French vs Italian vs Spanish vs Portuguese vs Chinese

Wow. How interesting and original. A post comparing French to Italian, or Italian to Spanish, or Spanish to French. Just what we need because we don't have nearly enough of these kinds of posts in this forum.

Tell me, does anyone really have anything more to contribute that hasn't already been mentioned a gazillion times?????

Is it just me or has this forum been hijacked by idiots? If I read one more "French sounds soooooo much better than Spanish" post I think I'm going to spontaneously combust.

There used to be a time when this forum was filled with intelligent debate and discussion about language and linguistics. Now it's just full of idiotic morons rehashing the same old arguments about which language sounds better, or looks better. Tell me, just how many different topics DO we need on the similarity between Spanish and Italian?

Lol. I think there are a substantial amount of interesting posts here. However, I do share your sentiment in that I find all these "Which language is best" posts particularly tedious. Why don't you start some topics on things which interest you and see what responses you get? You may be surprised!

Regards,
Ben.

Brennus,

Absolutely - I shall endevour to participate and initiate topics about such things, however I'm usually just on this board quickly to glance over things. I think the point Dawie was making (although of course, I don't want to try and speak FOR him) was that he wanted more linguistic topics. Yes, I know, the appeal of languages to different people is well within the boundries of linduistics, but the fact is, people here don't seem to approach these threads with anything remotely linguistically-academic. No mention of sociolinguistics, and posts about how people interpret sound and language have been seen by me. It's all "I like Spanish cos it's just ooooooooooo, so lovely. Spanish is the best language and is the most beautiful. No doubt about it".

Regards,

Ben.

"Spanish is the best language and is the most beautiful. No doubt about it". "

Ma vafanculo idiota.

As much as I wish I know the Italian language better I don't, but I know what that meant. I just wish he would explain his post.

Forget about it!

I was wondering why Italian has always been in an obviously inferior position when it is compared to Spanish and Portuguese, Who knows?

Brennus : « This is mainly because Spain and Portugal were once world powers with vast colonial empires. Italy never quite achieved that (...) »

Mais c'est peut-être parce que l'Empire d'Italie est situé dans les esprits davantage que sur un territoire précis.

««For the last century, the Germans have been kind of at the top of the hierarchy in Europe. Even their defeat in World War II still left them potentially the most powerful country in Europe after Russia.»»

"the top of the hierarchy in Europe"? How do you come with such ideas?
Remember, they lost two wars! It took them many years and effort to recover from their losses. It was that mentality that sent them to war, thinking they were at the top of the hierarchy! Really! Who is at the top depends of what is being analised, if militar, economic, scientific...

«« So music lovers and concert goers might actually consider Italian a step or two above Spanish and Portuguese.»»

And those who prefer car races?

L'Italiano e la piu bella lingua del mondo!

Adaptation : a.p.a.m. ***PENSE*** que l'italien est la plus belle langue du monde.

We can keep discussing what language sounds or looks better, but in the end the most important is the cold, hard numbers of speakers, territory they control and number of countries that use it around the world...

Spanish is a passionate language.

Italian is frivolous.

"Chinese" (I imagine that is Mandarin?) is highly structured, with little place for improvising.

French -- my first foreign language at age 9 -- is a kind of adolescent.

Brennus speaks the truth, the Germans are on top currently, dispite losing 2 world wars. Economically Germany leads Europe, and maintains third place in the worlds economy (after the US and Japan).

What about the movement in Southern France to increase the awareness and use of Occitan/Provencal? Is it for real? Will it gather any momentum? How does Paris view this?

Revival of dying and even dead languages of Old Europe should be a priority.