I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all >things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large >extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be >persuaded by his argument.
Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by
all things French just on principle but this video actually makes a
pretty good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French
to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be >persuaded by his argument.
Of course it is. The Norman invasion turned English into the
international language that it is, with about 45% words with Latin
roots. Thereafter, English borrowed any word from any language it
needed. Didn't make the spelling work too good.
In the nineteenth century, French scholars threw out their loan words
and purified the language, making it useless as an international
language.
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 02:41:46 -0000 (UTC) Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote: >>Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by
all things French just on principle but this video actually makes a >>>pretty good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French
to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be >>>persuaded by his argument.
Of course it is. The Norman invasion turned English into the
international language that it is, with about 45% words with Latin
roots. Thereafter, English borrowed any word from any language it
needed. Didn't make the spelling work too good.
In the nineteenth century, French scholars threw out their loan words
and purified the language, making it useless as an international
language.
French was the court language of many monarchies, including the Russian
one, and also the language of diplomacy until WW I. But it certainly
wasn't widely spoken by the masses outside France and its empire.
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all >>things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large >>extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be >>persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also call
eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably dozens
of other words I can't recall now.
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be persuaded by his argument.
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all
things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large
extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'biscotte'. They also call
eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably dozens
of other words I can't recall now.
And where did marrows come from?
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all
things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large
extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also call
eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably
dozens of other words I can't recall now.
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all
things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large
extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also call
eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably
dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French, German, >Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time, but some
words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique spellings
and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating the British
rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions of words, as
well as out-dated measurement systems, that the original Pilgrims
brought with them rather than staying contemporary with *real* English.
To a much lesser extenet, there are also some different meanings (not >spellings that I can think of) for words in "Australian English" and a
few other regional variations.
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all >>> things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large >>> extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also call
eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably
dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French, German, Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time, but some
words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique spellings
and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating the British
rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions of words, as
well as out-dated measurement systems
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be persuaded by his argument.
On Sun, 31 Mar 2024 18:03:50 +1300, Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com>
wrote:
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all >>>> things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty >>>> good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large >>>> extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also call
eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably
dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French, German,
Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time, but some
words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique spellings
and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating the British
rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions of words, as
well as out-dated measurement systems, that the original Pilgrims
brought with them rather than staying contemporary with *real* English.
Though my understanding is because of the spellings and words that we
have continued to use in the USA, our form of English is closer to the English of Shakespeare than that being used in England today.
To a much lesser extent, there are also some different meanings (not
spellings that I can think of) for words in "Australian English" and a
few other regional variations.
Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all
things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large
extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
Once again, Cecil Adams had the answer:
https://www.straightdope.com/21341920/what-s-the-international-language-of-business-french-or-english
What’s the international language of business, French or English?
By Cecil Adams Aug 3, 1989, 11:00pm MST
Dear Cecil: Our high school French teacher always insisted learning French was important because it was going to become the international language of business. Now I hear English is mandatory in international aviation, and
the Chinese students in Beijing spoke English to the international media.
Was our French teacher shucking us? Merde! Les Petites, South Boston
Cecil replies:
Now, now. He/she probably just didn’t know any better. French teachers lead such empty lives as it is that no one has the heart to tell them the awful truth, which is that French is a language on the way down, not up. Once the language of diplomacy, French was used in the royal courts of Germany, Russia, and Italy during the 19th century. Fifty years ago Somerset Maugham called it “the common language of educated men” (women too, one presumes).
But it’s been in a state of decline since World War II, having long ago been supplanted by — you guessed it — English.
English is the primary language of more than 400 million people and is the second language of hundreds of millions more. It’s essential in science, technology, economics, and finance. It’s the official language of airport control towers, might as well be the official language of computer
software, and of course is vital to a perfect comprehension of MTV,
Madonna, and other pillars of modern culture. French is the primary
language of maybe 114 million, including such outposts of world commerce as Haiti, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso, and is essential chiefly to reading
menus at Le Cirque.
The French have been desperately attempting to reverse this trend. In addition to hosting international conferences of “Francophone” (French-speaking) nations, France as of 1986 was spending $750 million per year to support 20,000 French teachers in 155 countries. It also employs language police to guard against un-Gallic intrusions such as le compact-disc. But all in vain.
Not that French doesn’t have its uses. Au contraire. It remains the language of international pretension par excellence, having a certain je ne sais quoi that appeals irresistibly to the nouveaux riches. Also, let’s face it, je t’aime sounds infinitely classier than “luv ya, babe.” But French is more likely to come in handy in the intimate hours after the business meeting than during.
Cecil Adams
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all
things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large
extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also call
eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably
dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French, German, Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time, but some words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique spellings
and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating the British rule)
they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions of words, as well as out-dated measurement systems, that the original Pilgrims brought with
them rather than staying contemporary with *real* English.
To a much lesser extenet, there are also some different meanings (not spellings that I can think of) for words in "Australian English" and a
few other regional variations.
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved
by all things French just on principle but this video actually
makes a pretty good case for saying that English is
badly-pronounced French to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from
French with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you
may well be persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized
it comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also call eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably
dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French,
German, Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time, but
some words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique spellings
and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating the British
rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions of words, as
well as out-dated measurement systems, that the original Pilgrims
brought with them rather than staying contemporary with *real*
English.
To a much lesser extenet, there are also some different meanings (not spellings that I can think of) for words in "Australian English" and
a few other regional variations.
On 3/30/2024 10:03 PM, Your Name wrote:
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved
by all things French just on principle but this video actually
makes a pretty good case for saying that English is
badly-pronounced French to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from
French with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you
may well be persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized
it comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also
call eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's
probably dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French,
German, Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time,
but some words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the
original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique
spellings and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating
the British rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions
of words, as well as out-dated measurement systems, that the
original Pilgrims brought with them rather than staying
contemporary with *real* English.
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
To a much lesser extenet, there are also some different meanings
(not spellings that I can think of) for words in "Australian
English" and a few other regional variations.
Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by
all things French just on principle but this video actually makes a
pretty good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French
to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be persuaded by his argument.
Once again, Cecil Adams had the answer:
https://www.straightdope.com/21341920/what-s-the-international-language-of-business-french-or-english
What’s the international language of business, French or English?
By Cecil Adams Aug 3, 1989, 11:00pm MST
Dear Cecil: Our high school French teacher always insisted learning
French was important because it was going to become the international language of business. Now I hear English is mandatory in
international aviation, and the Chinese students in Beijing spoke
English to the international media. Was our French teacher shucking
us? Merde! Les Petites, South Boston
Cecil replies:
Now, now. He/she probably just didn’t know any better. French
teachers lead such empty lives as it is that no one has the heart to
tell them the awful truth, which is that French is a language on the
way down, not up. Once the language of diplomacy, French was used in
the royal courts of Germany, Russia, and Italy during the 19th
century. Fifty years ago Somerset Maugham called it “the common
language of educated men” (women too, one presumes). But it’s been in
a state of decline since World War II, having long ago been
supplanted by — you guessed it — English.
English is the primary language of more than 400 million people and
is the second language of hundreds of millions more. It’s essential
in science, technology, economics, and finance. It’s the official
language of airport control towers, might as well be the official
language of computer software, and of course is vital to a perfect comprehension of MTV, Madonna, and other pillars of modern culture.
French is the primary language of maybe 114 million, including such
outposts of world commerce as Haiti, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso, and
is essential chiefly to reading menus at Le Cirque.
The French have been desperately attempting to reverse this trend. In addition to hosting international conferences of “Francophone” (French-speaking) nations, France as of 1986 was spending $750
million per year to support 20,000 French teachers in 155 countries.
It also employs language police to guard against un-Gallic intrusions
such as le compact-disc. But all in vain.
Not that French doesn’t have its uses. Au contraire. It remains the language of international pretension par excellence, having a certain
je ne sais quoi that appeals irresistibly to the nouveaux riches.
Also, let’s face it, je t’aime sounds infinitely classier than “luv
ya, babe.” But French is more likely to come in handy in the intimate
hours after the business meeting than during.
Cecil Adams
On 2024-03-31 06:06:45 +0000, anim8rfsk said:
Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved
by all things French just on principle but this video actually
makes a pretty good case for saying that English is
badly-pronounced French to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from
French with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you
may well be persuaded by his argument.
Once again, Cecil Adams had the answer:
https://www.straightdope.com/21341920/what-s-the-international-language-of-business-french-or-english
What’s the international language of business, French or English?
By Cecil Adams Aug 3, 1989, 11:00pm MST
Dear Cecil: Our high school French teacher always insisted learning
French was important because it was going to become the
international language of business. Now I hear English is mandatory
in international aviation, and the Chinese students in Beijing
spoke English to the international media. Was our French teacher
shucking us? Merde! Les Petites, South Boston
French comes in at number 20 in the current list of most widely
spoken native languages. English comes in at number 3, just after
Mandarin and Spanish.
Mandarin Chinese = 941 million native speakers
Spanish = 486 million native speakers
English = 380 million native speakers
...
French = 74 million native speakers
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers>
For the astronauts, the two languages they have to know are English
and Russian, because of course all launches to the International
Space Station had to be done by Russia when the Americans dropped
stupidly discontinued the Space Shuttle without any sensible
replacement option.
Cecil replies:
Now, now. He/she probably just didn’t know any better. French
teachers lead such empty lives as it is that no one has the heart
to tell them the awful truth, which is that French is a language on
the way down, not up. Once the language of diplomacy, French was
used in the royal courts of Germany, Russia, and Italy during the
19th century. Fifty years ago Somerset Maugham called it “the
common language of educated men” (women too, one presumes). But
it’s been in a state of decline since World War II, having long ago
been supplanted by — you guessed it — English.
English is the primary language of more than 400 million people and
is the second language of hundreds of millions more. It’s essential
in science, technology, economics, and finance. It’s the official language of airport control towers, might as well be the official
language of computer software, and of course is vital to a perfect comprehension of MTV, Madonna, and other pillars of modern culture.
French is the primary language of maybe 114 million, including such outposts of world commerce as Haiti, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso,
and is essential chiefly to reading menus at Le Cirque.
The French have been desperately attempting to reverse this trend.
In addition to hosting international conferences of “Francophone” (French-speaking) nations, France as of 1986 was spending $750
million per year to support 20,000 French teachers in 155
countries. It also employs language police to guard against
un-Gallic intrusions such as le compact-disc. But all in vain.
Not that French doesn’t have its uses. Au contraire. It remains the language of international pretension par excellence, having a
certain je ne sais quoi that appeals irresistibly to the nouveaux
riches. Also, let’s face it, je t’aime sounds infinitely classier
than “luv ya, babe.” But French is more likely to come in handy in
the intimate hours after the business meeting than during.
Cecil Adams
On Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/30/2024 10:03 PM, Your Name wrote:The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved
by all things French just on principle but this video actually
makes a pretty good case for saying that English is
badly-pronounced French to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from
French with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you
may well be persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized
it comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also
call eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's
probably dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French,
German, Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time,
but some words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the
original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique
spellings and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating
the British rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions
of words, as well as out-dated measurement systems, that the
original Pilgrims brought with them rather than staying
contemporary with *real* English.
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial
measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not metric
but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either since they
aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700 suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com>:
. . .
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial >>>measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I
believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not metric
but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either since they
aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from. I was thinking smaller, like >pounds and ounces.
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700 suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com>:
. . .
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial >>>measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I >>believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not metric
but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either since they >>aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from. I was thinking smaller, like >pounds and ounces.
These were literal stones of a uniform weight used in trade, and
depending on the trade good, varied from 6 pounds to 21 pounds. They
would have been used on a balance scale.
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700 suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com>:
. . .
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial >>>measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for
weight.
The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I >>believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not
metric but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either
since they aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from. I was thinking smaller,
like pounds and ounces.
These were literal stones of a uniform weight used in trade, and
depending on the trade good, varied from 6 pounds to 21 pounds. They
would have been used on a balance scale.
Yes, they are part of the Imperial system.
Various acts of Parliament
starting in 1835 were intended to phase them out but that obviously
never happened.
As a matter of trivia, yes the British Imperial System and U.S.
Customary System use a unit of mass. It's called the slug. It's
derived from a hypthetical 1 pound force accelerating a mass by 1
ft/second squared.
Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700 suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com>:
. . .
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial >>>>>measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I >>>>believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not metric >>>>but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either since they >>>>aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from. I was thinking smaller, like >>>pounds and ounces.
These were literal stones of a uniform weight used in trade, and
depending on the trade good, varied from 6 pounds to 21 pounds. They
would have been used on a balance scale.
Is there somewhere in the British government where the official
reference stones are kept? The ones on which all official measurements
are based?
Kind of like the Zero Milestone which stands on the Ellipse, just
outside the south fenceline of the White House. It's the point from
which all official road distances in the United States are measured.
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 18:51:48 -0000 (UTC) Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com>: >>suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700 suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com>:
. . .
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial >>>>>measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for
weight.
The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I >>>>believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not
metric but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either
since they aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from. I was thinking smaller,
like pounds and ounces.
These were literal stones of a uniform weight used in trade, and
depending on the trade good, varied from 6 pounds to 21 pounds. They
would have been used on a balance scale.
I did not know that there were several different standard stones used
for different trades. Did I remember correctly that the one used to
weigh people is 14 pounds?
. . .
As a matter of trivia, yes the British Imperial System and U.S.
Customary System use a unit of mass. It's called the slug. It's
derived from a hypthetical 1 pound force accelerating a mass by 1
ft/second squared.
I've never heard of anyone actually using the slug in this way. There
is, of course, the garden creature called the slug and the round, flat, >coin-sized parts punched out of the boxes where you mount electrical
switches and outlets are sometimes called slugs (at least around here)
but those are the only two uses as a noun that I can think of, except
perhaps a rough unit of liquid, as in "take a slug of this whiskey".
I suppose the metric equivalent of a slug is what scientists actually
use.
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
On Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/30/2024 10:03 PM, Your Name wrote:
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved
by all things French just on principle but this video actually
makes a pretty good case for saying that English is
badly-pronounced French to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from
French with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you
may well be persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized
it comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also
call eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's
probably dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French,
German, Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time,
but some words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the
original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique
spellings and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating
the British rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions
of words, as well as out-dated measurement systems, that the
original Pilgrims brought with them rather than staying
contemporary with *real* English.
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial
measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I
believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not metric
but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either since they
aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from. I was thinking smaller, like pounds and ounces.
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
On Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/30/2024 10:03 PM, Your Name wrote:The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved
by all things French just on principle but this video actually
makes a pretty good case for saying that English is
badly-pronounced French to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from
French with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you
may well be persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized
it comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also
call eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's
probably dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French,
German, Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time,
but some words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the
original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique
spellings and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating
the British rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions
of words, as well as out-dated measurement systems, that the
original Pilgrims brought with them rather than staying
contemporary with *real* English.
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial
measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not metric
but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either since they
aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from.
pounds and ounces.
On 3/30/2024 10:03 PM, Your Name wrote:
On 2024-03-31 03:48:30 +0000, suzeeq said:
On 3/30/2024 7:28 PM, Rhino wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all >>>> things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty >>>> good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large >>>> extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'. They also call
eggplants 'aubergines' and zucchini 'corgettes'. There's probably
dozens of other words I can't recall now.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French, German,
Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time, but some
words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique spellings
and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating the British
rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions of words, as
well as out-dated measurement systems, that the original Pilgrims
brought with them rather than staying contemporary with *real* English.
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
On Sun, 31 Mar 2024 18:51:48 -0000 (UTC)
"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:I did not know that there were several different standard stones used
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700 suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com>:
. . .
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial
measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for
weight.
The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I
believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not
metric but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either
since they aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from. I was thinking smaller,
like pounds and ounces.
These were literal stones of a uniform weight used in trade, and
depending on the trade good, varied from 6 pounds to 21 pounds. They
would have been used on a balance scale.
for different trades. Did I remember correctly that the one used to
weigh people is 14 pounds?
. . .
True, but then things like a "gallon" still differ because the UK
gallon is based on the decimal system while the US gallon stayed with
the old system.
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by all >things French just on principle but this video actually makes a pretty
good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French to a large >extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be >persuaded by his argument.
"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
I apologize in advance to Americans who are inevitably aggrieved by
all things French just on principle but this video actually makes a
pretty good case for saying that English is badly-pronounced French
to a large extent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUL29y0vJ8Q [18 minutes]
When he explains all the English words that are borrowed from French
with only slight spelling and pronunciation changes, you may well be
persuaded by his argument.
Of course it is. The Norman invasion turned English into the
international language that it is, with about 45% words with Latin
roots. Thereafter, English borrowed any word from any language it
needed. Didn't make the spelling work too good.
In the nineteenth century, French scholars threw out their loan words
and purified the language, making it useless as an international
language.
French was the court language of many monarchies, including the Russian
one, and also the language of diplomacy until WW I.
The English language originates from a melding of many sources with
words being 'borrowed' from other languages, including French, German, >Gaelic, Celtic, etc. Some words have altered over time, but some
words (e.g. rendezvous) have stayed the same as the original.
"American English" is a sub-version that has its own unique spellings
and meanings for words. Partly because (despite hating the British
rule) they have stubbornly stuck to out-dated versions of words, as
well as out-dated measurement systems, that the original Pilgrims
brought with them rather than staying contemporary with *real* English.
I wondered why the Brits call cookies 'biscuits'. Then I realized it
comes from the French word for cookies 'bicotte'.
English is the primary language of more than 400 million people and is the >second language of hundreds of millions more. It’s essential in science, >technology, economics, and finance. It’s the official language of airport >control towers, might as well be the official language of computer software
BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com> wrote:
On 3/31/2024 10:56 AM, Rhino wrote:
Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:35:33 -0700 suzeeq <suzee@imbris.com>:
. . .
While GB officially went metric, many people still use the Imperial >>>>>> measurements, at least for linear measures, not so much for weight.
The Brits weigh themselves in "stones" not pounds or kilograms. (I
believe a stone is 14 pounds.) These stones are definitely not metric >>>>> but I'm not sure they can truly be called Imperial either since they >>>>> aren't used anywhere outside the UK, as far as I know.
Yeah, I don't know where stone comes from. I was thinking smaller, like >>>> pounds and ounces.
These were literal stones of a uniform weight used in trade, and
depending on the trade good, varied from 6 pounds to 21 pounds. They
would have been used on a balance scale.
Is there somewhere in the British government where the official
reference stones are kept? The ones on which all official measurements
are based?
Not till 1878 when they came up with a stable object made of platinum. I think it had to be kept in a vacuum but I haven't read about it in a
long time.
Centuries ealier, they wouldn't have had the technical precision to have
a reference weight.
Kind of like the Zero Milestone which stands on the Ellipse, just
outside the south fenceline of the White House. It's the point from
which all official road distances in the United States are measured.
Interesting.
For navigation, the Washington Naval Observatory was proposed as the
origin of the longitude, but it's Greenwich because the British had far
more navigation maps, and nobody wanted it to be Paris except the French.
Mar 31, 2024 at 1:40:59 PM PDT, Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com>:
BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
. . .
Kind of like the Zero Milestone which stands on the Ellipse, just
outside the south fenceline of the White House. It's the point from
which all official road distances in the United States are measured.
Interesting.
https://ibb.co/mqbv1KG
https://ibb.co/nsYbWQM
French was the court language of many monarchies, including the Russian
one, and also the language of diplomacy until WW I. But it certainly
wasn't widely spoken by the masses outside France and its empire.
It had been the language of diplomacy. 19th century treaties were
negotiated in France. No more. English is the language of commerce.
The French had an advantage then pissed it away.
For navigation, the Washington Naval Observatory was proposed as the
origin of the longitude, but it's Greenwich because the British had far
more navigation maps, and nobody wanted it to be Paris except the French.
On Sun, 31 Mar 2024 03:25:16 -0000 (UTC), "Adam H. Kerman"
<ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
It had been the language of diplomacy. 19th century treaties were
negotiated in France. No more. English is the language of commerce.
The French had an advantage then pissed it away.
Yeah and Tim Berners-Lee (who at the time spent most of his time in
France at CERN) sealed the deal on the domination of English with his greatest invention drove the gentlemen of the Academie Francaise
(which guards the purity of the French language) completely to
despair.
(If you don't know what his most famous invention was well "Google is
your friend")
The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:
On Sun, 31 Mar 2024 03:25:16 -0000 (UTC), "Adam H. Kerman"
<ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
It had been the language of diplomacy. 19th century treaties were
negotiated in France. No more. English is the language of commerce.
The French had an advantage then pissed it away.
Yeah and Tim Berners-Lee (who at the time spent most of his time in
France at CERN) sealed the deal on the domination of English with his
greatest invention drove the gentlemen of the Academie Francaise
(which guards the purity of the French language) completely to
despair.
(If you don't know what his most famous invention was well "Google is
your friend")
Are you saying that liar Al Gore is a no good lying liar telling lies?
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