the vowels
Does English sound like other Germanic languages?
I'm sorry, but that's hardly specific. You can't just say a tiny little cryptic thing like that.
English went through a Great Vowel Shift in the 1500s, making the vowels different than other languages.
<<English went through a Great Vowel Shift in the 1500s, making the vowels different than other languages. >>
The GVS made English closer to High German and Dutch. Confer:
English house - German Haus
English mine - German mein
English mood - German Mut
The GVS made English closer to High German and Dutch. Confer:
English house - German Haus
English mine - German mein
English mood - German Mut
The vowels is a pretty lame reason to call it ungermanic. Even German has strange Vowels. The only thing hurting it's status is the French influence.
Which won't be heard in any song or conversation you here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAA_qbiOQ5k
Listen to this i'm pretty sure this more like english than most will realize.
Which won't be heard in any song or conversation you here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAA_qbiOQ5k
Listen to this i'm pretty sure this more like english than most will realize.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAA_qbiOQ5k
Listen to this i'm pretty sure this more like english than most will realize.
I suppose that does technically sound Germanic, but it has none of the spirit. I'm afraid to say that maybe the reason so many people don't think it sounds Germanic is because it sounds like this, watered down and with no defiance or sophistication, Americanized, a language fit for a German-hater.
Listen to this i'm pretty sure this more like english than most will realize.
I suppose that does technically sound Germanic, but it has none of the spirit. I'm afraid to say that maybe the reason so many people don't think it sounds Germanic is because it sounds like this, watered down and with no defiance or sophistication, Americanized, a language fit for a German-hater.
A lot of the sentences of this first woman sound very English-like, especially with the English-like 'r' sound. The man not so much though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q21x-80LTyo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q21x-80LTyo
In my view, English sounds somewhat different compared to the other Germanic languages. For me it sounds rather ungermanic. Though, my view might be slightly influenced, since my mother tongue is a Germanic one (Swedish).
Would you mind elaborating in what way does it sound different? Is it just that it sounds like mumbling with no character, or does it sound similar to Latinate languages? Does it have any Germanic coolness, or interesting Latinate sound? As you say, though, you speak Swedish, so you can't really get the whole picture. Swedish definitely has Germanic coolness. A Latinate sound would also be nice.
pirat Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:29 am GMT
In my view, English sounds somewhat different compared to the other Germanic languages. For me it sounds rather ungermanic. Though, my view might be slightly influenced, since my mother tongue is a Germanic one (Swedish).
The real question is how long have you been speaking it. If you never not know it has a foreign language it won't seem germanic. I have the same issue with French I've heard it all my life in canada and it don't sound latin to me.
blurb Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:51 am GMT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAA_qbiOQ5k
Listen to this i'm pretty sure this more like english than most will realize.
I suppose that does technically sound Germanic, but it has none of the spirit. I'm afraid to say that maybe the reason so many people don't think it sounds Germanic is because it sounds like this, watered down and with no defiance or sophistication, Americanized, a language fit for a German-hater.
Yeah well he's using an american accent, the accent sounds machine like on account of it being an artificial accent. It was created by television and radio over the last century. I'm sure if did that in a Scottish accents you would think he was doing Dutch.
In my view, English sounds somewhat different compared to the other Germanic languages. For me it sounds rather ungermanic. Though, my view might be slightly influenced, since my mother tongue is a Germanic one (Swedish).
The real question is how long have you been speaking it. If you never not know it has a foreign language it won't seem germanic. I have the same issue with French I've heard it all my life in canada and it don't sound latin to me.
blurb Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:51 am GMT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAA_qbiOQ5k
Listen to this i'm pretty sure this more like english than most will realize.
I suppose that does technically sound Germanic, but it has none of the spirit. I'm afraid to say that maybe the reason so many people don't think it sounds Germanic is because it sounds like this, watered down and with no defiance or sophistication, Americanized, a language fit for a German-hater.
Yeah well he's using an american accent, the accent sounds machine like on account of it being an artificial accent. It was created by television and radio over the last century. I'm sure if did that in a Scottish accents you would think he was doing Dutch.
<<I'm afraid to say that maybe the reason so many people don't think it sounds Germanic>>
What people? where?
<<I'm sure if did that in a Scottish accents you would think he was doing Dutch. >>
Does anyone think Dutch sounds un-Germanic? Dutch sounds no less different from the pack than English.
What people? where?
<<I'm sure if did that in a Scottish accents you would think he was doing Dutch. >>
Does anyone think Dutch sounds un-Germanic? Dutch sounds no less different from the pack than English.
guest Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:26 pm GMT
<<I'm afraid to say that maybe the reason so many people don't think it sounds Germanic>>
What people? where?
<<I'm sure if did that in a Scottish accents you would think he was doing Dutch. >>
Does anyone think Dutch sounds un-Germanic? Dutch sounds no less different from the pack than English.
The point of the scottish comment was that depending on what accent it's spoken in English sounds germanic or unique. Most people when there told english is germanic for the most part don't believe it and think of the language as a more latin hybrid. However when you look at Scots(dialect/languge) the connection to languages like Frisian is so much more apparent.
<<I'm afraid to say that maybe the reason so many people don't think it sounds Germanic>>
What people? where?
<<I'm sure if did that in a Scottish accents you would think he was doing Dutch. >>
Does anyone think Dutch sounds un-Germanic? Dutch sounds no less different from the pack than English.
The point of the scottish comment was that depending on what accent it's spoken in English sounds germanic or unique. Most people when there told english is germanic for the most part don't believe it and think of the language as a more latin hybrid. However when you look at Scots(dialect/languge) the connection to languages like Frisian is so much more apparent.
<<Most people when there told english is germanic for the most part don't believe it and think of the language as a more latin hybrid.>>
But isn't this due to a lack of education on the part of those who mistake?
It is owed also in part to the excessive amounts of attention and pomp the Latinate element in English is given, to the neglect of the Teutonic base.
But isn't this due to a lack of education on the part of those who mistake?
It is owed also in part to the excessive amounts of attention and pomp the Latinate element in English is given, to the neglect of the Teutonic base.
"Yeah well he's using an american accent, the accent sounds machine like on account of it being an artificial accent. It was created by television and radio over the last century. I'm sure if did that in a Scottish accents you would think he was doing Dutch."
Hmm, that's a good point.
"Does anyone think Dutch sounds un-Germanic? Dutch sounds no less different from the pack than English."
If somebody is an English speaker, they have to wonder if they're hearing Dutch right, because there are so many similar words. It almost doesn't sound like another language to me. It's kind of hard to describe, but I wonder if people who speak other languages would say that.
Hmm, that's a good point.
"Does anyone think Dutch sounds un-Germanic? Dutch sounds no less different from the pack than English."
If somebody is an English speaker, they have to wonder if they're hearing Dutch right, because there are so many similar words. It almost doesn't sound like another language to me. It's kind of hard to describe, but I wonder if people who speak other languages would say that.
Scots is the most Germanic language, English is less so. The language that sounds the least Germanic is German. Danish is a little more Germanic than German.