English words that conflict with your language.

[Husar]

Oh c'mon, this is not the "correct the poster above you" thread.

(otherwise the misspelling had anything to do with conflicts between languages )

I was actually correcting you AND sympathising with you at the same time because I find the correct spelling silly.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Gift is probably Dutch, since in Dutch the meaning of “gift” depends on context. ‘Gift’ as poison in Dutch is more typically referred to as “vergif” or in older texts “vergift”, with gift as “gift” meaning a gift being the preferred use.

[Fisherking]

Maybe I missed it but as to confusion from one language to another, why have none of the Germans listed become?

In German you would gladly become a steak but it may not be a good idea in English.

What many cite as a French influence in English is actually Latin. Norman French had an influence but most French is just borrowed words and the structure is more Latin.

English once had all of the cases and genders of German, as well as the assortment of ways to make a plural. I can’t say that it is bad that it has been streamlined.

It all dose make it more difficult for English speakers to master other languages, at least I think so.

My struggles with German are legion and I won’t even mention Bavarian...

Some of you have confused grammar with sentence structure. English is a very pliable language and it adds to its expressiveness. Nouns can be used as verbs and verbs can be used as nouns and make sense.

The vowels are problematic. Any one can sound like almost any other in a given word and the number of different accents don’t help that at all.

English has more sounds with fewer letters than most other languages and the use of diphthongs can cause problems for non native speakers.

But if you want a challenge you can try the oldest spoken language in Europe. The spelling scares the heck out of me and the pronunciation of letters needs to be relearned and more...

Try to learn Irish or as some would say Gaelic...

[Ituralde]

Of course become is a classic. But at least it's one you learn about at school extensively.

And Gaelic really is scary. Just seeing the written word and then how it is pronounced astounds me every time!

[Subotan]

It all dose make it more difficult for English speakers to master other languages, at least I think so.

It's a cultural thing rather than an actual language thing. We seem to take genuine pride in what is actually a national embarrassment; namely, our amazingly poor language skills.

My struggles with German are legion

Der den dem des
Die die der der
Das das dem des
Die die denr der

I won’t even mention Bavarian...

"Habèderè, i bî da Pèda und kimm vo Minga"

Try to learn Irish or as some would say Gaelic...

It's impossible and pointless. The word order is way more screwed up than in German. Although it is funny having to explain to Germans that Welsh is no mere dialect of English, and then having to show them some Welsh to prove it.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

It's a cultural thing rather than an actual language thing. We seem to take genuine pride in what is actually a national embarrassment; namely, our amazingly poor language skills.

This is true, but with 6-10 times the vocabulary as other languages, and the need to master complex syntax in order to have the flexability of an inflected language. So, a native speaker probably uses more brain-space for his first language if that language is English.

It's impossible and pointless. The word order is way more screwed up than in German. Although it is funny having to explain to Germans that Welsh is no mere dialect of English, and then having to show them some Welsh to prove it.

I understand Welsh sounds like a Scandanavian Language to Germans, apparently.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

It's a cultural thing rather than an actual language thing. We seem to take genuine pride in what is actually a national embarrassment; namely, our amazingly poor language skills.



Der den dem des
Die die der der
Das das dem des
Die die denr der



"Habèderè, i bî da Pèda und kimm vo Minga"



It's impossible and pointless. The word order is way more screwed up than in German. Although it is funny having to explain to Germans that Welsh is no mere dialect of English, and then having to show them some Welsh to prove it.

Where are you from? Because I always thought you were Bavarian...

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Gift is probably Dutch, since in Dutch the meaning of “gift” depends on context. ‘Gift’ as poison in Dutch is more typically referred to as “vergif” or in older texts “vergift”, with gift as “gift” meaning a gift being the preferred use.

Old English, actually; very close to Old Dutch. When the two ceased to be mutually intelligable is debated.

Though, it is theoretically possible to strip out exteneous Romance words and Grammar, put on a Newcastle Dialect and then be understood by a Norwegian.

[Fragony]

Let me show you a fun one, also in the wisdom teeth thread.

wisdom teeth has to come from dutch, we say 'verstandskies' which would translate to wisdom teeth, but the proper name for these baby's is 'verre stand kies' which refers to it's position in the mouth, they are positioned far in the mouth thus 'verre stand'.

TA If you are looking for some truly hilarious dutch screw-ups buy 'I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and also my wives bottom'. Recommended to all flemish for obvious reasons. Most dutch aren't all that good in English, my favorite has to be a college professor telling a foreign student he was trying to lead them around the garden, got him a sausage 'worst teacher award' (worst is dutch for sausage)

[Louis VI the Fat]

TA If you are looking for some truly hilarious dutch screw-ups buy 'I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and also my wives bottom'.

This calls for the classic:

Then again, from what we've learned of ski-instructors, for all we know it isn't a mistaken translation.



Marie qui se masse, all the world!

[Fragony]

This calls for the classic:

Then again, from what we've learned of ski-instructors, for all we know it isn't a mistaken translation.



Marie qui se masse, all the world!

The best is found in a bathroom in Thailand 'to avoid drip turn cock', can't find pic sadly

A recent classic, Oogheelkunde naturally means Eyehealing

[Subotan]

This is true, but with 6-10 times the vocabulary as other languages, and the need to master complex syntax in order to have the flexability of an inflected language. So, a native speaker probably uses more brain-space for his first language if that language is English.

What is "brain-space"? And besides, those could easily be turned on their head, as by already having this huge vocabulary, we don't need to memorize whole sets of foreign synonyms.

I understand Welsh sounds like a Scandanavian Language to Germans, apparently.

Haha, that's actually funny. When I showed my exchange partner Welsh, she was visibly shaken.

Where are you from? Because I always thought you were Bavarian...

I wish. I'm from Lancashire.

[Kralizec]

One mistake in English I often seem to make is forgetting the extra O in, for example, "too large". Or misspelling a word in English because the same word exists in Dutch but with a slightly different spelling, like succes(s). Kind of embarrassing. When I found out that mafia is spelled with only one "f" in English, it killed me

As for grammar, I probably wouldn't be able to explain basic grammar rules in either English or Dutch even if my life depended on it. Generally speaking, I instinctively apply them the right way...or not.

Let me show you a fun one, also in the wisdom teeth thread.

wisdom teeth has to come from dutch, we say 'verstandskies' which would translate to wisdom teeth, but the proper name for these baby's is 'verre stand kies' which refers to it's position in the mouth, they are positioned far in the mouth thus 'verre stand'.

TA If you are looking for some truly hilarious dutch screw-ups buy 'I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and also my wives bottom'. Recommended to all flemish for obvious reasons. Most dutch aren't all that good in English, my favorite has to be a college professor telling a foreign student he was trying to lead them around the garden, got him a sausage 'worst teacher award' (worst is dutch for sausage)

Teh wiki disagrees with you...