Which Foreign Language Is Closer To English?
a. French
b. German
c. Spanish
d. Gaelic
e. Italian
Correct answer and historical references will posted within 7 days.
Test Your Knowledge
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- Junior Lexiterian
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Test Your Knowledge
Last edited by Sunshipper on Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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- Grand Panjandrum
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- Junior Lexiterian
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- Location: Sacramento, CA
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- Junior Lexiterian
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Re: Test Your Knowledge
Here's my try. Whether Sunshipper and his historical references will call me 'correct' remains to be seen.Which Foreign Language Is Closer To English?
a. French
b. German
c. Spanish
d. Gaelic
e. Italian
Correct answer and historical references will posted within 7 days.
In terms of language origins, Frisian (already mentioned by someone in this topic) is closer than any other. Dutch and Low German come next. Of the ones actually listed by sunshipper, German is closer than any other.
In terms of later language history, French is closest (because of the Norman invasion and nearly a thousand years of cultural interchange after that). English and French share more vocabulary than any other of these pairs and a surprising number of grammatical details too.
In terms of geography, English and Gaelic overlap and share bilingual speakers in Scotland; English and French overlap in Canada; English and Spanish overlap and share many bilingual speakers in the US.
Does that work as an answer?
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Uh, shouldn't that have been, "Français, vous porcs insolents!"French. You insolent swine.
Et, bienvenue, versus!
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"Pas tros de cochonnerie", said this little piggie, as he went wee, wee, wee all the way home.Uh, shouldn't that have been, "Français, vous porcs insolents!"French. You insolent swine.
Et, bienvenue, versus!
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous
Anonymous
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Nah, I thought versus was trying to imitate the stereotypical Frenchman, only in English, for some very subtle humor. Perhaps he/she forgot the smiley.nice, very nice, someone tries to start a flame and it's nicely re-routed. no Turkey's here!
mark
Of course, when it's open season on bearded turkeys, I lay low.
. . . The males typically have a "beard" made of modified feathers sticking out from the middle of their breast. The beard averages 9 inches long. In some populations, 10-20% of the female turkeys may also have a beard, but it is usually shorter and thinner than the males.
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 2578
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
- Location: Crownsville, MD
Just to be on the safe side I checked it out myself, and [url=http://www.dnr.state.md.us[/url] is on April 15, 2006 for the Junior Hunt and April 18-May 23 for the Spring season. Time for us bearded turkeys to lay low lest someone try to measure our beard and spurs.
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
Re: Test Your Knowledge
Geographically, I'd say d.Which Foreign Language Is Closer To English?
a. French
b. German
c. Spanish
d. Gaelic
e. Italian
Correct answer and historical references will posted within 7 days.
For syntax, b.
For vocabulary, a or b.
But generally, I agree with those saying that Frisian is even closer. For example I have been - Fr. Ik heb weest but Dt. Ik ben geweest, Ge. Ich bin gewesen.
Irren ist männlich
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- Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Test Your Knowledge
"Correct", huh?Which Foreign Language Is Closer To English?
a. French
b. German
c. Spanish
d. Gaelic
e. Italian
Correct answer and historical references will posted within 7 days.
Tempted to go with Old English (begging a broad definition of 'foreign', not to mention the problematic 'closer')...
but I'll stay with West Frisian:
"Good butter and good cheese is good English and good Fries".
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!
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