Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Lowlands Scots was derived from early northern middle English. It's officially a language though linguists still argue as to whether it's simply a dialect. My husband speaks it and I'm surrounded by it. I understand about 90% of what I hear. When hub worked in London he had to stop using it almost entirely.
Many of the words have worked their way into my vocabulary unintentionally. I can't read it out loud though. My tongue gets all twisted.
Very cool. I wish there were more instructional resources for Scots. I've found some good ones, but they are a bit rare. I work with a woman whose native childhood language is Gaelic and is fairly familiar with Scots also. I love to hear her talk!
Sorry for the thread hijack everyone... but finding anyone to speak with about Scots or Gaelic is kinda rare! Seize the moment!
Why Do Americans Have Such Problems Learning Their Own Language?
To make it clear I am designating those born and raised in America.
I'm sure everyone has encountered a variety of common language mistakes that Americans make daily. Many Americans have difficulty with spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.
It not unusual to find foreign born people that have a much better command of the language than Americans.
I don't know where Americans rate on the literacy scale.
Why is this so? Is it because correct language usage is not emphasized enough at home, or in school, or in our society? Is it because the students don't value learning the language? Is it because the schools have lowered the bar?
I don't know. Why don't you tell us? After all, you routinely use the word "ain't" in your posts, and I see at least two glaring grammatical errors in the post above.
Actually, the opposite is true, and none of them are useless.
English doesn't have enough prepositions. I just checked a dictionary, there are 124 different prepositional meanings for six words: in, on, at, by, to, for. A person using English has to learn which word to use for each of those 124 ideas he wants to express. Most languages have a very small number of common prepositions (less than a dozen) to cover literally hundreds of different situational applications.
Remember when you were studying Latin, and you had to learn which objective case to use, to subdivide and clarify the use of the same preposition: Ablative of place, Ablative of separation, Ablative of instrument, Ablative of manner, Ablative of time, Ablative absolute, Ablative of attendant circumstances, Ablative of accompaniment, Ablative of personal agent, Ablative of agent, etc.
technically, there are many prepositions that are useless and are just more filler. it depends though but not in all cases.
the greatest problem with the english language is the extreme limited vocabulary most use.
the greatest problem with the english language is the extreme limited vocabulary most use.
That's one thing I've really found to be useless with English: seventy-five ways to say the same thing or two hundred duplicate words. I have a huge passive vocabulary, but a very small spoken one. I see no need, unless I'm just trying to toot my own horn or... bloviate. Once in a while they are useful for subtle shades of meaning, but just as often not. Why overcomplicate things, when it's not called for? Keep it simple.
technically, there are many prepositions that are useless and are just more filler. it depends though but not in all cases.
.
Give me an example of one. The 'prepositional phrase' is a powerful modifier in language, and it is difficult to write a sentence without one. And you can't form one without a proposition. (I bolded the prepositional phrases in this comment.)
Give me an example of one. The 'prepositional phrase' is a powerful modifier in language, and it is difficult to write a sentence without one. And you can't form one without a proposition. (I bolded the prepositional phrases in this comment.)
there are useful prepositions but there are many that aren't.
that's probably not a good example. auxiliary verbs are a good example.
the sentence: i am bored.
there is no real use for the verb "am."
"i bored" is just as understandable. just as 'there ten people in my class' is just as understandable as 'there are ten people in my class.'
that's why children often speak in this manner and naturally do so. there is a lot of unnecessary fluff in language. language is not perfect, it just evolves with input from various people along the way.
there are useful prepositions but there are many that aren't.
that's probably not a good example. auxiliary verbs are a good example.
the sentence: i am bored.
there is no real use for the verb "am."
"i bored" is just as understandable. just as 'there ten people in my class' is just as understandable as 'there are ten people in my class.'
that's why children often speak in this manner and naturally do so. there is a lot of unnecessary fluff in language. language is not perfect, it just evolves with input from various people along the way.
How, then, do you say "I was bored" or "I will be bored" or "I have been bored" or "I would have been bored" or "Am I bored?"
"Am" is not an auxiliary verb. "I can be" is the use of an auxiliary verb.
There are languages in which the verb "to be" is often not used (Mandarin, for example). But in Chinese the tense is not conjugated as a verb inflection, but rather expressed as a particle at the end of the sentence, so verbs that are understood from the context are not necessary. In English, the verb is necessary in every sentence, because that is the only way tense can be expressed.
In Chinese, the expression "ni hau ma" has no verb. But adjectives are considered to be active, so "hau" can mean "good" or "be well". "Ni" means "you", and "ma" is like a verbal question mark----adding it converts the meaning from "you are well" to the question "Are you well?".
How, then, do you say "I was bored" or "I will be bored" or "I have been bored" or "I would have been bored"?
"Am" is not an auxiliary verb. "I can be" is the use of an auxiliary verb.
There are languages in which the verb "to be" is often not used (Mandarin, for example). But in Chinese the tense is not conjugated as a verb inflection, but rather expressed as a particle at the end of the sentence, so verbs that are understood from the context are not necessary. In English, the verb is necessary in every sentence, because that is the only way tense can be expressed.
still, you don't need to use the verb to express the present. besides that, there are many grammar rules that don't make any sense. there are also many words that have silly spelling and silent letters. all language has it's strong and weak points.
technically, there are many prepositions that are useless and are just more filler. it depends though but not in all cases.
the greatest problem with the english language is the extreme limited vocabulary most use.
When I do bring out the big words, no one understands what I'm saying. It is much better to speak and write at the intelligence level of my audience. [I know, that might have gone over some people's heads.]
Several of these posts remind me of the Dear Abby column this past week that really irritated me.
A professor was seeking advice regarding his in-laws' opinion that he comes across as patronizing during conversations.
I couldn't get past the recommendation: don't talk down to people, but don't use polysyllabic words either.
Am I the only one who sees an inconsistency here?
Dear Abby: Patronizing professor needs a lesson in social graces | Philadelphia Daily News | 01/20/2010 (http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/dear_abby/20100120_Dear_Abby__Patronizing_professor_needs_a_ lesson_in_social_graces.html - broken link)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
