|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Favorite Romance language? |
| French |
|
25% |
[ 12 ] |
| Spanish |
|
23% |
[ 11 ] |
| Portuguese |
|
6% |
[ 3 ] |
| Romanian |
|
19% |
[ 9 ] |
| Italian |
|
25% |
[ 12 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 47 |
|
| Author |
Message |
SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
|
 Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:06 pm Post subject: Favorite Romance language? |
 |
|
revised OP
Well?
Mine's definitely Portuguese - especially Brasileiro. Why do I like Portuguese? It sounds cool and interesting. It looks very similar to Spanish but sounds nothing like it really. Spanish is much more similar to Italian. It's often mistaken for a Slavic language. Brasileiro sounds a lot softer than European Portuguese and literature states that they are more different from each other than British vs American English. Portuguese people I spoke with on holiday there though assured me they are entirely akin to US v British English - same language, different accent, small differences in spelling, with Brazilian generally more informal.
I heard the Bolivian President on the Daily Show last night and he made Spanish sound very pretty - but European Spanish is very harsh in my opinion.
Last edited by SPINOZA on Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
|
| Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
My favourites are Ido (constructed, but I think it still counts as all languages are constructed and its vocabulary comes mostly from French, Italian and Spanish), Catalan, and French I suppose. I know what you mean about Spanish being more functional than interesting. That French-based creole used on Mauritius looks interesting too but they still haven't standardized it so it doesn't really exist on paper even though apparently that's what everybody over there uses in daily life.
Ladino looks interesting too. And there's nothing wrong with Italian of course.
Edit: maybe I should provide some examples.
Ido:
| Quote: |
1. Nun la tota mondo havis un linguo e komuna parol-maniero.
2. Dum ke homi movis este, li trovis plano en Shinar e lojeskis ibe.
3. Li dicis a l'uni l'altri, "Venez, ni fabrikez briki e par-koquez li." Li uzis briko vice petro, e gudro vice mortero.
4. Pose li dicis, "Venez, ni konstruktez urbego por ni, kun turmo qua extensas a la cielo, por ke ni darfas establisar nomo por ni e ne dis-semar sur la surfaco di la tota tero."
5. Ma la Sinioro venis infre por vidar la urbego e la turmo quin la homi konstruktis.
6. La Sinioro dicis, "Se kom un populo parolanta la sama linguo li komencis facar to, do nulo quon li projetos facar esos ne-posibla por li.
7. Venez, ni irez infre e konfundez lia linguo por ke li ne interkomprenos."
8. Do la Sinioro dis-semis li de ibe sur la tota terglobo, e li haltis konstruktar la urbego.
9. To esas pro quo ol nomesis Babel - pro ke la Sinioro konfundis la linguo di la tota mondo. De ibe la Sinioro dis-semis li sur la surfaco di la tota terglobo. |
Catalan:
| Quote: |
1. Tenia aleshores tota la terra una �nica llengua i unes paraules id�ntiques.
2. "I s'esdevingu� que quan vingueren de l'est, trobaren una esplanada a la terra de Xinar, i all� s'hi establiren."
3. "I es digueren els uns als altres: au, fem totxos i coguem-los amb foc. I els serv� el totxo en lloc de la pedra, i l'asfalt en lloc de barreja."
4. "I digueren: Au, constru�m una ciutat i una torre, la c�spide de la qual arribi al cel; i fem-nos un nom, en cas que arrib�ssim a ser dispersats per tota la terra."
5. I descend� el Senyor per veure la ciutat i la torre que constru�en els fills dels homes.
6. I digu� el Senyor: Ells s�n un �nic poble i parlen una �nica llengua; i han comen�at l'obra i res no podr� desviar-los d'all� que s'han proposat.
7. "Ara descendim, aleshores, i confonguem la seva llengua perqu� ning� entengui la parla del seu germ�."
8. "I aix� els dispers� el Senyor des d'all� sobre la superf�cie de tota la terra, i deixaren d'edificar la ciutat."
9. "Per aix� fou anomenada Babel, perqu� all� confongu� el Senyor la llengua de tota la terra, i des d'all� els dispers� sobre la fa� de tota la terra." |
Ladino (but don't forget it's often written with Hebrew characters which is what makes it cool:
| Quote: |
1. Y toda la tierra era de un solo lenguaje y pocas palabras.
2. Y fu� cuando viajaron desde Qedem(el Este), que encontraron una planicie en la tierra de Shinar, y ah� residieron.
3. Y hombre dixo a hombre, "Ven! Faremos ladrillos y los coceremos quem�ndolos." Y el ladrillo fu� para ellos piedra, y el barro fu� para ellos material.
4. Y dixeron, "Vengan! Nos construiremos una ciudad y una torre y su punta al cielo, y nos faremos un nombre, no sea que seamos dispersados en toda la faz de la tierra."
5. Y Dios descendi� a ver la ciudad y la torre que los fijos del Hombre construyeron.
6. Y Dios dixo, "Contemplad, una naci�n, y una lengua para todos ellos, y esto han comenzado a facer. Y agora, no ser� negado para ellos, todo aquello que planeen facer.
7. Venid! Descender�mos y confundir�mos su lenguaje ah�, que no escuche un hombre el lenguaje de su compa�ero.
8. Y Dios los dispers� de ah� por sobre toda la faz de la tierra, y cesaron ellos de construir la ciudad.
9. Por lo que su nombre se llam� "Babel", car ah� Dios confundi� el lenguaje de toda la tierra, y de ah� Dios los dispers� por sobre toda la faz de la tierra. |
Mauritian creole:
| Quote: |
1. Tu later ti ena enn sel langaz ek mem mo.
2. Kuma zot ti finn kit loryan, zot truv enn laplenn dan pei Sinar ek zot rest la.
3. Zot dir ant zot, nu ale fer bann brik ek nu kwi zot dan dife. Brik la servi zot kom pyer ek bitim kom siman.
4. Zot redir: nu ale nu al batir enn lavil ek enn latur, so some tus lesyel, ek fer nu enn non pu ki nu pa disperse lor later.
5. Bondye desann pu get lavil ek latur ki bann garson zom finn batir.
6. Ek Bondye dir: ala li form enn sel pep ek zot ena enn sel langaz, ek sa la sa ki zot antreprann. Aster la nannye pa pu anpes zot fer sa ki zot finn panse.
7. Ale nu desann ek la nu melanze zot langaz pu ki zot pa kapav konpran langaz lezot.
8. Ek Bondye finn disperse zot lwin lor sirfas later, ek zot aret batir lavil.
9. Sepusa dimunn apel li Babel, ek sela ki Bondye melanz langaz tu later, ek sela ki Bondye dispers zot lor sirfas later. |
This last one's interesting because it looks really different but when you give it a bit more attention you can see that apel = apelle, later = la terre, melanz = melange, mem mo = m�me mots, aret batir lavil = arr�t b�tir la ville and so on. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
|
| Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 10:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Oh yeah, and Portuguese is also cooler because of its original name in Latin, Lingua Lusitana, wheras Spanish is just boring old Lingua Hispanica. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 4:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Well this topic sure is going nowhere. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 5:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
Le francais, bien sur!
Aside from bits and pieces of Spanish gleaned from Sesame Street it was my first foreign language, and likely will always be my favorite.
What it lacks in global usefulness compared to Spanish, it more than makes up for in beauty. And there are so many good books and movies made in French. I'm sure Italian and Portuguese are great languages, and I may take a crack at them someday, but I doubt they could ever hold a candle to the pure sexiness of French. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SarcasmKills
Joined: 07 Apr 2003
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 5:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Body language. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 5:55 am Post subject: |
|
|
| mithridates wrote: |
| Well this topic sure is going nowhere. |
my threads suck. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 5:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
Espanol, mi corazon.
I studied French for years, but rarely use any of it. I never studied Spanish, but I have lived in Spain, Mexico and Miami, and have been, er, intimate, with the language. 
French lives in my brain- often when I reach for Korean or Spanish, French surfaces. But in matters of the heart, es Espanol. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cypher
Joined: 08 Nov 2003
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
spanish, and I have to respectfullly disagree-I think the arabic influence makes it purr, all thos -abas and such. Though I don't know arabic, so I can't really say which parts are influenced by it and which aren't.
What about Romansch? Isn't that a language? Isn't it a romance language?
Though my favourite language is still English-nothing matches the diversity of expression in a bas-tard language. It so sad how it's becoming dumbed down and thinned out-god forbid someone doesn't understand a 10$ word.  Buy a frickin dictionary. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Italian. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tomato
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: I get so little foreign language experience, I must be in Koreatown, Los Angeles.
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
Me too.
I'm a Pucciniphile. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
C.M.
Joined: 02 Dec 2005
Location: Gangwondo
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
(Please permit this one small detour, a joke I heard once......)
"I speak Latin to my priest, French to my Lover, and German to my mule."
I prefer speaking/studying German, though if I were to choose a Romance language to study, I would opt for Italian.
(BTW, I once read a history of Romania and the author, a Brit whose name escapes me, described the Romanian lanuage this way: "Provincial, but not charmingly so"). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Sempre Italiano |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bo Peabody
Joined: 25 Aug 2005
|
| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 7:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
| C.M. wrote: |
| BTW, I once read a history of Romania and the author, a Brit whose name escapes me, described the Romanian lanuage this way: "Provincial, but not charmingly so". |
Like Spinoza, my vote goes to Portugese, esp. the Brazilian variation. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
|
| Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 2:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
I voted Romanian just because I think it is cool to have a Romance language all the way over there away from the others. Especially with the way the Romanians have been buffeted around by various Turks, Slavs and Germanics for centuries. I imagine that Romanians are some stubborn, proud people to have maintained their cultural identity through all that.
That being said, I will digress and say that the Romance languages have never done it for me. French in particular--I think it's downright feeble and fluffy. (Opinions like arseholes, sure.) I like languages with depth and angst: Urdu, German, Korean. And for me the real test of a language is the way it expresses itself in poetry.
An oft employed example:
| Quote: |
Rose, oh reiner Widerspruch, Lust,
Niemandes Schlaf zu sein unter so
veil Lidern.
Rose, � pure contradiction,
amour qui n'abrite le sommeil de personne sous une multitude
de paupi�res.
Rose, oh pure contradiction, joy
of being No-one's sleep, under so
many lids.
-- Rainer Maria Rilke |
Translations are translations so I won't get into the double, triple, meanings lost by losing Lidern. But the French was done by Rilke himself and all the heart of the poem is lost in the aspiration and lippiness of that Romance tongue. German poetry comes from the throat and chest. Indulge me another example for those who dig it:
| Quote: |
Mondnacht
Es war, als h�tt der Himmel
Die Erde still gek��t,
Da� sie im Bl�tenschimmer
Von ihm nun tr�umen m��t.
Die Luft ging durch die Felder,
Die �hren wogten sacht,
Es rauschten leis die W�lder,
So sternklar war die Nacht.
Und meine Seele spannte
Weit ihre Fl�gel aus,
Flog durch die stillen Lande,
Als fl�ge sie nach Haus.
Moonlit Night
It was as if the Sky
Had silently kissed the Earth,
So that she, in the glimmer of blossoms,
Now had to dream of him.
The breeze passed through the fields,
The ears of grain waved gently,
The forests rustled softly,
So starry-clear was the night.
And my soul spread
Its wings out wide,
And flew through the silent regions
As if it were flying home.
--Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff
|
If you can follow the German, you will see how particularly bad this translation is, but the problem with trying to capture the elemental diction of this poem in English is that if you try to convey the real feelings expressed, you start employing polysyllabic Greek and Latin based vocabulary that kills the essentialism of the German original. Even non-speakers of German can sense that "starry-clear" and "glimmer of blossoms" are weak substitutes for Sternklar and Bluttenschimmer. Even the English title "Moonlit Night" seems kitsch next to Mondnacht.
Was that fascinating for everyone? Lovely. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
