Pages: 1 2  Next -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:12 am on July 6, 2009 i'm not sure how many other languages do this, but my suspicion is many. what i don't understand is why, in english, the words for car door and house door are the same.  the same goes for windows.  a window is a window.  a door is a door. go to french, for example, and there are at least two different words for window and door depending on the kind car door: portier house door: porte car window: vitre house window: fenêtre they aren't the same thing at all.  they serve the same purpose, so in essence, i suppose they are very similar, but they look nothing a like, and function differently. it would only make sense, to me, that there would be two different words-- at least. anyone ever noticed this? -- Posted by IceTeaEdwin at 9:12 am on July 6, 2009 Huh? -- Posted by Eos at 9:13 am on July 6, 2009 I've never really thought about it. -- Posted by The Persuader at 9:14 am on July 6, 2009 Yeah. i know a lot of languages. and they're so diffrent -- Posted by Live Just To Die at 9:14 am on July 6, 2009 I've noticed that. I got in an argument with a preacher about lust. He said it's still love... and he was going on about different greek words for love and how each one was different... -- Posted by fizzle123 at 9:14 am on July 6, 2009 Because the tenses are different. we have the most simple languagen, but I could rip the americans to shreads now. In English why do americans call colour, color, or mum mom. -- Posted by allsmiles at 9:15 am on July 6, 2009 English just tends to keep the distinction from basic purpose in separate words. It's more logical if you ask me. -- Posted by 4est at 9:16 am on July 6, 2009 Actually, if you think about it, English just does it differently. If you're at the mall with your friends and you say "I spent all morning cleaning my windows" they don't know whether that is the window of your home or of your car. So you say "I spent all morning cleaning my car windows." (or, if it was your house, you'd probably just say 'windows'). The only time you generally say windows is if you're IN the car, you say "Roll down the window" or "clean that window, i can't see shit." So, english just uses a two word combination to specify for car windows. I agree that English is more efficient because 50% of the time you just say Window... but both work. -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:16 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from fizzle123 at 12:14 pm on July 6, 2009 Because the tenses are different. we have the most simple languagen, but I could rip the americans to shreads now. In English why do americans call colour, color, or mum mom. those are differences in spelling, dear.  the words "vitre" and "fenêtre" mean two different things. -- Posted by Panic Of The System at 9:16 am on July 6, 2009 Well you just say the house window, or the car window. English is sort of a dumb medley of a lot of languages. -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:17 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:16 pm on July 6, 2009 Actually, if you think about it, English just does it differently.   If you're at the mall with your friends and you say "I spent all morning cleaning my windows" they don't know whether that is the window of your home or of your car. So you say "I spent all morning cleaning my car windows." (or, if it was your house, you'd probably just say 'windows').   The only time you generally say windows is if you're IN the car, you say "Roll down the window" or "clean that window, i can't see shit." So, english just uses a two word combination to specify for car windows. I agree that English is more efficient because 50% of the time you just say Window... but both work. but they are two different things.  this is my point. why would you want to have to clarify?  english isn't doing it in a different way.  it's not really doing it at all.   i just think that having two separate words makes it so you don't have to clarify at all, meaning more efficient. -- Posted by marshmellowman at 9:18 am on July 6, 2009 In Hungarian door is ajtó, and window is ablak, we make no distinction between car doors or house doors, other than actually specifying it beforehand like in English. In that sense it's similar. However English has plenty of nuances and irregularities that don't make 'sense'. -- Posted by RIMHfire at 9:19 am on July 6, 2009 Every other language is just complicated compared to English. -- Posted by Catalyst11 at 9:20 am on July 6, 2009 Because in English, the way of telling different objects, like Car Door, or House door is by using the words before it. In French, the prefix Port, is what makes you know that it's a door, then the suffixes, ier, and e let you know what the door is for. If this helps, it's just a different arrangement of the words. -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:21 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from Live Just To Die at 12:14 pm on July 6, 2009 I've noticed that. I got in an argument with a preacher about lust. He said it's still love... and he was going on about different greek words for love and how each one was different... exactly like this.  they're two different things, so why use the same word?  there are plenty of other things like this in french, and the verbs for to love are like that too.   i feel like it makes the language deeper in some instances.  english can be so superficial. the fact is, although there are word differences like this in french, and other romance languages, that differentiate between two somewhat similar things, english has 988,968 words.  french? roughly 35,000.  i can't see how english can be more "efficient." -- Posted by LiveForeverDieTonite at 9:22 am on July 6, 2009 I notice it in portuguese too. -- Posted by 4est at 9:24 am on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language. -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language. it was just an observation.  and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from Catalyst11 at 12:20 pm on July 6, 2009 Because in English, the way of telling different objects, like Car Door, or House door is by using the words before it.  In French, the prefix Port, is what makes you know that it's a door, then the suffixes, ier, and e let you know what the door is for. If this helps, it's just a different arrangement of the words. how do you explain window -- Posted by 4est at 9:26 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language. it was just an observation. and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door Are you able to communicate in English when you need to, successfully, without frequently encountering an object or emotion which has no word to adequately describe it? -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:26 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:26 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language.    it was just an observation.  and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door Are you able to communicate in English when you need to, successfully, without frequently encountering an object or emotion which has no word to adequately describe it? many times, no.   -- Posted by 4est at 9:34 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:26 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:26 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language.     it was just an observation.  and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door Are you able to communicate in English when you need to, successfully, without frequently encountering an object or emotion which has no word to adequately describe it?   many times, no.   Then you're either a dumbass with a small vocabulary or a very deep complex individual who will never find a partner who will truly understand them. In either event, I challenge the notion that there is an object that cannot be named or described with English and that there is an emotion which cannot be described with a series of english words. There are plenty of emotions that are not as cookie cutter as sad, happy, angry, disappointed, etc. but those can be described with longer, more indepth descriptions. -- Posted by Catalyst11 at 9:36 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from Catalyst11 at 12:20 pm on July 6, 2009 Because in English, the way of telling different objects, like Car Door, or House door is by using the words before it. In French, the prefix Port, is what makes you know that it's a door, then the suffixes, ier, and e let you know what the door is for. If this helps, it's just a different arrangement of the words. how do you explain window What are the different words for window? I don't know french. -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:37 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:34 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:26 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:26 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language.       it was just an observation.  and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door   Are you able to communicate in English when you need to, successfully, without frequently encountering an object or emotion which has no word to adequately describe it?    many times, no.   Then you're either a dumbass with a small vocabulary or a very deep complex individual who will never find a partner who will truly understand them. thank you for giving me two very insulting options. i wasn't "hating on" your language or anything of the sort.  it is a valid observation.  no, i do not have a small vocabulary.  in fact, i knew english before french, and can be very precise and succinct in english with some subjects.  others though take different words-- ones the english vocabulary doesn't quite get into. unless you have experienced this first hand, i'm not sure you could really understand what i'm talking about. -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:39 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from Catalyst11 at 12:36 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from Catalyst11 at 12:20 pm on July 6, 2009 Because in English, the way of telling different objects, like Car Door, or House door is by using the words before it.  In French, the prefix Port, is what makes you know that it's a door, then the suffixes, ier, and e let you know what the door is for. If this helps, it's just a different arrangement of the words.    how do you explain window What are the different words for window? I don't know french. look at the op -- Posted by 4est at 9:49 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:37 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:34 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:26 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:26 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language.    it was just an observation. and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door       Are you able to communicate in English when you need to, successfully, without frequently encountering an object or emotion which has no word to adequately describe it?   many times, no. Then you're either a dumbass with a small vocabulary or a very deep complex individual who will never find a partner who will truly understand them. thank you for giving me two very insulting options.   i wasn't "hating on" your language or anything of the sort. it is a valid observation. no, i do not have a small vocabulary. in fact, i knew english before french, and can be very precise and succinct in english with some subjects. others though take different words-- ones the english vocabulary doesn't quite get into. unless you have experienced this first hand, i'm not sure you could really understand what i'm talking about. I can guarantee you that there is an adequate string of words in the English language to describe whatever you're feeling. -- Posted by katkatkat at 9:52 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:49 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:37 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:34 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:26 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:26 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language.           it was just an observation.  and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door    Are you able to communicate in English when you need to, successfully, without frequently encountering an object or emotion which has no word to adequately describe it?       many times, no.   Then you're either a dumbass with a small vocabulary or a very deep complex individual who will never find a partner who will truly understand them.    thank you for giving me two very insulting options.  i wasn't "hating on" your language or anything of the sort.  it is a valid observation.  no, i do not have a small vocabulary.  in fact, i knew english before french, and can be very precise and succinct in english with some subjects.  others though take different words-- ones the english vocabulary doesn't quite get into.    unless you have experienced this first hand, i'm not sure you could really understand what i'm talking about. I can guarantee you that there is an adequate string of words in the English language to describe whatever you're feeling. i never said there wasn't.  i said sometimes, there are things in french, and spanish also, come to think of it, that don't match up properly in another language.  it happens far more frequently going from french to english than it does going from english to french, and it isn't that there isn't an adequate string of words to describe what's going on.  it's that the words, many times, because english isn't as succinct as french is, come in bundles of six or seven- especially as far as emotions go- when in french there is often one simple word to describe it. window and door were the two most blatant and simple examples.   -- Posted by 4est at 9:58 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:52 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:49 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:37 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:34 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:26 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:26 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language.     it was just an observation. and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door           Are you able to communicate in English when you need to, successfully, without frequently encountering an object or emotion which has no word to adequately describe it?    many times, no. Then you're either a dumbass with a small vocabulary or a very deep complex individual who will never find a partner who will truly understand them.   thank you for giving me two very insulting options.       i wasn't "hating on" your language or anything of the sort. it is a valid observation. no, i do not have a small vocabulary. in fact, i knew english before french, and can be very precise and succinct in english with some subjects. others though take different words-- ones the english vocabulary doesn't quite get into.   unless you have experienced this first hand, i'm not sure you could really understand what i'm talking about. I can guarantee you that there is an adequate string of words in the English language to describe whatever you're feeling. i never said there wasn't. i said sometimes, there are things in french, and spanish also, come to think of it, that don't match up properly in another language. it happens far more frequently going from french to english than it does going from english to french, and it isn't that there isn't an adequate string of words to describe what's going on. it's that the words, many times, because english isn't as succinct as french is, come in bundles of six or seven- especially as far as emotions go- when in french there is often one simple word to describe it.   window and door were the two most blatant and simple examples. One could argue that by using the 'bundle of six or seven words' there is more malleability to the description, providing for a better description and conveyance of the circumstance. Perhaps in a situation where there is one word in french that would require a sentence (or several) in English, the person describing the event (or object, emotion, etc) in English would end up providing a more detailed and exact representation, whereas the person describing using one word in French would be generalized by the limited description of that word. Coles notes: Perhaps by requiring longer descriptions, English is more precise. -- Posted by katkatkat at 10:02 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:58 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:52 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:49 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:37 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:34 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:26 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:26 pm on July 6, 2009 Quote: from katkatkat at 9:25 am on July 6, 2009 Quote: from 4est at 12:24 pm on July 6, 2009 I think you're nitpicking a complex and satisfactory language.              it was just an observation.  and believe it or not, it happens with more than just window and door     Are you able to communicate in English when you need to, successfully, without frequently encountering an object or emotion which has no word to adequately describe it?           many times, no.   Then you're either a dumbass with a small vocabulary or a very deep complex individual who will never find a partner who will truly understand them.       thank you for giving me two very insulting options.   i wasn't "hating on" your language or anything of the sort.  it is a valid observation.  no, i do not have a small vocabulary.  in fact, i knew english before french, and can be very precise and succinct in english with some subjects.  others though take different words-- ones the english vocabulary doesn't quite get into.       unless you have experienced this first hand, i'm not sure you could really understand what i'm talking about. I can guarantee you that there is an adequate string of words in the English language to describe whatever you're feeling.    i never said there wasn't.  i said sometimes, there are things in french, and spanish also, come to think of it, that don't match up properly in another language.  it happens far more frequently going from french to english than it does going from english to french, and it isn't that there isn't an adequate string of words to describe what's going on.  it's that the words, many times, because english isn't as succinct as french is, come in bundles of six or seven- especially as far as emotions go- when in french there is often one simple word to describe it.  window and door were the two most blatant and simple examples.   One could argue that by using the 'bundle of six or seven words' there is more malleability to the description, providing for a better description and conveyance of the circumstance. Perhaps in a situation where there is one word in french that would require a sentence (or several) in English, the person describing the event (or object, emotion, etc) in English would end up providing a more detailed and exact representation, whereas the person describing using one word in French would be generalized by the limited description of that word. Coles notes: Perhaps by requiring longer descriptions, English is more precise. the words of which i'm speaking are most succinct, and just as descriptive in the original language.  that's what i'm saying.   let's get out of french for a second.  look at this portugese word: saudade (Portuguese) - roughly, "sorrowful longing". Depending on context, can have the sense of homesickness, yearning for someone, fond remembrance, melancholy and fond memories of gone-by days, lost love, and a general feeling of unhappiness. More generally, a combination of feelings for something or someone that is not there, with you: missing, longing for, remembrance, a closeness that is no longer there. The absence may be permanent or temporary. Applicable in contexts from romantic to sentimental to physical. One can feel saudades of his/her homeland, when living abroad; saudades of a deceased person; saudades of a situation, a time, a toy, a feeling. One nuance: it is a positive-valued concept. i hardly think that that's more precise than the original word. -- Posted by 4est at 10:07 am on July 6, 2009 I think we just have to agree to disagree - in the above example, instead of seeing the benefits of being succinct, I see the possibility of a more in depth, beautiful, descriptive use of language. I almost want to make some sort of comparison to how some people don't like to be labeled as stereotypes... I might not be a good representative of my argument based on that I have a minimal grasp of French and some Baltic languages, and nothing else in the second-language department. Pages: 1 2  Next