@wayne,
wayne;141613 wrote:I find it interesting that in speaking english, we often seem to be speaking many languges. Some persons are multi-lingual and are able to understand and speak in many different forms. Are these dialects? Entire languages?
The regional dialects aside, we often have difficulty understanding one another.
I really don't know anything about latin, but my impression is of a language more direct, less equivocal.
Least in danish I remember at first having great difficulties with english, as all the gramma had opposit position of danish, thus directly translating an english pharse became kinda nonsens.
The way we uses a language isn't just knowing a few words, but speaking it are flavored by our personal traits, sayings, metaphors, national ways and customs ..etc.
I remember a trip to USA, and gazing upon a sign saying "Rest Room" ..what?
At some time in a restaurent, I would ask for the WC. The waiter would stare at me as if I was some vulgar caveman daring to spread my lingual trash in HIS restaurent! I tryed then saying ...toilet? He still would stand speechless and stare at me. I then tryed to put it in layman terms, I have to pee!!
The rest room is that way! Oo what the heck??
I later understood that americans like to synominize
EVERYTHING remotely vulgar, whilst danes like to speak plain and straight language. Even on national TV we uses words like ass, allowed to swear and curse.