The complications of English

a short etymology & possible predicaments

Foreign language influence in English

French influence

Examples:• apartment (appartement)• beauty (beauté) • curfew (couvre-feu )

German influence

Examples:• zeitgeist (Zeitgeist = spirit of the age)• kindergarden (Kindergarten) • angst (Angst)

… and we thought it was English

bicycle• Bi (Latin): two• kyclos: (Greek): wheel

Latin expressions & phrases

• etc. (et cetera) • i.e. (id est)• e. g. (exampli gratia)• N.B. (nota bene)

other languages

• robot (Czech: robota) • mother (Sanskrit: मा�तृ� )• alcohol: (Arabic: - الكحول ( لغول• congee: (Tamil: kanji)• silk (Chinese: 絲 )• manga (Japanese: まんが ; )• ski (Norse: skíð)

It’s a Germanic language

Aggravations of grammar

• Tenses– Alex eats pizza. (of course, he likes it)– Alex is eating pizza. (unfortunately not)– Alex has eaten pizza. (he knows what it tastes like)– Alex ate pizza yesterday. (no leftovers!)– Alex had eaten pizza. (before he ate spaghetti) – Alex is eating pizza tonight. (he has a date)– Alex is going to eat pizza. (no matter what)– Alex will eat pizza. (perhaps he won’t)

Aggravations of grammar

• Cases– I eat my pizza with you.– You eat his pizza with him.– We eat their pizza with her.– She eats your pizza with them.

Aggravations of grammar

• Subject – verb agreement– The price of these jeans (is/are) ok.– The books borrowed from the library (is/are) on

my desk.– The quality of the candies (is/are) good.– The famous singer and composer (has/have)

arrived. – Neither his father nor his mother (play/plays)

tennis.

• The farm was used to produce produce.• The soldier decided to desert his dessert in

the desert.

interpretations

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. They were too close to the door to close it.

… it can get really silly.

• Boxing rings are usually square.• A vegetarian eats vegetables; but what does a

humanitarian eat?• We ship by truck and train but we send cargo

by ship.• Houses burn up when they burn down and

trees are fallen by cutting them up.• It’s a bright night when the stars are out but it

really gets dark when the lights are out.

• The committee were unable to decide (BrE)• The committee was unable to decide (AmE)

• She learnt French in Paris. (BrE)• She learned French in Paris (AmE)

• truck / lorry -- hood / bonnet – trunk /boot

Which English?

remember….

• Don’t give up.• Ask, ask, ask, ask, ask, ask, ask, and ask once

more• Native speakers also make mistakes.• Main objective: to get your point across.