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Re: I Need Help From All You Native Speakers Once Again

Started by OldGit, December 14, 2014, 10:30:54 AM

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xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Dave on November 07, 2017, 01:11:05 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on November 07, 2017, 01:00:16 PM
Quote from: Dave on November 07, 2017, 12:42:01 PM
Oh, is Auntie paying you for this work? That is a whole different kettle of fish! Translate on m'dear!

And don't forget to add it to your resumé.

Yes, she is. I do too much for free already! :P

She could have learnt English but chose to learn French instead, so now she has to pay to have her papers and chapters translated... :P But for anyone in the sciences it's a bit of a no-brainer which language one should opt for.

Yes, despite the fact that French and German science has always been top notch English seems to have become a bit of a lingua frsnca - even before those Americans got their oar in! And despite the sizes of the Spanish and Portuguese empires and trade relationships. That is why I chose  the origins, borrowings, gifts, current dominance - and possible future - of English as my college research project.

In science it seems to be a recent thing, though. In Newton's day it was Latin that was the language of the sciences, which doesn't make too much sense if you ask me, being a dead language and all. Probably linked to the Church in some way, though by then science had already begun to free itself from the clutches of that institution. In the 19th century it was French's turn in the spotlight, possibly due to the enlightenment. When did English become so important in that scenario? :notsure: There was the Industrial Revolution, I don't know...
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Dave

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on November 07, 2017, 01:28:20 PM
Quote from: Dave on November 07, 2017, 01:11:05 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on November 07, 2017, 01:00:16 PM
Quote from: Dave on November 07, 2017, 12:42:01 PM
Oh, is Auntie paying you for this work? That is a whole different kettle of fish! Translate on m'dear!

And don't forget to add it to your resumé.

Yes, she is. I do too much for free already! :P

She could have learnt English but chose to learn French instead, so now she has to pay to have her papers and chapters translated... :P But for anyone in the sciences it's a bit of a no-brainer which language one should opt for.

Yes, despite the fact that French and German science has always been top notch English seems to have become a bit of a lingua frsnca - even before those Americans got their oar in! And despite the sizes of the Spanish and Portuguese empires and trade relationships. That is why I chose  the origins, borrowings, gifts, current dominance - and possible future - of English as my college research project.

In science it seems to be a recent thing, though. In Newton's day it was Latin that was the language of the sciences, which doesn't make too much sense if you ask me, being a dead language and all. Probably linked to the Church in some way, though by then science had already begun to free itself from the clutches of that institution. In the 19th century it was French's turn in the spotlight, possibly due to the enlightenment. When did English become so important in that scenario? :notsure: There was the Industrial Revolution, I don't know...

It was probably a combination of the Indistrial Revolution and the outrageously large British Empire, in proportion to its size. But before that was English's willingness (unlike the French) to absorb useful words from all over the world. That made it a bit polyglot and, sort of friendly. Someone said there are more books written in English than any other language because of its ability to say exactly the same thing in six different ways and still be grammatically correct!

As for Latin? Well, that was certainly the church's language until the likes Tyndale and Luther, and it became the intellectual lingua franca due to the fact it was a requirement for entry into universties and could be used with precision. Botany and medicine seem to be its main bastion these days. So I had a myocardial infarction instead of a heart attack and now suffer cardiomyopathy instead of something like "enlarged heart syndrome". "Heart failure" does sounds so bloody final!

Personally I would rather it had been Greek, a bit more fluid and melodic to my ear.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Tank

suspicious is better than suspect in this context
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Dave on November 07, 2017, 02:47:48 PM
It was probably a combination of the Indistrial Revolution and the outrageously large British Empire, in proportion to its size. But before that was English's willingness (unlike the French) to absorb useful words from all over the world. That made it a bit polyglot and, sort of friendly. Someone said there are more books written in English than any other language because of its ability to say exactly the same thing in six different ways and still be grammatically correct!

As for Latin? Well, that was certainly the church's language until the likes Tyndale and Luther, and it became the intellectual lingua franca due to the fact it was a requirement for entry into universties and could be used with precision. Botany and medicine seem to be its main bastion these days. So I had a myocardial infarction instead of a heart attack and now suffer cardiomyopathy instead of something like "enlarged heart syndrome". "Heart failure" does sounds so bloody final!

Personally I would rather it had been Greek, a bit more fluid and melodic to my ear.

I know that in the biological sciences Latin still perseveres as a sort of lingua franca of species-naming, since the time of Linnaeus, but biology mixes a lot of Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes to make up its jargon.

'Biology', for instance has its roots in Greek.  ;D Bio - 'life' and logos - 'study' (?)
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Dave

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on November 08, 2017, 11:48:52 PM
Quote from: Dave on November 07, 2017, 02:47:48 PM
It was probably a combination of the Indistrial Revolution and the outrageously large British Empire, in proportion to its size. But before that was English's willingness (unlike the French) to absorb useful words from all over the world. That made it a bit polyglot and, sort of friendly. Someone said there are more books written in English than any other language because of its ability to say exactly the same thing in six different ways and still be grammatically correct!

As for Latin? Well, that was certainly the church's language until the likes Tyndale and Luther, and it became the intellectual lingua franca due to the fact it was a requirement for entry into universties and could be used with precision. Botany and medicine seem to be its main bastion these days. So I had a myocardial infarction instead of a heart attack and now suffer cardiomyopathy instead of something like "enlarged heart syndrome". "Heart failure" does sounds so bloody final!

Personally I would rather it had been Greek, a bit more fluid and melodic to my ear.

I know that in the biological sciences Latin still perseveres as a sort of lingua franca of species-naming, since the time of Linnaeus, but biology mixes a lot of Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes to make up its jargon.

'Biology', for instance has its roots in Greek.  ;D Bio - 'life' and logos - 'study' (?)

In days of yore a BBC bigwig said that the word "television", being a mixture of Greek and Latin, could not be tolerated and was bound to be changed.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Dave on November 09, 2017, 12:58:22 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on November 08, 2017, 11:48:52 PM
Quote from: Dave on November 07, 2017, 02:47:48 PM
It was probably a combination of the Indistrial Revolution and the outrageously large British Empire, in proportion to its size. But before that was English's willingness (unlike the French) to absorb useful words from all over the world. That made it a bit polyglot and, sort of friendly. Someone said there are more books written in English than any other language because of its ability to say exactly the same thing in six different ways and still be grammatically correct!

As for Latin? Well, that was certainly the church's language until the likes Tyndale and Luther, and it became the intellectual lingua franca due to the fact it was a requirement for entry into universties and could be used with precision. Botany and medicine seem to be its main bastion these days. So I had a myocardial infarction instead of a heart attack and now suffer cardiomyopathy instead of something like "enlarged heart syndrome". "Heart failure" does sounds so bloody final!

Personally I would rather it had been Greek, a bit more fluid and melodic to my ear.

I know that in the biological sciences Latin still perseveres as a sort of lingua franca of species-naming, since the time of Linnaeus, but biology mixes a lot of Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes to make up its jargon.

'Biology', for instance has its roots in Greek.  ;D Bio - 'life' and logos - 'study' (?)

In days of yore a BBC bigwig said that the word "television", being a mixture of Greek and Latin, could not be tolerated and was bound to be changed.

::) Weird purists...
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

Can I say "considerations raised in the revision of the paper" instead of considerations pointed out..."? I don't want to use 'pointed out' as it seems rather informal. Is it? :notsure:

It's for a response to the editor of a journal.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Recusant

I agree that "raised" is somewhat more elegant language, but I don't think that "pointed out" is notably informal. However, I'd phrase it "considerations raised in regard to the revision of the paper".
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Recusant on December 05, 2017, 10:58:14 PM
I agree that "raised" is somewhat more elegant language, but I don't think that "pointed out" is notably informal. However, I'd phrase it "considerations raised in regard to the revision of the paper".

Thanks! :grin:
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Recusant

"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Biggus Dickus

"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

xSilverPhinx

Ok, so today as I was helping my mother close the school for the day and just after had closed the door after her students a woman, normal-looking but unfamiliar, rang the doorbell, cellphone in hand. My mother let her in, possibly thinking she was going to ask for information about classes and so on, but instead she held up her cellphone to our faces and asked us what her boyfriend could have meant by the following text message:

"Portuguese women knows (sic) how to pet a man."

:notsure: Pet a man? The thought of a dogman hybrid instantly came to mind (I'm more of a dog person). Maybe a werewolf? :chin:

Anyway, my question is, does that make sense? Can 'pet' be used for people?

The stranger said that her boyfriend was a native English speaker but his English was intermediate at best, riddled with grammatical errors. :nu-uh: Seems very strange to me. I gave the woman a look, and hopefully she understood.


I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


No one

Not sure what it could have meant. Perhaps, he was using a voice to text, that just completely garbled what he said, then he sent it without realizing.

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: No one on December 12, 2017, 01:40:01 AM
Not sure what it could have meant. Perhaps, he was using a voice to text, that just completely garbled what he said, then he sent it without realizing.

Pat a man, perhaps? :lol:
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey