Know why "kn" is used where "n" would su

You have letters - now what do you do with them?
Brazilian dude
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Postby Brazilian dude » Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:46 pm

I have fond memories of Comedy Central. I really liked Win Ben Stein's Money and South Park. The latter is broadcast in Brazil with subtitles (Oh my God, they killed Kenny - You bastards!).

Brazilian dude
Languages rule!

sluggo
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Re: Know why "kn" is used where "n" woul

Postby sluggo » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:51 pm

This is a french vs germanic-english thing, but why do we retain the KN. Germany just simplified there grammer & spelling, why can't we just drop the KN?
Verbum's can-o'-worms point is well taken. The reason it's in there in my understanding is that in Olde Englishe the word was pronounced "k-nicht" (ch=gutteral) and written script reflects the spoken language only at the time it (the written) is invented. The more the spoken lingo evolves, the more variants in the script. You wanna see some real variants, look at Scottish Gaelic...
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!


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