Language - its use

[Dave]

Tank, can't seem to quote your post.

Opinion:
a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

Thus, I admit, possibly subjective.

I would not call either versions of the age of the Earth "opinions" exactly. Both are based on evidence, though we might say the creationist version is based on uncorroborated evidence whereas the age we would subscribe to has some concrete evidence that can be corroborated, by anyone with the right kit, at any time. More like a theory?

Anyway, wasn't it the whole universe that was created 6000 odd years ago? 

[gentle_dissident]

I agree that the way we speak to each other forms society.

It would be fun to have someone translate an obscure creative work, and then have another translate it back to the original language. I wonder if the metaphors would come back intact.

[Dave]

Done my research now, OldGit, and happily accept that my memory was faulty in the origins of French.

But I am still of the opinion that language and culture/custom are linked and thus may affect behaviour. Though, as I also said, modern, international, influences are smoothing out the differences. At the same time the various versions of English seem to move further apart, Australians seem to be speaking a quite different dialect to us "on the street". With their increasing trade in their own back yard perhaps Chinese and Japanese will creep in, as Indian did in this country during the empire.

One question, did vulgar Latin have a similar, rigid, grammatical structure to the more formal version?

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Hating any subject is a qualification only for hating that subject. It makes any opinion the hater might have, on anything related to that subject, automatically subjective, biased and/or prejudiced. Should a number of well known names come to a similar, but independent, opinion on something then that concensus may have authority - so long as history does not prove them otherwise (which it has a nasty habit of doing).

I didn't mean that Old Git hates French.  I meant that he hates the French. 

[Dave]

Hating any subject is a qualification only for hating that subject. It makes any opinion the hater might have, on anything related to that subject, automatically subjective, biased and/or prejudiced. Should a number of well known names come to a similar, but independent, opinion on something then that concensus may have authority - so long as history does not prove them otherwise (which it has a nasty habit of doing).

I didn't mean that Old Git hates French.  I meant that he hates the French. 

That does not change what I said. "I hate pop music" disqualifies me from commenting on any aspect of the subject because my opinion would be biased. (I do like some.) [Later: we are all permitted our opinions, so I would not be "disqualified", but anyone knowing of my hatred would, or should, discount my opinion.]

Hmm, suppose I could admit that some particular pop musician was a decent bloke apart from his choice of musical genre! 

[OldGit]

I didn't mean that Old Git hates French.  I meant that he hates the French. 

Well, that's mostly a joke, too.  But I actually do dislike the French language.

One question, did vulgar Latin have a similar, rigid, grammatical structure to the more formal version?

The grammatical structures, such as verb tenses, were replaced by new ones using extra words.  Similarly the heavy reliance on case alone to indicate relationships was replaced by the greater use of prepositions and many case-endings ceased to be distinguishable.  And so on - basically Latin became structurally what the Romance languages are today.

It really needs a fat book to describe all this stuff fully, but try the Wiki article on Vulgar Latin.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

I didn't mean that Old Git hates French.  I meant that he hates the French. 

Well, that's mostly a joke, too.  But I actually do dislike the French language.

My impression of French is that it has taken relatively simple Romance language (like Spanish and Italian) and made it hard and unpronounceable.  I lived in France for 9 months, and I lived in Italy for almost 3 years.  My first 9 months in Italy was enough for me to do fairly well at the language.  9 months in France was not nearly as productive.   

[Tank]

Tank, can't seem to quote your post.
.....

Odd. You should be able to. Is the quote button there and not working or not there at all?

[Dave]

Tank, can't seem to quote your post.
.....

Odd. You should be able to. Is the quote button there and not working or not there at all?

It's OK now. When I first hit the button I got a message telling me tbat I was not allowed to even view your post!

Did wonder if there was a limit to the number of quotation layers permitted, on the system TH uses only 3 are allowed.

In this vein is there a way to attach images directly from my tablet files? I have found the [img] button now. On TH you selected the file, from your machine, under "attachments" and it automatically uploaded. Does one copy and paste then frame with tbe html?

Is there a sandpit to experiment in?

[Tank]

Tank, can't seem to quote your post.
.....

Odd. You should be able to. Is the quote button there and not working or not there at all?

It's OK now. When I first hit the button I got a message telling me tbat I was not allowed to even view your post!

Did wonder if there was a limit to the number of quotation layers permitted, on the system TH uses only 3 are allowed.

In this vein is there a way to attach images directly from my tablet files? I have found the [img] button now. On TH you selected the file, from your machine, under "attachments" and it automatically uploaded. Does one copy and paste then frame with tbe html?

Is there a sandpit to experiment in?

There is no forum limit thread quote nesting.
Attachments are disabled. I'll explain that later.
If you like you can start a sandpit thread in 'Ask HAF'. 

[No one]

Tank, can't seem to quote your post.

The elusive ghost quote, know in some circles as the bigfoot or even Nessie quote. Some swear by its existence while others dismiss it as pure fantasy. 

[Dave]

Tank, can't seem to quote your post.
.....

Odd. You should be able to. Is the quote button there and not working or not there at all?

It's OK now. When I first hit the button I got a message telling me tbat I was not allowed to even view your post!

Did wonder if there was a limit to the number of quotation layers permitted, on the system TH uses only 3 are allowed.

In this vein is there a way to attach images directly from my tablet files? I have found the [img] button now. On TH you selected the file, from your machine, under "attachments" and it automatically uploaded. Does one copy and paste then frame with tbe html?

Is there a sandpit to experiment in?

There is no forum limit thread quote nesting.
Attachments are disabled. I'll explain that later.
If you like you can start a sandpit thread in 'Ask HAF'. 

Thanx Tank

[xSilverPhinx]

I didn't mean that Old Git hates French.  I meant that he hates the French. 

Well, that's mostly a joke, too.  But I actually do dislike the French language.

My impression of French is that it has taken relatively simple Romance language (like Spanish and Italian) and made it hard and unpronounceable.  I lived in France for 9 months, and I lived in Italy for almost 3 years.  My first 9 months in Italy was enough for me to do fairly well at the language.  9 months in France was not nearly as productive.

My impression is that it's sort of frozen in time.

[Dave]

I didn't mean that Old Git hates French.  I meant that he hates the French. 

Well, that's mostly a joke, too.  But I actually do dislike the French language.

My impression of French is that it has taken relatively simple Romance language (like Spanish and Italian) and made it hard and unpronounceable.  I lived in France for 9 months, and I lived in Italy for almost 3 years.  My first 9 months in Italy was enough for me to do fairly well at the language.  9 months in France was not nearly as productive.

My impression is that it's sort of frozen in time.

I still reckon you can put much all of that down to Academie protectionism in historical terms.

Looking around I found this article, from a 1995 edition of The Washington Post, which I found amusing:

History was made here tonight, mon vieux. And you French may never be the same.

But, of course, the French just shrugged...

An inflexible language reflecting an overly formal nature historically - the land of, "Non!".Nice wine and food and some good films though...

[Magdalena]

Language? I enjoy watching people's body language.


It's too bad we can't do that, here.