reach the 1 million word milestone, according to the estimates by some experts.
Although other people say different things.
BRITISH English uses SIX TIMES as many words as French (if you believe those people who say English uses "only" 600,000 words rather than almost a million) as French uses only 100,000 words - compared with 125,000 for Russian, 200,000 for German and 225,000 for Spanish.
etc etc
yeah yeah English has a massive vocabulary, but try using some of those words and have a look see just how many people understand you.
Why on hell do you want as many words in English? Do people say "I arrived to the meeting too tardy" Clearly the don't.
Why does French have so many meanings for one word like "foi"
Il etait une foi, dans la Ville de foi, un marchand de foi, qui disait ma foi....
Il etait une foi, dans la Ville de foi, un marchand de foi, qui disait ma foi....
"I arrived to the meeting too tardy"
I arrived AT the meeting too tardy. But yes, late would be preferable. 'Tardy' sounds awkward and unrefined.
I arrived AT the meeting too tardy. But yes, late would be preferable. 'Tardy' sounds awkward and unrefined.
<<Examples:
polyglot
ambulate >>
Nobody actually uses those words--they're used for effect or for putting on airs. Actually, I'm really only speaking of "polyglot" which people throw out only to impress or intimidate..."Ambulate" I have never heard actually used--EVER--and I'm a native speaker. It makes me think of whale ancestry, nothing else. It's a stupid word used by people with <ahemm> 'less than ginormous members' in order to compensate for their, um, 'lack' : )
<<Why does French have so many meanings for one word like "foi"
>>
I dunno. Maybe due to overcontrol--l'Académie wanting to keep percentages in a 'proper' range...maybe? hmmmMMM?
polyglot
ambulate >>
Nobody actually uses those words--they're used for effect or for putting on airs. Actually, I'm really only speaking of "polyglot" which people throw out only to impress or intimidate..."Ambulate" I have never heard actually used--EVER--and I'm a native speaker. It makes me think of whale ancestry, nothing else. It's a stupid word used by people with <ahemm> 'less than ginormous members' in order to compensate for their, um, 'lack' : )
<<Why does French have so many meanings for one word like "foi"
>>
I dunno. Maybe due to overcontrol--l'Académie wanting to keep percentages in a 'proper' range...maybe? hmmmMMM?
<<"I arrived to the meeting too tardy"
>>
actually, "I got to the meeting too late" is what you'd most likely hear
"tardy" is a word reserved only for a specific state at work or school, and it's artificially preserved in those environments that way, like the name of a code in HR or something--*the student is now "TARDY"*... it technically means 'late' but we say 'late', not tardy.
for specific use, it's a 'nicer' (less direct) way of saying someone is late without making them feel like Sh*t.
>>
actually, "I got to the meeting too late" is what you'd most likely hear
"tardy" is a word reserved only for a specific state at work or school, and it's artificially preserved in those environments that way, like the name of a code in HR or something--*the student is now "TARDY"*... it technically means 'late' but we say 'late', not tardy.
for specific use, it's a 'nicer' (less direct) way of saying someone is late without making them feel like Sh*t.
Nobody actually uses those words--they're used for effect or for putting on airs. Actually, I'm really only speaking of "polyglot" which people throw out only to impress or intimidate..."Ambulate" I have never heard actually used--EVER--and I'm a native speaker. It makes me think of whale ancestry, nothing else. It's a stupid word used by people with <ahemm> 'less than ginormous members' in order to compensate for their, um, 'lack' : ) -Guest
I use "polyglot" because it is accurate. French and Spanish speakers know this word because it is more common (it seems) in their languages.
I think more English Speakers prefer "multilingual". I actually prefer it myself. I think you missed my point when you got on your soapbox of "If I don't know it then it's poop" kind of attitude. "Polyglot" is a big word for Americans. It's not such a big word for speakers of other languages, so they may use this word without seeing that this is a "big money" word.
"Ambulate" is used frequently by people in the healthcare and medical professions. It is not used by people who aren't familiar with these fields/areas. Again, people with another language background may recognize these words.
Sometimes non-native speakers of English will choose the higher level word because it is a cognate in their language.
I use "polyglot" because it is accurate. French and Spanish speakers know this word because it is more common (it seems) in their languages.
I think more English Speakers prefer "multilingual". I actually prefer it myself. I think you missed my point when you got on your soapbox of "If I don't know it then it's poop" kind of attitude. "Polyglot" is a big word for Americans. It's not such a big word for speakers of other languages, so they may use this word without seeing that this is a "big money" word.
"Ambulate" is used frequently by people in the healthcare and medical professions. It is not used by people who aren't familiar with these fields/areas. Again, people with another language background may recognize these words.
Sometimes non-native speakers of English will choose the higher level word because it is a cognate in their language.
"Do you speak Spanish or were you just guessing? If you met migrant workers maybe Spanish wasn't even their first language. Why scorn people like that? Shame on you. So, you ended up having a better situation in life. Be happy for that"
>Who was talking about immigrant workers, they're obviously illiterate, I'm talking about Hispanics in Spanish speaking countries in an everyday conversation, they have a wider vocabulary than those in English speaking countries.
>Who was talking about immigrant workers, they're obviously illiterate, I'm talking about Hispanics in Spanish speaking countries in an everyday conversation, they have a wider vocabulary than those in English speaking countries.