Powerful languages thrive on the weakness of other languages. So when it comes to the question of whether or not English is killing other languages, the answer, plain and short, is yes, it’s killing other languages in the same way that every language associated with a nation-state kills other minority languages. This phenomenon is common with all […]
This article lists all English phonemes in order of frequency. By phonemes is meant all sounds that make up the sound inventory of the English language and include both consonant and vowel sounds (as opposed to letters). This classification is based on data compiled using the Carnegie Mellon Pronouncing Dictionary correlated to a frequency list
When it comes to silent letters, English has many. They are there, standing firm, occupying space and charge you for extra ink but not pronounced at all. Many people hate them for being there and they fuss about why for god’s sake they are not pronounced. Well, there is a reason they are not pronounced
War is an annihilator, the winner seeps out everything, including people. But how did English survive the Norman Conquest? There are actually two very general and hugely complex questions involved here, not one:
Here is how English survived the Norman Conquest. Read More »
We can’t predict the future, but we can certainly learn from the past. And the answer to the above question is a resounding NO. Of course, you may have a difference of opinion, but consider the line of reasoning first. While it is true that more than 50% of the 6000-7000 languages in the world are
Will Everyone In The World Eventually Speak English? Read More »
What if I told you that you have a blueprint for speaking a certain language? When you come across a grammatical sentence that matches our blueprint, you easily process it and accept it as a sentence that belongs to your (native) language. But, when you come across an ungrammatical sentence that doesn’t match the blueprint,
These Sentences Are Perfectly Grammatical. Learn How They Trick You. Read More »
Among the languages that enjoy significant prestige and history is obviously English. The greatness of English, ironically enough, was inherited not from the speakers it has today, and as the language of the Free World, but from its great history, a history of blood and sacrifice. So see how English stumbled its way to the modern
