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plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. Interestingly enough it was Orwell who pointed out that English prose sounds better when it uses more Saxon derived words than Latin or French derived words.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Sensible politics too seems to have come to an end around that time.

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

Plumpy Nut, I was referring to Orwell's simple prose (I also admire Graham Greene's style).

Ironically, there's a lot of Newspeak nowadays: downsizing, collateral damage, quantitative easing, redacting, skillset and so on. Call me old-fashioned, but it's not good English.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I now vote for Volapük.

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

There's a lot to be said for Scottish Gaelic: only 18 letters in the alphabet.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

A language only kept alive by huge injections of cash from the BBC and the Scottish Governement !

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 4:43 pm Post subject:

A language death resulting from the Piggie policies driving the Highland Clearances...

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

Not dead yet, Comrade Sasha, despite the best efforts of the Evil Empire and turncoat Dundonians. Wink

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 5:58 pm Post subject:

But well on the way. Hardly the language of state, as was once the case.

Moribund, then

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

Moribund? What's the Russian economy got to do with it? Wink

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 8:53 pm Post subject:

Don't believe all the hype. Nowhere near what the Piggie press would have you believe...

Lack · Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 252

I am not fluent in Spanish. I am perhaps high novice or low intermediate. It is great that it is entirely phonetic. The conjugations I hate having to do, although until I get better I am trying to take some shortcuts. For example, using "Voy a..." instead of conjugating a verb for the future tense.

The language probably did have a shot at becoming the international language at one point. But gaining that status requires a lot more than just a high number of native speakers. It's much more important to see how much it spreads itself.

Learning English gets you access to dozens of countries. Learning Chinese gets you access to one country.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

In 16th and 17th centuries Spanish and Portuguese would have been quite useful ! Thereafter, French, but British and then US hegemony has brought English to the fore.

What do you propose we do to change it ? Have a vote at the UN ?

IchliebeHunde1492 · Joined: 21 Dec 2013 Posts: 29

water rat · Joined: 30 Aug 2014 Posts: 1098 Location: North Antarctica