English please. hold the Latin.

[Redeyedwolfking]

Awhile ago, I came across something called Anglish. Anglish is a purified form of English that limits its use of words to those of Germanic (native) origin. I paid no mind to this until I realized just how much of our lexicon is made up of loan words from Latin via French, (far more than native words). Over the years, native words have been replaced countless times by fanciful latinate words, probably by people trying to sound smart, but only making the language more confusing. why hydrogen, and not waterstuff? why dictionary, and not wordbook? building words would be so much simpler without Latin or Greek. I also think there is a certain beauty in language purism. When I hear a Japanese speaker use English words for example, it sounds as if these words don't belong. As an ode to my native language I have translated an article from English into Anglish. 100% of the words within are Germanic. For comparison purposes, I have also translated an article entirely made up of latinate borrowings (with the exception of the words, as, the, in, and, was, a, an, at, on, to, and are). Also, there is at least one Greek loan in there. This is a paragraph about modern English, taken from a Wikipedia article. All of the words and grammar I use, exist in English today. I tried to make it as coherent as possible. It was loads of fun thinking of ways to write it! Newfangled English, sometimes reckoned to be the first worldwide tongue, is the chosen tongue of many businesses and great thinkers who work between lands, as well as amongst those skyward. The spread of English began with the growth of the British kingdom. Nearly nineteen hundred years after the birth of the one who treads upon water, its reach was truly worldwide. Following British folk drifting to the new world, English has outshined other tongues in both Southern and Northern halves of the New World. The swelling thriftiness and sway of the westerners way of life, as well as their rise in rank after the last great clash have hastened the spread of English across land stretches. A knack for the English Tongue is needful in many livelihoods such as drug craft and spark work. In the wake of this want, many folk have at least a slight grasp of the English Tongue. It is also one of six acknowledged tongues in the bond of lands. David Crystal, Speech lore thinker, taking heed to the billowing of English, says that like other worldwide spoken tongues, it has dwindled speech unlikeness in many shares of the earth, namely in the new world and far eastern lands. English’s great ongoing sway on other tongues plays a pithy bit in the grinding down of word laws. likewise, thinkers of bygone speech lore, aware of the knotty and restless inner workings of speech, are forever heedful of English’s might, through its broad reach and sundry kinds, to yield a new flock of tongues. This is the same article translated into Latinate English. Though it is impossible to completely romance English, I did far better than I thought I would. Ironically, it was far easier to write English using loan words than it was to write it using native words. Sorry if its not very coherent. Modern Anglo-Saxon, occasionally described as the initial lingua franca, exists as the dominant language utilized (periodically mandatory) in multiple instances, including, international corporations, science, and aviation. Dissemination of Anglo-Saxon inaugurated during the expansion of the United Empire. Antecedent to the second millennium, Anglo-Saxon was a globally employed language. Migration of persons facing religious persecution to America effectuated Anglo-Saxon as the national language in the United States and Canada. Accelerating American economic, and cultural influence plus the second international war ensuing a subsequent apotheoses of the United States, maintain Anglo-Saxon’s eminence, supplanting the presence of coexisting languages. Several professions require a proficiency in Anglo-Saxon, including careers in medicine and computing, Consequently a large portion of the planet’s population, discourse at a basic level in Anglo-Saxon, an official language of the United Nations. Linguist, David Crystal, recognizing the extraordinary aggrandizement of Anglo-Saxon, emphasizes Anglo-Saxon’s tendency to reduce native linguistic diversity on multiple continents, particularly in Asia and the polar facing continent of the Americas. Anglo-Saxon’s persistent influence on contemporary languages instigates language attrition. Similarly, historical linguists, cognizant of the complex and fluid dynamics of language, are invariably conscious of a potential, due to the huge expansion and multifarious dialects of Anglo-Saxon, to produce an original family of languages.

[SkA_DaRk_Che]

I don't necessarily see it as a bad thing. Because of our extensive borrowing of foreign vocabulary we have perhaps one of the best languages on earth with which to express our ideas. Many words in this language have for instance two other counterparts one of French or latin origin, and the other derived from another germanic language. These words might be very similar in meaning but each one perhaps has a different nuance with which to use. So, i don't see any reason why this would be a bad thing. However, I understand that if you are of Anglo-saxon origin, there might be a bit of nostalgia in regards to linguistical purism . On the other hand, I think English might be one of the most unique languages in the world in this respect, because most of our vocabulary is derived from non-native sources like latin via french and greek and so on. The only other language that i am aware of that has this amount of insertions from other languages is Maltese. Maltese is in essence a semitic language with its origin in maghrebi arabic. Nonetheless, most of its vocabulary is Italian and English in origin. Thus it is a Semitic language with a mostly latin derived vocabulary. Also i have heard claims from North Africans who say that their national languages have mostly non-arab vocabulary, largely from french and spanish. This would not be surprising considering these people are not arabs in an ethnic sense .

[Invader]

Very insightful post. I wasn't aware of the extent to which non-native English words were used in everyday speech. I suppose it's ironic too then that using the word 'tongue' in place of 'language' sounds rather exotic. Are you currently studying language?

[Redeyedwolfking]

I don't necessarily see it as a bad thing. Because of our extensive borrowing of foreign vocabulary we have perhaps one of the best languages on earth with which to express our ideas. You're right, it's not a bad thing. However, I think it would be easier to learn and remember technical vocabulary, when you know the roots. Albeit, I'm doing this more too prove a point about English than anything else. Very insightful post. I wasn't aware of the extent to which non-native English words were used in everyday speech. I suppose it's ironic too then that using the word 'tongue' in place of 'language' sounds rather exotic. Are you currently studying language? I have a strong interest in language. I have studied language a bit on my own, just for fun. I think Anglish does have a very different feeling to it than a text full of Latin borrowings. Latin words have always sounded euphemistic and politically correct in a sense, while Germanic words sound very honest and old fashioned.

[Odd_Nonposter]

The Germanic text sounds rather archaic and unsophisticated to me. A couple of the more modern things said in there really don't translate well, like "spark-work" for "computing." "Spark-work" gives me more of an image of an electrician rather than somebody working in electronics. It sounds more direct and upfront than the latin work, for example, "speech lore thinker" instead of "linguist." The Greco-Latin derived passage seems more snobbish and pretentious than the other one, however, it sounds more specific when referring to modern subjects, like computing. One of the great things about English is that it adapts very quickly when something new pops up. English never met a word it didn't like. If another culture has something that can't be explained with English's present vocabulary, English just steals their word for it.