Test Your Knowledge

A discussion of word histories and origins.
Sunshipper
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Test Your Knowledge

Postby Sunshipper » Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:30 pm

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Correct answer and historical references will posted within 7 days.
Last edited by Sunshipper on Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Grogie
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Postby Grogie » Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:54 pm

Welcome Sunshipper. I believe it,s German. Dutch and Frisian are also closely related.

M. Henri Day
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Postby M. Henri Day » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:52 pm

Nice question, Sunshipper, and welcome to the Agora ! Perhaps you would care to define «closer to» in operational terms ? I presume you are not talking about alphabetical order....

Henri
曾记否,到中流击水,浪遏飞舟?

Sunshipper
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Postby Sunshipper » Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:30 pm

Thanks for the welcome Henri and Grogie.

Suggestion gladly acknowledged and implemented. :D

Cheers.

Sunshipper
Semper vigilo, paratus et fidelis.

Andrew Dalby
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Re: Test Your Knowledge

Postby Andrew Dalby » Tue Dec 13, 2005 4:37 pm

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Correct answer and historical references will posted within 7 days.
Here's my try. Whether Sunshipper and his historical references will call me 'correct' remains to be seen.

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?

versus
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Postby versus » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:51 pm

French. You insolent swine.

Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:37 am

French. You insolent swine.
Uh, shouldn't that have been, "Français, vous porcs insolents!"

8)

Et, bienvenue, versus! :lol:
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

Perry
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Postby Perry » Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:48 am

French. You insolent swine.
Uh, shouldn't that have been, "Français, vous porcs insolents!"

8)

Et, bienvenue, versus! :lol:
"Pas tros de cochonnerie", said this little piggie, as he went wee, wee, wee all the way home.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous

Bailey
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Postby Bailey » Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:59 am

nice, very nice, someone tries to start a flame and it's nicely re-routed. no Turkey's here!

mark

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...
kb









Perry
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Postby Perry » Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:54 pm

Of course not. We have moved on the "the other white meat".
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous

Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:01 am

nice, very nice, someone tries to start a flame and it's nicely re-routed. no Turkey's here!

mark
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.

Of course, when it's open season on bearded turkeys, I lay low. :wink:
. . . 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.
Image
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

Bailey
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Postby Bailey » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:15 am

I hear itth duck theathon.

mark

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...
kb









Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:35 am

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

anders
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Re: Test Your Knowledge

Postby anders » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:00 pm

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.
Geographically, I'd say d.
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

sluggo
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Re: Test Your Knowledge

Postby sluggo » Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:25 pm

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.
"Correct", huh?
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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