Fun Stuff > CHATTER
English is weird
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: Akima on 19 May 2012, 05:47 ---The inability of English to handle negative questions logically and unambiguously.
--- End quote ---
Not just questions. The point is that double negatives may be taken as cancelling (logic style) or reinforcing, depending on context or the style of the user.
LTK:
The thread ought to be called 'language is weird', really. Consider this: The English word 'happy' carries both a meaning for the state of feeling joyful and merry, 'robots in little hats make me happy', and a meaning for a sense of accomplishment in life and being where/who you want to be, 'the pursuit of happiness'. In Dutch, however, the latter homonym is instead taken up by the word for 'luck', in the sense that in English you would write "When I grow up I want to be happy," and in Dutch "When I grow up I want to be lucky." What does that tell you about the philosophical outlooks on life of both languages?
Barmymoo:
--- Quote from: Redball on 19 May 2012, 04:56 ---I can hear that difference, but it's strange to me. I'd rhyme him with Harry and airy, and hope he'd not take offense if I rhymed it with fairy.
--- End quote ---
How odd, I don't make those words sound the same either!
I'd say Bah-ry (as in bat), buh-ry (not sure how to explain this as I'm aware that my u sounds are very unusual for foreigners or southerners, just a sort of guttural sound) and beh-ry (as in bed).
Carl-E:
--- Quote from: pwhodges on 19 May 2012, 01:49 ---pl-ough
hicc-ough
t-ough
tr-ough
th-ough
thr-ough
th-ough-t
thor-ough
and I'm aware of at least one other archaic word:
h-ough (pronounced, and now usually spelt, hock)
--- End quote ---
...and that's why the spelling of some of these has changed across the pond.
pl-ough --> plow
hicc-ough --> hiccup
And, of course, the aforementioned "hock".
But arent "though" and "thorough" the same sound for the -ough? Just a long o sound, lips rounded?
-----------------------
All this reminds me of the fact/joke that "ghoti" spells "fish";
gh as in laugh, o as in women, and ti as in nation... "he swims like a ghoti".
DrPhibes:
So my phonetics course did have some... reason?
pl-ough
hicc-ough
t-ough
tr-ough
th-ough
thr-ough
th-ough-t
thor-ough
plaw
hɪkəp
təf
trɒf
ðo
θru
θɒt
θəro
So yes Carl-E, Though and Thorough have the same pronunciation!
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version