Language fascinates me. This morning, for
whatever reason, I lay in bed thinking about verb tenses. In fact, I typed this on my Kindle Fire while lying prone and emailed it to myself, which is why this font is different than usual.
Anyway, the fact any non-English
speaking foreigner learns it is a testament to human fortitude and overall
intelligence.
Think about this...
After skiing a person skied. Mastery means something has been mastered.
Preventing a glass from being knocked over means you righted it.
If you wring out a rag it is now wrung. But a bird with contrasting feathers
around its neck is considered ringed.
What if you traveled in a car? You were either driven or you drove. What about
the fight, flight, or freeze response? That translates to having fought, flew,
or froze. Wait. In that sentence structure it would be flown and frozen.
~shakes head~
How people not immersed at birth learn to speak, let alone write this stuff is
beyond me. Now I'm exhausted. I think I'll go back to bed.
So, what are your plans today?
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Not plans other than the coffee cake I promised my family I'd make this morning, and need to get on!
ReplyDeleteIt's been very stormy, so I'm so glad I have no where to go. The far back yard is flooded/puddled beyond any floods/puddles ever before (more on that later on my blog).
I still get "hung" up on the word "hung" when the correct past tense would be "hanged!" I doubt anyone notices that particular error much these days. People have gotten sloppy.
Ooh. Coffee cake? Yum. I hope you got to make it. And let's hope Boo and Edward don't track mud in the house. :) You're so correct about sloppiness. It drives me bonkers sometimes. Be well!
DeleteI love these too. Always makes my head hurt though. Those trying to learn English are in for some difficult work.
ReplyDeleteWe're enjoying a nice quiet Sunday. Just the way we like it. Well there is supposed to be a windy, wet storm blowing through later today.
Have a fabulous Sunday, Darla. Big hug. ♥
A quiet day is my favorite sort! Be well, my dear.
DeleteVery good points. I have only studied French other than English and it seems to make more sense.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! And thanks for the kind word.
DeleteI'm not sure language needs to make sense for it to come into use. Maybe that's why many languages seem difficult, over time, and nonsensical.
ReplyDeleteGood point! So much of it all is historical nonsense. :)
DeleteWell being born into this language is not so hard, although I have been told I can't even speak English! LOL, I sort of come up with whatever when talking, I stumble over words etc. But Spanish is so had to speak. I really butchered that language!
ReplyDeleteI took Spanish in high school and got really stuck on the tenses. ~grin~ But speaking English is much harder for me than writing it. Heh... Be well!
DeleteOh, don't even get me started. I think my favorites are contranyms and these beauties. The shipping ships: https://imgur.com/gallery/pB0VXKq (read the caption) and the buffalo sentence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know what a contranym was before now. ~blush~ And thank you for sharing. I'd seen the ship, but never heard of that sentence before. Too funny! You're a gem, my dear.
DeleteI love words too. The different pronunciations always get me. Like "ough" which can be as in tough, ought, plough, cough, though etc. Language is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteAround My Kitchen Table
That's Purrfect
Ooh. Good point. :)
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