▲ 658 ▼ Are we just making up language rules as we go? (lemmy.world) submitted 2 days ago by The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world [M] to c/memes@lemmy.world 117 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] valar@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 days ago (2 children) Cuz the prefix "in-" can mean both "not" (as in invalid) and "to cause to be" (as in indebted) permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 13 points 2 days ago (4 children) But why? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 8 child comments replies: [–] harmbugler@piefed.social 9 points 2 days ago Yes. permalink fedilink source parent [–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 child) Romantic words were incorporated differently into other languages as the Roman Empire's influence spread. Words like inflammable have more direct Latin roots than words like indebt. So where Inflammable comes directy from the latin inflammo, indebt came from old French and middle English, going from something like endetter and endetten, using the root word dete and dette, but stemming from the root Latin word, debitum. Then en became in at some point. That's how I understood it anyway through a very short amount of google searching. Anyone feel free to correct me. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 1 point 22 hours ago (1 child) As a French-speaker, it has always been my instinctual understanding from seeing the word and knowing how English has taken words from Latin and French. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 1 point 16 hours ago I just wish they'd taught it as a skill when I took languages in school. Reading became sooooo much easier once I understood. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 child) Because modern English is a combination of ancient Celtic languages with the various languages of the British Isles's numerous populators and conquering forces across history, including but not limited to: Latin, German, Norse, and French. And spelling wasn't really standardized until the printing press was invented, due in part to class stratification. But that's another story lol. Suffice it to say, it's more than a bit of a hodgepodge and you just gotta take it for what it is. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 1 point 22 hours ago (3 children) What words come from Celtic languages? I thought it was all Germanic with Latin and French words being borrowed later. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 1 point 1 day ago Where the words come from. Remember: English is many languages in a trench coat, not really its own set of hard rules. Hell, even languages with hard rules like Japanese have some exceptions even without the modern trend of borrowing words from other languages! permalink fedilink source parent [–] ParadoxSeahorse@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 child) In French you can say ininflammable permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Scrollone@feddit.it 1 point 1 day ago Also in Italian: infiammabile permalink fedilink source parent
[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 13 points 2 days ago (4 children) But why? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 8 child comments replies: [–] harmbugler@piefed.social 9 points 2 days ago Yes. permalink fedilink source parent [–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 child) Romantic words were incorporated differently into other languages as the Roman Empire's influence spread. Words like inflammable have more direct Latin roots than words like indebt. So where Inflammable comes directy from the latin inflammo, indebt came from old French and middle English, going from something like endetter and endetten, using the root word dete and dette, but stemming from the root Latin word, debitum. Then en became in at some point. That's how I understood it anyway through a very short amount of google searching. Anyone feel free to correct me. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 1 point 22 hours ago (1 child) As a French-speaker, it has always been my instinctual understanding from seeing the word and knowing how English has taken words from Latin and French. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 1 point 16 hours ago I just wish they'd taught it as a skill when I took languages in school. Reading became sooooo much easier once I understood. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 child) Because modern English is a combination of ancient Celtic languages with the various languages of the British Isles's numerous populators and conquering forces across history, including but not limited to: Latin, German, Norse, and French. And spelling wasn't really standardized until the printing press was invented, due in part to class stratification. But that's another story lol. Suffice it to say, it's more than a bit of a hodgepodge and you just gotta take it for what it is. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 1 point 22 hours ago (3 children) What words come from Celtic languages? I thought it was all Germanic with Latin and French words being borrowed later. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 1 point 1 day ago Where the words come from. Remember: English is many languages in a trench coat, not really its own set of hard rules. Hell, even languages with hard rules like Japanese have some exceptions even without the modern trend of borrowing words from other languages! permalink fedilink source parent
[–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 child) Romantic words were incorporated differently into other languages as the Roman Empire's influence spread. Words like inflammable have more direct Latin roots than words like indebt. So where Inflammable comes directy from the latin inflammo, indebt came from old French and middle English, going from something like endetter and endetten, using the root word dete and dette, but stemming from the root Latin word, debitum. Then en became in at some point. That's how I understood it anyway through a very short amount of google searching. Anyone feel free to correct me. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 1 point 22 hours ago (1 child) As a French-speaker, it has always been my instinctual understanding from seeing the word and knowing how English has taken words from Latin and French. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 1 point 16 hours ago I just wish they'd taught it as a skill when I took languages in school. Reading became sooooo much easier once I understood. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 1 point 22 hours ago (1 child) As a French-speaker, it has always been my instinctual understanding from seeing the word and knowing how English has taken words from Latin and French. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 1 point 16 hours ago I just wish they'd taught it as a skill when I took languages in school. Reading became sooooo much easier once I understood. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 1 point 16 hours ago I just wish they'd taught it as a skill when I took languages in school. Reading became sooooo much easier once I understood. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 child) Because modern English is a combination of ancient Celtic languages with the various languages of the British Isles's numerous populators and conquering forces across history, including but not limited to: Latin, German, Norse, and French. And spelling wasn't really standardized until the printing press was invented, due in part to class stratification. But that's another story lol. Suffice it to say, it's more than a bit of a hodgepodge and you just gotta take it for what it is. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 1 point 22 hours ago (3 children) What words come from Celtic languages? I thought it was all Germanic with Latin and French words being borrowed later. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 1 point 22 hours ago (3 children) What words come from Celtic languages? I thought it was all Germanic with Latin and French words being borrowed later. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent [–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 point 19 hours ago You won't be too surprised by some of them actually: bog, bourbon, druid, shamrock, corgi, whiskey, crumpet. Others you'll find here have more circuitous routes where maybe just one phoneme stems from old Gaelic or something, into Latin, into Germanic or Old French, then into Old English, like "ambassador." I'm guessing most of the really Celtic words are used in the British Isles more than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 1 point 1 day ago Where the words come from. Remember: English is many languages in a trench coat, not really its own set of hard rules. Hell, even languages with hard rules like Japanese have some exceptions even without the modern trend of borrowing words from other languages! permalink fedilink source parent
[–] ParadoxSeahorse@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 child) In French you can say ininflammable permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Scrollone@feddit.it 1 point 1 day ago Also in Italian: infiammabile permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 1 point 1 day ago Also in Italian: infiammabile permalink fedilink source parent