You lovers of the English language might enjoy this.
English was invented by
people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which,
of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are
visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
Let's face it - English is
a crazy language.
There is no egg in
eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English
muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are
candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
We take English for
granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work
slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is
it a pig.
PS - Why doesn't
"Buick" rhyme with "quick"?
Wait, Got another minute? There's one more…
How about why we park in a "driveway" or drive on a "parkway".
How about why we park in a "driveway" or drive on a "parkway".
Click Images to View Source
Crazy for sure glad I already learned it
ReplyDeleteGot a few hours for'The Story of English'?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU4NLgyO40M8niZReH8rnrHqcBIxHlu1X
I love the cases where a slight change in a phrase can either make or not make a difference in meaning even when it's the exact same change.
ReplyDelete"She turned on the light" vs "she turned the light on" = same meaning
"She turned on me" vs "she turned me on" = different meaning
Or the same expression in different situations -- "the frog turned into a prince" means the frog became a prince, but "the car turned into a driveway" doesn't mean the car became a driveway.
This kind of thing must drive foreigners nuts when they try to learn it.
English is not my native language, so I have found myself wondering about the egg in the eggplant or the ham in hamburger, and many other words that seem rather strange to me. By the way I like to eat eggs, eggplants, ham, hamburgers.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. We have been watching Murdoch Mysteries set in early last century Toronto with the earliest episodes evern in the 1800s. I am struck by how clearly and crisply T was enunciated whereas for many in has taken on more of a D sound. This is not exactly the craziness that you were writing about, but it is what has been on my mind.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very interesting post! English is my second language and when you mentioned that it's crazy you made me smile . I do not take English for granted, I am still not fluent at it.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend, safe and healthy!
I have a lot of friends that English is there second language and they alway asked me why this or why that?? To which I have no answer. Crazy!
ReplyDeleteHahaha very funny, lovely post my dear🧡💙 Regards!
ReplyDeleteAnd how about our letters, and how they sound.
ReplyDeleteWhy have a PH combo, it you have the letter, F?
Why PHone, and not Fone?
Why not PHart, but Fart?
Why is the letter C sometimes used instead of a K, but K is never used like a C?
And why does the letter C also - being, I guess, used like a utility infielder - sound like an S; but an S, never used for a C or a K?
If it's, "The Cat Sniffed, and took a Circuitous route to Kill the Carp."?
Then why can't it be spelled (cpelled), "The Kat Cniffed, and took a Sircuitous route to Cill the Karp?"
Why?
Huh?
And that's just a couple of examples!
Also too*, how about those letters IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORD?
And other ones!
And don't get me started on double letters IN THE MUDDLE IF WORDS?!?
A book could be written!
*"Also too" - the lone contribution to the English/American lexicon by Sarah Palin (who was more fluent in Mangleish!).
WHOOOOOPS!
DeleteNot "MUDDLE!"
I meant "MIDDLE!!!"
I guess I phucked up, and made a muddle of that last sentence.
Sorry...
"OF," NOT "IF!"
DeletePHUCK!!!!!
Hmm...
Hey, why not just PHUK, or FUK?
Ah, FUCK, PHUCK, FUK, PHUK it!!!!!!!!!!
Bye, all!
My absolute favorite quote about the English language is from James Nicoll:
ReplyDelete"We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
'Hamburgers' are named for their putative origin in Hamburg Germany, a' la Frankfurter (Frankfurt) and Weiner (for Vienna).