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.
Maybe it's just cos I've spent 6 weeks in Vietnam and Thailand. Never cared much for the languages before I went. Obviously language wasn't one of the main reasons I visited. I did learn a few words though. Sitting in an internet cafe in Bangkok with a bunch of kids who spoke in the most annoying way I've ever heard. You'd have to be there to know.
Thai is far from soft and elegant most of the time. It's harsh and nasal.
This. Lao is also pretty bad. Monosyllabic sounding tonal languages are the worst.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,034,272 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
This. Lao is also pretty bad. Monosyllabic sounding tonal languages are the worst.
I think a lot of people's exposure to Thai is the waitress at the Thai restaurant who speaks demurely, softy and in a servile and accommodating manner. For the increasing number who have been to Thailand I think it loses it's charm.
A great majority of the world's languages are monosyllabic...for me languages which are really staccato and nasal grate on me. The ones I mentioned, Thai, Cantonese and Vietnamese, fit this bill to a tee. It's has the rhythm of a punk rock song. Japanese seems to have a slightly more flowing rhythm to it, and I just like it's sounds more. Nothing too harsh or weird like in the Sino-Tibetan, Tai-Kadai, Mon-Khmer tongues.
Indeed I have to agree the mere fact of not understanding can eventually make any language annoying. I've travelled with plenty of non-English speakers, most commonly Germans, French, Dutch, Japanese (the majority have been English though with some Irish and Scottish and fellow Aussies, Canadians and Americans) and it gets annoying when you're stuck in a group of 4 Germans (like I was for a camping trip) and they are always talking German with each other. You never know if they're saying anything about you (insecure much, eh, lol). I didn't lose a wink of sleep worrying about it, of course, they seemed alright and so what if they had the odd giggle at my expensive.
Monkey language. It's too high-pitched for my taste, and monkeys sound angry all the time. Well, except when they scratch their heads - then they just sound stupid.
I don't really like German or Russian too much. They don't really sound all that nice or friendly.
However, it isn't annoying languages that bother me the most, but accents from certain states. I can't stand Southern accents (especially those from South Carolina and Texas).
I have a friend from the Netherlands, and I think Dutch sounds horrible. Like someone is constantly clearing out their throat and getting ready to spit.
I think some accents of English can sound irritating: Irish-English, Southern American English, some British English (depends on the speaker for this one).
Don't udnerstand the love for French-so nasally!
I adore all Slavic languages. I think Romanian and Swedish sound quite lovely too.
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.
