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WHO OWNS ENGLISH?
(39 Messages in 4 pages - View all)
1 2 3 4
1.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 05:57 pm

1-Where was the English language born?
2-Who owns English?
3-England ?
4-USA ?
5-Global language?

2.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:02 pm

Nobody "owns" a language. It originated from as far back as Saxon England and grew from the Germanic language they used.

Over 300 million people speak English in the world and over 300 million people speak it as a second language.

However, (I have not googled to check this) I think Spanish is still the most spoken language in the world.

I was wrong

It is
1: Mandarin
2: English
3. Hindi
4. Spanish

3.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:05 pm

Languages are not born (unless they are artificial). They evolve. If you're interested in scientific study, here's
info on the Indo-European Group of languages.

As for who owns it...if you mean which country has it as an official language, then google it. If you mean own in the sense of possess...consult a philosophical forum

Here's the same website but about English in particular

http://www.krysstal.com/english.html

4.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:14 pm

The English language is a global language and a scientific language and the world language.
Maybe it is not the Queen's English now?
But who rules English?
The Mandarin Chinese is the second world language.

5.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:16 pm

Quoting yilgun-7:

The English language is a global language and a scientific language and the world language.
Maybe it is not the Queen's English now?
But who rules English?
The Mandarin Chinese is the second world language.



You asked where it originated - England. However, I think there would be many people who would strongly object to you calling it a world language

6.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:22 pm

A language is like an organism.It is born /created by people.And it is grown up.But who rules it?The center?
And who rules a Language?A scientific center?

7.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:26 pm

Nobody rules a language. That is why we have variations all over the world in dialect and spelling. Even USA English is different to UK English.

The British "bible" of the English Language is the Oxford English Dictionary. However, it only reflects current trends and adds words that evolve.

8.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:27 pm

English has gained its popularity as at some point in time it became the official language of business. Some people do fear that its increasing popularity will result in English taking over other languages. However, I believe it's impossible. Language is part of culture so replacing a nations language with English only for the sake of facilitating communication seems unlikely. It's a bit different for Ireland but that's another story. That's why even if a territory adopts a language, it undergoes a change (like it was the case with English in the US).

Another thing that makes English an attractive language to learn is the fact that it is considerably easy.

I believe there's a great benefit in speaking a second language of such a global range.

9.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:30 pm

Quoting yilgun-7:

The center?
And who rules a Language?A scientific center?



I'm sure there must be a body deciding what is correct and what is incorrect in English. I know that we have a National Board of Polish and I know Turkey has one as well...as for English...anyone?

10.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:31 pm

Quoting Daydreamer:


Another thing that makes English an attractive language to learn is the fact that it is considerably easy.



I dispute this entirely! There is absolutely no logic at all to the English language. It breaks it's own rules frequently. I would hate to have to learn it as a second language.

11.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:32 pm

Quoting Daydreamer:

Quoting yilgun-7:

The center?
And who rules a Language?A scientific center?



I'm sure there must be a body deciding what is correct and what is incorrect in English. I know that we have a National Board of Polish and I know Turkey has one as well...as for English...anyone?



No. As I said the Oxford English Dictionary is our bible, but it only reflects current trends and adds new words as they evolve.

The most precious people I know about their language are the French. Their language is almost treated like a religion and therefore it has not evolved for centuries.

12.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:37 pm

The English language as grammar, structure and dictionary are being ruled by Oxford and Cambridge in Türkiye...So Oxford and Cambridge rule the language.

13.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:37 pm

Hmm I know there is something called British National Corpus providing vocabulary/collocations etc. But what about grammar? Is there really not a body being the most objective criterion for correctness?

14.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:38 pm

Quoting yilgun-7:

The English language as grammar, structure and dictionary are being ruled by Oxford and Cambridge in Türkiye...So Oxford and Cambridge rule the language.



They certainly do not rule the language in England, but indeed are a good authority on it's correct usage.

15.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:42 pm

The English Language is not a street language in the whole world, it is of course is being ruled by a scientific center.
The world media/press is not a scientific language center.
Who rule them?

16.       Elisabeth
5732 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:43 pm

Quoting AEnigma III:

Quoting Daydreamer:


Another thing that makes English an attractive language to learn is the fact that it is considerably easy.



I dispute this entirely! There is absolutely no logic at all to the English language. It breaks it's own rules frequently. I would hate to have to learn it as a second language.



Well, as an American who grew up in Europe and did not use English as a first language except in my own home...I completely disagree. English was fairly difficult to learn. However, once I learned Spanish...Italian and French (except for the spelling part which is completely screwed up in French!!) came fairly easily. Turkish is proving impossible, since everytime I open my mouth...Spanish comes out!

17.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:43 pm

opps PC sneezed

18.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:44 pm

It is impossible to understand it?

19.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:45 pm

Yilgun instead of posting your quiz questions about eyes, language etc. and never revealing your answer, why not just post your thoughts?

20.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:47 pm

Quoting yilgun-7:

It is impossible to understand it?



To understand what? Sorry, I have no idea why your posts sometimes seem to be cut in halves

21.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:49 pm

Spanish is not a scientific language.But Mandarin Chinese, Russian, French and German are important languages.

22.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:51 pm

yilgun..am I the only one going mad or is there really some sense in your questions?

What do you mean important? how can one language be more important than another. It is usually pure coincidence that one language becomes more popular than another but... "important"? In what sense?

23.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:51 pm

I could not explain....
The English Language is a global Language, a world language.
But who rules this internatiomal language?
Where is the Scientific language center?

24.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:54 pm

Because a language is like an organism..Who cares it?

25.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:54 pm

Ok, Aenigma - a native English user said there is no centre controlling English, no central authority governing it.

26.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:57 pm

If you don't trust her. Here's a link in Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_English

27.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:57 pm

So English language lives in free language market like an economy.
Ne güzel.

28.       AEnigma III
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 06:59 pm

Quoting Daydreamer:

If you don't trust her. Here's a link in Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_English



Wow thanks for the link

Here is your answer Yilgun:-

"Standard English is a term generally applied to a form of the English language that is thought to be normative for educated users. There are no set rules or vocabulary for any putative "Standard English" because, unlike languages such as French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch, English does not have a governing body (see Académie française, Accademia della Crusca, Real Academia Española, Nederlandse Taalunie, Dansk Sprognævn) to establish usage.

29.       yilgun-7
1326 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 07:00 pm

I must thank to AEGNIMA and DAYDREAMER for their kind contribution...

30.       Elisabeth
5732 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 08:05 pm

I just want to let you all know that English belongs to me now. I just bought it this morning. I will be sending you all revised language books in the near future. I have decided to make my changes starting with Europe. Here is your first lesson in advance:

English in the World Community:

I am announcing that English will be the official
language of the European Union rather than
German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, I have conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft
"c".
Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants
jump with
joy.

The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k".
This
should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan
have one
less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the
sekond
year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced
with
"f". This will make words like fotograf 20%
shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new
spelling
kan be expekted to reach the stage where more
komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double
letters which have always ben a deterent to
akurate
speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the
silent
"e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should
go
away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps
such as
replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be
dropd from
vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve
vil
hav a reil sensibl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and
evrivun vil
find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a
united
urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking
German
like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

31.       femme_fatal
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 08:09 pm

Quoting Elisabeth:

I just want to let you all know that English belongs to me now. I just bought it this morning. I will be sending you all revised language books in the near future. I have decided to make my changes starting with Europe. Here is your first lesson in advance:

English in the World Community:

I am announcing that English will be the official
language of the European Union rather than
German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, I have conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft
"c".
Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants
jump with
joy.

The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k".
This
should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan
have one
less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the
sekond
year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced
with
"f". This will make words like fotograf 20%
shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new
spelling
kan be expekted to reach the stage where more
komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double
letters which have always ben a deterent to
akurate
speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the
silent
"e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should
go
away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps
such as
replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be
dropd from
vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve
vil
hav a reil sensibl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and
evrivun vil
find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a
united
urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking
German
like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl. !


lol
this was posted now 3rd time since last year lol

32.       Elisabeth
5732 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 08:10 pm

I am zo sory

33.       femme_fatal
0 posts
 20 Feb 2008 Wed 08:13 pm

Quoting Elisabeth:

I am zo sory



lol
first i posted it, then a week later peace train.
i rushed to tell her that i posted it already lol
but she seemed didnt understand my approach.
and then today you.
and you are indeed sorry. this is a good reaction lol

34.       Daydreamer
3743 posts
 21 Feb 2008 Thu 01:59 pm

No idea if this has already been posted, still, I find it hilarious


Why is English so difficult?

Some reasons to be grateful if you grew up speaking English:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
1 I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
2 I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?


Let's face it - English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, across the ages, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

35.       si++
3785 posts
 21 Feb 2008 Thu 03:49 pm

Quoting Daydreamer:


Let's face it - English is a crazy language.



You are right.

English is essentially Pictish that was attacked out of nowhere by Angles cohabiting with Teutons who were done in by a drunk bunch of Vikings masquerading as Frenchmen who insisted they spoke Latin and Greek but lacked the Arabic in which to convey that.

36.       Cacık
296 posts
 21 Feb 2008 Thu 03:59 pm

Quoting femme_fatal:

Quoting Elisabeth:

I am zo sory



lol
first i posted it, then a week later peace train.
i rushed to tell her that i posted it already lol
but she seemed didnt understand my approach.
and then today you.
and you are indeed sorry. this is a good reaction lol



I don't care who posted it - it is utterly brilliant ! I am laughing out loud now during this stressful day !!!
Thanks

37.       alameda
3499 posts
 21 Feb 2008 Thu 09:33 pm

Thank you Daydreamer and Femme and Elisabeth and who ever was the originator of both of the posts....I needed that today, and my co-workers are enjoying them too!

38.       Leelu
1746 posts
 21 Feb 2008 Thu 11:30 pm

Quoting AEnigma III:

opps PC sneezed

çok yaşa!!!

39.       lalisia
0 posts
 22 Feb 2008 Fri 07:24 am

Quoting Leelu:

Quoting AEnigma III:

opps PC sneezed

çok yaşa!!!


I'm after u..

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