What Languge best represents Western Europe?

joker   Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:11 am GMT
Going by the idea the the Germanic and Latin families are the two most influencial, which single language would best represent Western Europe? Pretend you had to choose one example. Don't take into account the current popularity of any. Just the vocabulary, grammar, etc.

I'm thinking French or English. French is a latin based language with Germanic influence, while English is a Germanic based language with nordic, French/latin influence. I guess most people would say these two.

What you think?
Domine   Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:00 am GMT
I say Latin. It's a neutral language.
BB   Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:20 am GMT
English of course
Guest   Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:28 am GMT
I say Basque, since it was the first one on the scene.
Güest   Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:46 am GMT
For today's situation, it's definitely English.
Gast   Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:28 pm GMT
German.
Because it's spoken only in Western Europe.

Or Gaelic.
Because it's spoken in the westernmost part of Europe.
Gastly   Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:03 pm GMT
Sorry but Galician or Portuguese are spoken in the westernmost part of continental Europe
Gost   Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:38 pm GMT
Gaelic is fine with me.
guest   Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:41 pm GMT
<<Sorry but Galician or Portuguese are spoken in the westernmost part of continental Europe >>

Uhh, no, Icelandic
Guest   Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:49 pm GMT
L-A-T-I-N all the way, the language of the Romans.
guest   Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:39 pm GMT
<<L-A-T-I-N all the way, the language of the Romans. >>

DUde, that was over 2000 frickin' years ago!
Are you living in a G.D. HOLE?

No, lets speak Greek, No, Sumerian, the language of the ancient Sumerians! Get a life. We live in the MODERN WORLD.
Guest   Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:57 pm GMT
when thinking in linguitic and cultural groups, there is no such a thing as "western" Europe - the countries that are count as "western Europe" have not more in common than with central, southern, northern or eastern groups. Especially since the fall of the iron curtain.
Guest   Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:50 pm GMT
What best represents Europe (not just the western part) is its linguistic diversity.
Guest   Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:57 pm GMT
I'd say French, because of it's geographic location at the heart of continental Western Europe. It's surrounded by most of the leading countries in Western Euriope (UK, Germany, the Low Countries, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and of course Andorra.)

(BTW -- I'm a "US American", and my knowledge of French is abysmal, so I'm not linguisticly biased towards French at all.)
Guest   Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:17 am GMT
The big three EU languages, ENGLISH GERMAN AND FRENCH. DUH!