The Off Topic Topic

[crazy canuck]

I didn't look this up but did English exist in any form when Jesus was alive?

Depends on what any form includes.

[Tamas]

I apparently missed that a Springsteen Hyde Park concert was announced and tickets went on sale a week ago. All gone obviously. Although I could get to some semi-VIP spot for 800 pounds but I am not nearly that desperate.

[grumbler]

I didn't look this up but did English exist in any form when Jesus was alive?

God and Jesus spoke English.  No one else until much later.

[The Minsky Moment]

He had to speak English, his Latin grammar was terrible.

[grumbler]

He had to speak English, his Latin grammar was terrible.

His Hebrew was worse.  He kept saying "smite" when he meant "smile."

[Josquius]

I didn't look this up but did English exist in any form when Jesus was alive?

Germans (ancient meaning of the word) existed for sure. And iirc its believed the languages had split by that time. Though they didn't really right and the old English speakers were hidden away in Denmark far from civilization so... Seems one that is impossible to know for sure.

[Tamas]

I didn't look this up but did English exist in any form when Jesus was alive?

Germans (ancient meaning of the word) existed for sure. And iirc its believed the languages had split by that time. Though they didn't really right and the old English speakers were hidden away in Denmark far from civilization so... Seems one that is impossible to know for sure.

I don't think there is any basis to speak of an English language ignoring the French influence. I mean heck, if you compare written American English and English English, the latter looks like a French guy was trying to figure out how to write English words.

[crazy canuck]

I didn't look this up but did English exist in any form when Jesus was alive?

Germans (ancient meaning of the word) existed for sure. And iirc its believed the languages had split by that time. Though they didn't really right and the old English speakers were hidden away in Denmark far from civilization so... Seems one that is impossible to know for sure.

I don't think there is any basis to speak of an English language ignoring the French influence. I mean heck, if you compare written American English and English English, the latter looks like a French guy was trying to figure out how to write English words.

If American English is what we are talking about then yeah, it didn't exist until after the colonization of the Americas.

[Sheilbh]

I don't think there is any basis to speak of an English language ignoring the French influence. I mean heck, if you compare written American English and English English, the latter looks like a French guy was trying to figure out how to write English words.

I think there's something to that. If you speak English now, then you can read Middle English with a little bit of a vocab crib. You need to learn different grammar and a fair bit of different vocabulary to read Old English.

The impact of the Norman conquest and then French language is really important in making English, English. I also think Norse is key - it gives really basic words in English - but it also shifts English from a language that's based on conjugation and compounds to one that's basically about word order. My understanding is that in part it's a simplification for both the Norse speakers and the Old English/Anglo-Saxon speakers - maybe a development that's a bit like trade languages like Indonesian or Swahili.

[Josquius]

Fuck I feel old today.
Walking in Amsterdam I decide to go down the famous prostitute Street. It is a nice street I recall, ignoring the whores, and it's a nostalgic walk with uni at the top of the street.
It is the middle of the day... And zero prostitutes on duty.
I comment on this and a passing local says yeah, the girls don't like to be out during the day. I mention back when I lived here 15 years ago there were often many at all hours- local says but now everyone has camera phones.
True. It was a different age....

This does make me wonder whether the window thing is even really done that much even at night. After covid especially.
I mean, isn't it basically just tinder for prostitutes before there was actual tinder or I presume a prostitute only version which surely exists?
Has this gone the way of the flower  auction clock?

[Razgovory]

You hang out in weird places.

[grumbler]

If American English is what we are talking about then yeah, it didn't exist until after the colonization of the Americas. work of Noah Webster.

He consciously created new spellings for "Frenchified" words like draft for draught, mold for mould, jail for gaol.  He'd have ben appalled, though, over the bizarre "aluminum" for "aluminium."  Ditto if someone had tried to push sodum or radum.

[crazy canuck]

If American English is what we are talking about then yeah, it didn't exist until after the colonization of the Americas. work of Noah Webster.

He consciously created new spellings for "Frenchified" words like draft for draught, mold for mould, jail for gaol.  He'd have ben appalled, though, over the bizarre "aluminum" for "aluminium."  Ditto if someone had tried to push sodum or radum.

Ah, so he is to blame for why you folks don't spell colour properly 

I didn't know that.

[Jacob]

He consciously created new spellings for "Frenchified" words like draft for draught, mold for mould, jail for gaol.  He'd have ben appalled, though, over the bizarre "aluminum" for "aluminium."  Ditto if someone had tried to push sodum or radum.

Sodum? That sounds so dumb.

[PDH]

I thought Webster used the "aluminum" spelling...