EBME Forums Forums Free discussion Free discussion Spelling & language issues

I agree that interesting banter and good conversation is a pleasure but I am aware of Huw's beady eyes......He says continuing off topic. Tee Hee.
R

Can we take it then, Mike, that you're not a "Common Purpose" graduate?

I don’t think you are far off I believe the most prolific language is pigeon English
Reasons include it is classed as the communication language of the world for technical discussions
Aviation and nautical language. Now I believe the Chinese have adopted it as their preferred second choice.
All we have to do is keep up with what the world needs and not let pronunciation freaks and miss placed loyalty win. I’m patriotic and want the world to speak “English” and if it evolves along the way, why not?
The first rule is language is for communication.

English as the de facto Lingua Franca of the world? Oh, the irony.

But if that is indeed the case (and I'm not arguing), how come official communications in this country are available in (translated into) so many foreign languages?

Anyhow, and just to throw another spanner into the works (just imagine that one being translated back from Cantonese or Mandarin into Chinglish!), I reckon [and, indeed have found] that techs from across the world can usually get on OK, when together in the same workshop for example, by using shared engineering (scientific, physics etc.) understanding ... as well as lots of arm-waving and shouting! Ha, ha.

ASCII, Ohm's Law, the Gas Laws, battery [transistor etc.] theory, mathematics, the internal combustion engine, the C programming language, the properties of metals and the elements, the speed of light, chemistry, the frequency spectrum ... etc., etc.

To be honest Geoff, I am not sure what a 'common purpose' graduate is. If it has something to do with the 'New World Order' then no. With regards to language I am all for diversification and the survival of indigenous languages.

It would appear that English appears to be the common language of the world (although not the most used). Given that it is apparently very diificult to learn we probably have our American friends to thank for that. I just wish that sometimes they (and others,) would be a bit more careful with it! However, this does not blind me to the fact that English is certainly an evolving language and has been for centuries. It has probably imported more words from other languages than any other living language.

First point, Mike:- Google is your friend!

Second point:- like all languages, English is easy enough when learned at your mother's knee, as it were. Otherwise (and again, like all the rest) it can be a bit difficult to master at "grammar school" level, but not so bad for day-to-day getting by "on the street" (a bit like my Arabic, German, and er, Scouse then).

Meanwhile, has the British Empire been air-brushed from history, then ... now, that really is "Common Purpose"!

Is this the sort of thing you're worried about, Mike (taken from a recent news report concerning a Cancer Hospital "somewhere in England"):-


Ah yes, the good old "English reserve". Obviously the guy was just trying to fit in!

My point is this: The languages that we use are living entities. They are continually evolving (in fact if they didn't they would probably die). No problem at all with importing words, adding new words etc, etc. What I don't like is that when a particular part of a language is used i.e. the word or phrase has gone into 'common usage', then what on earth is the point of modifying or changing it. Seems to me to be lazy on the part of the user.

Also, as I have continually mentioned - we need to keep as many languages of the world 'living' for as long as possible. Yes, even French!!! (no offence at all intended to our French friends!!)

The trouble is that once the Baboons catch on to the latest non-word, and then (like the prats they are) constantly prattle on using it (not only in everyday speech, but also in the written word, and on the radio etc.) ... well, the next thing you know it's in the bleedin' dictionary!

An example would be "incentivize".

Sorry to disagree Mike, but in the real world of biology ... and, indeed, finance, the maxim "if it's not growing, it will die" (or something along those lines) holds true. For "not growing", we could substitute "lacking in popular usage". Perhaps* words, phrases, and indeed, languages should be regarded in the same light.

There was something on the radio recently about the passing of some old boy on a Scottish island who had been the last speaker of the traditional local lingo - OK, he was the last one, but who was he talking to? Who was listening?

* There's no "perhaps" about it, actually.

With regards to 'continually evolving' and 'not growing' I think we are both making the same point i.e. evolve or die. It's the 'common usage' aspect that we disagree on.

How does a particular part of language come into 'common usage' in the first place. Because it's good and it is used by lots of people. I think Shakespeare invented (think that is the right word) one word in nine that he put into all his plays/essays/sonnets. You don't see anyone modifying or changing those phrases that are in common usage. They dare not.

Heaven forbid that we get to a situation in a few years where everyone on the planet is speaking only one of a few languages that are left.

Yes, I heard about the Scottish chappie who just passed away. I think he was on one of the Hebridean islands. I think they said that his last conversation in his traditional language was with one of his brothers who passed away a few years ago. Sad.