Is English a bastardised German?

Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:52 am GMT
<<Have you never heard of linguistic enrichment?>>


Why can't english speakers find richness within our own language? Does english not suffice without so many ridiculous french/latin words and phrases?

This exemplifies the ingrained self-loathing that I mentioned before. I guess plain old english just isn't fancy enough.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:32 am GMT
<<
Why can't english speakers find richness within our own language? Does english not suffice without so many ridiculous french/latin words and phrases?

This exemplifies the ingrained self-loathing that I mentioned before. I guess plain old english just isn't fancy enough.>>


I agree there's no need for those bizarre unheard of Latinates you often find lurking around, but there is no need to get rid of deeply ingrained Latinates, like the 10 or so you used in your own post.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:57 am GMT
"Then lets STOP using latinate words altogether, and replace them with anglo-saxon equivalents. If the anglo-saxon component of our vocabulary is really that extensive, it shouldn't be that difficult.

too much icing makes bad cake. "

Why don't you lead by example then and stop using them? I notice that your paragraph is peppered with latinate words.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:07 am GMT
Or better yet, give us the anglo-saxon equivalents to these so that we may start using them.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:08 am GMT
Another point to raise is the fact that most English speakers actually don't know (or care) which words are Latinates and which aren't, unless you speak foreign languages - which most people don't.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:13 pm GMT
To answer the original (rather stupid in my opinion) question. No English is not bastardised German, nor it is a bastardised Germanic, or a mongrel language. Anyone who says so is clearly ignorant.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:56 pm GMT
<<<<<"Then lets STOP using latinate words altogether, and replace them with anglo-saxon equivalents. If the anglo-saxon component of our vocabulary is really that extensive, it shouldn't be that difficult.

too much icing makes bad cake. "

Why don't you lead by example then and stop using them? I notice that your paragraph is peppered with latinate words. >>>>>>


OK:

" Then lets rid english of latinate words, and put back the Anglo-saxon ones with the same meaning. If we have enough anglo-saxon words, It shouldn't be that hard.

too much icing makes bad cake."


^^There you go.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:05 pm GMT
<<Another point to raise is the fact that most English speakers actually don't know which words are Latinates and which aren't>>


Its easy to pinpoint most of them: Any word that sounds lofty or "fancy", isn't english.