Why is English the wordiest language?

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gaffo
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by gaffo »

Philosophy Explorer wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 8:50 pm
-1- wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 8:40 am A quick internet check brings light to the fact that you are running out of intelligent questions to ask, Wonderboy.
So what's your excuse?

🇺🇲PhilX🇺🇲
lol, good retort,
made me laugh a least.
gaffo
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by gaffo »

Philosophy Explorer wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:28 am
-1- wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 1:40 am
Philosophy Explorer wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 12:56 am

Why this special interest in me?

🇺🇲PhilX🇺🇲
I live an extremely boring and simplistic life. Today it's you; tomorrow it's Farrah Fawcett Majors. The day after, The Day After The Day After (the show made for TV by BBC).

Your topics are easy to answer, therefore, and strangely, they give me inspiration to be sarcastically humorous. I know it's hard for you to see the humour, as most jokes in reply to your thread posts are made on your expense.

Last night I was especially depressed. Hence my harsher tone.

Today I feel a bit better. Shows in the softening of my sarcasm.
If you're so depressed, I'll suggest philosophical counseling for you (maybe my threads are a cure for your depression).

🇺🇲PhilX🇺🇲
exercise/good walk - viewing frontyard/dogs/cats on porches work wonders.
gaffo
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by gaffo »

Dalek Prime wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 12:58 am It's the wordiest language, as it evolved from the Germanic forms to incorporate many other languages. What we didn't have, we imported. And what we did have, we added alternatives and variants.
yep.

most discount the importance of norman french though.

i do not however.
gaffo
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by gaffo »

Arising_uk wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:35 pm Because it's two languages combined and because it managed to do this it allowed, as Imp said, the importation of many words from languages around the world with little friction.
"three" languages.

4 if you allow latin - most of which was (not all of a small amount dates to Roman times) added 3 centuries ago during the enlightenment.
Dalek Prime
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by Dalek Prime »

gaffo wrote: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:49 am
Dalek Prime wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 12:58 am It's the wordiest language, as it evolved from the Germanic forms to incorporate many other languages. What we didn't have, we imported. And what we did have, we added alternatives and variants.
yep.

most discount the importance of norman french though.

i do not however.
I agree. Norman French added a parallel vocabulary to the Anglo-Saxon language.
toddwayman
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by toddwayman »

This article goes into some detail on this subject:

https://docsbay.net/english-is-the-most ... ning-speed

English is the most idiosyncratic and wordiest of languages acquires and sheds words with stunning speed.
duszek
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by duszek »

The number of speakers is growing constantly and thus new words are created and spread.

Bestseller writers contribute to it.
James Patterson said that someone hightailed the street or to the other side of the street.
Probably a comparison to a cat crossing the street with its tail high.

Could a cat owner explain the connotations ?
gaffo
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by gaffo »

Philosophy Explorer wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 6:11 am Heard this from a game show.

🇺🇲PhilX🇺🇲
because it was born from Gaelic (very little remains in english today - but there are few words), German (via Anglo Saxon's), and French (via Normans), and later added in some Latin from acedemia in the 17 century.

so 2.5 sources - in the real world 2 sources, the Germans and French - 50/50.

and of course add time to distort them from the languages of German and French today to make English "different".

this is way we - English speakers - have such a huge vocabulary (and so many words that also mean the same thing).
gaffo
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by gaffo »

Dalek Prime wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 12:58 am It's the wordiest language, as it evolved from the Germanic forms to incorporate many other languages. What we didn't have, we imported. And what we did have, we added alternatives and variants.
yes, but personally think we have more "french" than "german" in "english" due to the Normans.

IMO.
gaffo
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by gaffo »

i see this thread is kinda old and i have repeated myself on it.

my apologies to all here. last 2 or so posts added nothing i already said weeks/months ago.

i do think that English is more French than German - 60/40 - overall today. IMO.

carry on gentlemen.
Walker
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by Walker »

gaffo wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 5:29 am i see this thread is kinda old and i have repeated myself on it.

my apologies to all here. last 2 or so posts added nothing i already said weeks/months ago.

i do think that English is more French than German - 60/40 - overall today. IMO.

carry on gentlemen.
As the wordiest, it must be the most nuanced, which implies a greater depth of expression, if not understanding. Is it the wordiest because of deeper understanding by the English speakers?
duszek
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by duszek »

If you smile sheepishly it seems to express a very deep insight and a comparison to a sheep´s typical character but does everybody understand it in the same way ?

It could be that 20 speakers use the expression meaning not quite the same thing.

It´s not easy to use words in a precise way.
duszek
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by duszek »

There are many words for "money". Probably around 50.

Dough and bucks are the ones I use sometimes.

What are your preferences ?
Any ideas for new ones ?

How about scum ? :lol:
Walker
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by Walker »

Cheddar, long-green, credits (“Time is krugerrands.” – Mork)

Fan of film noir with the dough and bucks jive?

Eliminating all forms of “to be” from the writing, and also eliminating all pronouns, is a measurable and monitorable step for collating words with meaning.

Scum doesn't compute. Try again?
duszek
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Re: Why is English the wordiest language?

Post by duszek »

No, Holden alias The Catcher in the Rye referred to money as dough.

Scum doesn´t compute ?

But cheese and dough don´t compute either, do they ?

The term for money does not have to be positive, money can make you unhappy sometimes.
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