The illogicality of English language. - SV650.org

garynortheast · 11-12-22, 05:53 PM

Choose and loose
but
chose and lose.

Sir Trev · 12-12-22, 05:31 PM

Cut a tree down then cut it up...

Sir Trev · 12-12-22, 05:32 PM

That's not an instruction by the way

daktulos · 13-12-22, 10:19 PM

RobWords on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@RobWords) does some nice explanations why English words are like they are ... if you fancy losing a few hours. It interests me anyway ... did you know an apron was originally a napron?

Ruffy · 14-12-22, 08:11 PM

It's probably a good job we all learnt to write/spell, otherwise we'd repeatedly be scratching heads dealing with differences like those of dew, due and jew, or sealing and ceiling, or base and bass

Not forgetting established favourites like their, there and they're - all these are arguably far more logical in written form than verbal/phonetic.

But talking about places like Leicester and Gloucester must have been easier before the written word! And it's probably less confusing to deal verbally with low frequency sound not being similarly heavy - bass with mass?

Variable pronunciation can also be a weird one - I sometimes used to - politely, of course - rib my Dad (who was raised in a different part of the country than me) that there was no "r" in bath: "It's not 'barth', Dad!"

Would it start a fight to ask the correct way to pronounce scone? (s-cone or scon - one of the oldest perpetual debates ever I suspect

)

You're right, it's illogical. But probably wonderful at the same time.

Sir Trev · 15-12-22, 06:10 PM

I love regional variations in vocabulary, pronunciation and language, especially if it confuses tourists.

How many different terms are there for bread rolls for a start? A good friend of mine (a teacher) moved to a school in Bristol and was confused to find them referred to as a batch. And that most of the pupils pronounced the place name as Brizzle.

embee · 15-12-22, 10:28 PM

minute
second
pound
wind
bay
lean
fast

.... all mean what exactly?

11-12-22, 05:53 PM	#1
garynortheast Member Mega Poster Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Mid Wales Posts: 2,679	The illogicality of English language. Choose and loose but chose and lose. __________________ https://teulu.bandcamp.com/releases Blue Curvy S with over 110,000 miles and still going strong.

12-12-22, 05:31 PM	#2
Sir Trev Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: High Wycombe, where the chair factories used to be Posts: 1,479	Re: The illogicality of English language. Cut a tree down then cut it up... __________________ We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town, BEEP BEEP!

12-12-22, 05:32 PM	#3
Sir Trev Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: High Wycombe, where the chair factories used to be Posts: 1,479	Re: The illogicality of English language. That's not an instruction by the way __________________ We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town, BEEP BEEP!

13-12-22, 10:19 PM	#4
daktulos Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: St Albans Posts: 364	Re: The illogicality of English language. RobWords on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@RobWords) does some nice explanations why English words are like they are ... if you fancy losing a few hours. It interests me anyway ... did you know an apron was originally a napron?

14-12-22, 08:11 PM	#5
Ruffy Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: nr. Ashby-de-la-Zouch Posts: 335	Re: The illogicality of English language. It's probably a good job we all learnt to write/spell, otherwise we'd repeatedly be scratching heads dealing with differences like those of dew, due and jew, or sealing and ceiling, or base and bass Not forgetting established favourites like their, there and they're - all these are arguably far more logical in written form than verbal/phonetic. But talking about places like Leicester and Gloucester must have been easier before the written word! And it's probably less confusing to deal verbally with low frequency sound not being similarly heavy - bass with mass? Variable pronunciation can also be a weird one - I sometimes used to - politely, of course - rib my Dad (who was raised in a different part of the country than me) that there was no "r" in bath: "It's not 'barth', Dad!" Would it start a fight to ask the correct way to pronounce scone? (s-cone or scon - one of the oldest perpetual debates ever I suspect ) You're right, it's illogical. But probably wonderful at the same time. __________________ Spannering the wife's SV650S K5 pointy in Black, and son's SV650 X curvy in Blue. RIP SV650 X curvy, crashed and written off December 2019. I'm (procrastinating about) fixing up an old Yamaha FZ600 to get myself fully back on the road.

15-12-22, 06:10 PM	#6
Sir Trev Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: High Wycombe, where the chair factories used to be Posts: 1,479	Re: The illogicality of English language. I love regional variations in vocabulary, pronunciation and language, especially if it confuses tourists. How many different terms are there for bread rolls for a start? A good friend of mine (a teacher) moved to a school in Bristol and was confused to find them referred to as a batch. And that most of the pupils pronounced the place name as Brizzle. __________________ We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town, BEEP BEEP!

15-12-22, 10:28 PM	#7
embee Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 2,802	Re: The illogicality of English language. minute second pound wind bay lean fast .... all mean what exactly? __________________ "Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"

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