Perplexed by the English Language.
If anyone has ever read “The DiVinci Code”, they stated that English is the language of science and math. My first ever Xanga post was about how we (the American public) kill the English language. Well, what about the other point of view; how the English language is so stupid and easy to kill?
What scientist or mathematician would think to make a language which is without consistency? Let me start with a few small examples:
Plural forms…
The plural for more than one mouse is mice. The plural for more than one house is… houses.
The plural for can is cans. The plural for man is men.
Goose is geese and moose is moose (this one really get my goats).
Not even Latin rooted words are immune… cactus plural is cacti, but bonus is bonuses.
I could go on for days about plural forms; but I am typing and that would make my fingers sore. They may have the same spelling and pronunciation, but the plural form differs from word to word. Goose and moose are both nouns, both animals, both with the same pronunciation. So why in the world would they be spelled different?
Pronunciation or heteronyms…
One of my favorites is Lead. Lead LEED- to guide; LED- a metallic element.
How about Pussy (get your head out of the gutter), Pussy PUHSee- having pus; POOHSee; a kitten.
How about Sow SOUW- a pig; SO- to plant seed?
How confusing is the sentence, “I have a tear?” Tear TARE- to rip, a rip; TEER- fluid in eye.
How many times do you read a book and come across a word you are not sure about or you have sounded it out only to find out that the pronunciation is incorrect?
Common pronunciation mistakes…
Corps pronounced KOR-. The United States Marine Corps. A corpse KORPS- is a dead body. I don’t think the Marines want you to call them all dead.
An omen OH-MEN- is a prophetic sign. An Amen AH-MEN- is the Egyptian god of life and reproduction, represented as a man with a ram's head, and an amen AE-MEN- or AH-MEN- is used at the end of a prayer.
Other grammatical mistakes
Duct tape is a tape commonly sold in hardware stores was created to mend and repair ventilation ducts (although I have about 15,000 other purposes for it). Duck tape is either medical tape designed for the water fowl (not foul), or is tape made from duck skin.
Jury-Rig (one of my pet peeves) is to assemble with duct tape until you can truly fix it. There is no such thing as Gerry-rig.
This brings me to my point (as I always have one), Why don’t we just create the American Language? Do you know that America does not have a national language? Some states have languages, but the U.S. as whole does not. When we make this language, let’s take part of the English we already know and convert it to make sense. Let’s make a pig, a pig and not a sow. A great majority of the United States already speaks English so converting to American would not be too much of a stretch.
The reason the American government did not adopt a national language in the past was for the “respect” for the immigrants and to bring more people from other countries into the U.S. without requiring them to learn a new language. Now we have customs processes, schools that the primary mission is to teach English as a second language, and pocket translators. I think it is time.
In Lakota Sioux, Hau/Han, hinhani kin wacin yakin kte. For all you English speakers that means, OK, I will see you tomorrow.
What scientist or mathematician would think to make a language which is without consistency? Let me start with a few small examples:
Plural forms…
The plural for more than one mouse is mice. The plural for more than one house is… houses.
The plural for can is cans. The plural for man is men.
Goose is geese and moose is moose (this one really get my goats).
Not even Latin rooted words are immune… cactus plural is cacti, but bonus is bonuses.
I could go on for days about plural forms; but I am typing and that would make my fingers sore. They may have the same spelling and pronunciation, but the plural form differs from word to word. Goose and moose are both nouns, both animals, both with the same pronunciation. So why in the world would they be spelled different?
Pronunciation or heteronyms…
One of my favorites is Lead. Lead LEED- to guide; LED- a metallic element.
How about Pussy (get your head out of the gutter), Pussy PUHSee- having pus; POOHSee; a kitten.
How about Sow SOUW- a pig; SO- to plant seed?
How confusing is the sentence, “I have a tear?” Tear TARE- to rip, a rip; TEER- fluid in eye.
How many times do you read a book and come across a word you are not sure about or you have sounded it out only to find out that the pronunciation is incorrect?
Common pronunciation mistakes…
Corps pronounced KOR-. The United States Marine Corps. A corpse KORPS- is a dead body. I don’t think the Marines want you to call them all dead.
An omen OH-MEN- is a prophetic sign. An Amen AH-MEN- is the Egyptian god of life and reproduction, represented as a man with a ram's head, and an amen AE-MEN- or AH-MEN- is used at the end of a prayer.
Other grammatical mistakes
Duct tape is a tape commonly sold in hardware stores was created to mend and repair ventilation ducts (although I have about 15,000 other purposes for it). Duck tape is either medical tape designed for the water fowl (not foul), or is tape made from duck skin.
Jury-Rig (one of my pet peeves) is to assemble with duct tape until you can truly fix it. There is no such thing as Gerry-rig.
This brings me to my point (as I always have one), Why don’t we just create the American Language? Do you know that America does not have a national language? Some states have languages, but the U.S. as whole does not. When we make this language, let’s take part of the English we already know and convert it to make sense. Let’s make a pig, a pig and not a sow. A great majority of the United States already speaks English so converting to American would not be too much of a stretch.
The reason the American government did not adopt a national language in the past was for the “respect” for the immigrants and to bring more people from other countries into the U.S. without requiring them to learn a new language. Now we have customs processes, schools that the primary mission is to teach English as a second language, and pocket translators. I think it is time.
In Lakota Sioux, Hau/Han, hinhani kin wacin yakin kte. For all you English speakers that means, OK, I will see you tomorrow.
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