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Is English an easy language to learn?

Started by Razgovory, March 15, 2015, 11:56:07 PM

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The Larch

#120
March 18, 2015, 08:06:52 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 18, 2015, 07:37:23 AM
Quote from: The Larch on March 18, 2015, 04:59:58 AM
Funnily enough this is a quite hit and miss system. For instance I've never heard Sao Paulo being referred to as San Pablo in Spain, but it seems that South Americans do the translation. Rio de Janeiro gets a free pass from becoming Rio de Enero, though.

Speaking of Spain, calling it España would make you sound more pretentious than culturally sensitive.

Don't discriminate on the poor letter ñ.  :(

Duque de Bragança

#121
March 18, 2015, 08:15:27 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on March 18, 2015, 03:35:17 AM
Up to like 10 years ago, Seoul was known in Chinese as the "City of Han".  The Koreans aren't happy about that, because it implies that their capital is a Chinese colony.  So they led a successful PR campaign to get the Chinese to change the name to a neutral translation based on the English pronounciation of "Seoul".  No idea how they did it but they did it.  Now, nobody calls it City of Han anymore.

Yet the Korean effort to rename the Sea of Japan has failed till now.

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

East Sea anyone?

Valmy

#122
March 18, 2015, 08:15:33 AM
Quote from: The Larch on March 18, 2015, 08:06:52 AM
Don't discriminate on the poor letter ñ.  :(

If it wanted to be used, it should have secured itself a key on my keyboard!
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Ed Anger

#123
March 18, 2015, 08:18:25 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 18, 2015, 08:15:33 AM
Quote from: The Larch on March 18, 2015, 08:06:52 AM
Don't discriminate on the poor letter ñ.  :(

If it wanted to be used, it should have secured itself a key on my keyboard!

They were taking a siesta when the keyboard meeting was going on.
Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

The Larch

#124
March 18, 2015, 08:22:06 AM
It is in mine.  :P

Valmy

#125
March 18, 2015, 08:22:58 AM
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on March 18, 2015, 08:15:27 AM
East Sea anyone?

The Japanese would insist on calling it the 'West Sea'.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Eddie Teach

#126
March 18, 2015, 08:23:42 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 18, 2015, 07:37:23 AM
Speaking of Spain, calling it España would make you sound more pretentious than culturally sensitive.

Like all the broadcasters talking about "Torino" during the Olympics. :yes:
To sleep, perchance to dream. But in that sleep of death, what dreams may come?

Valmy

#127
March 18, 2015, 08:25:57 AM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on March 18, 2015, 08:23:42 AM
Like all the broadcasters talking about "Torino" during the Olympics. :yes:

Yeah I was going to bring that up. I couldn't decide whether it was douchey or maybe the Italians had insisted it be pronounced the Italian way.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Duque de Bragança

#128
March 18, 2015, 08:38:51 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 18, 2015, 08:25:57 AM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on March 18, 2015, 08:23:42 AM
Like all the broadcasters talking about "Torino" during the Olympics. :yes:

Yeah I was going to bring that up. I couldn't decide whether it was douchey or maybe the Italians had insisted it be pronounced the Italian way.

It's actually Turin in the local Piedmontese dialect.  :lol:

Valmy

#129
March 18, 2015, 08:40:02 AM
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on March 18, 2015, 08:38:51 AM
It's actually Turin in the local Piedmontese dialect.  :lol:

So the former. 'Look how ever so sophisticated I am, saying this city in the authentic European way. I shall celebrate with champagen'
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

garbon

#130
March 18, 2015, 08:44:33 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 18, 2015, 08:40:02 AM
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on March 18, 2015, 08:38:51 AM
It's actually Turin in the local Piedmontese dialect.  :lol:

So the former. 'Look how ever so sophisticated I am, saying this city in the authentic European way. I shall celebrate with champagen'

Oh I just love champagne from California! :)
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

derspiess

#131
March 18, 2015, 09:00:01 AM
Quote from: Jacob on March 17, 2015, 06:45:11 PM
Not too different from English speakers referring to Vienna, Moscow, Copenhagen, Naples and so on. Most languages I'm passingly familiar with have names for places that are similar to but different from the name in the local language; it may be arrogance, but I don't think it's Argentine specific.

But for a neighboring country IMO you owe a little extra consideration.  For example, I try to pronounce "Quebec" correctly, while I might not take so much care when trying to pronounce a town or province in France.
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

garbon

#132
March 18, 2015, 09:04:20 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 18, 2015, 09:00:01 AM
Quote from: Jacob on March 17, 2015, 06:45:11 PM
Not too different from English speakers referring to Vienna, Moscow, Copenhagen, Naples and so on. Most languages I'm passingly familiar with have names for places that are similar to but different from the name in the local language; it may be arrogance, but I don't think it's Argentine specific.

But for a neighboring country IMO you owe a little extra consideration.  For example, I try to pronounce "Quebec" correctly, while I might not take so much care when trying to pronounce a town or province in France.

Well we are also a bit of an odd bird. After all, think of all the names that we have for places in our own country that we didn't try and anglicize (though certainly are pronunciations are not on point).
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

Admiral Yi

#133
March 18, 2015, 11:17:03 AM
I was wondering to myself how to explain a nasal n to an English speaker, then it struck me: words like monk have a nasal n.

I feel so proud of myself.  :smarty:

Duque de Bragança

#134
March 18, 2015, 11:38:23 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 18, 2015, 11:17:03 AM
I was wondering to myself how to explain a nasal n to an English speaker, then it struck me: words like monk have a nasal n.

I feel so proud of myself.  :smarty:

:secret:

The vowel is nasal, not the consonant.
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