Q: Why is Peach spelled with an "a" and speech is not ?

[MonkeyZero]

Hey, when you have a big dumb language with all the words—the best words, beautiful words, the most words—who can be expected to know how to pronounce ‘em all?

I’m very glad that I learned English as a native speaker because you’ve got to be kidding me in terms of teaching this mutant shaggy dog story to someone who is used to Spanish or similar where everything looks like it sounds and the vocabulary is like 10 words in total and most verbs behave regularly and there’s very few batshit insane compound portmanteaus made of Old Norse fart noises plus the slang Latin word for a whore’s breakfast that gives us the modern word “trombone.” It’s like the entire language is a Monty Python in joke about Frenchified Vikings making fun of how the local rabble sweet talk their sheep.

I nearly spit my vitamin water at "Old Norse Fart Noises"

 

[Dudeman1967]

Engrish is a krazy langwedge!

 

[rickenvox]

Bill Bryson's book "Mother Tongue" is an interesting and amusing read that deals with a lot of these topics. The origins of our language are a very twisted affair between Celtic, Anglo Saxon, French and Normanic tongues.

and Latin

 

[Knox in Box]

and Latin

And Spanish, and indigenous, and...

It's been a journey. That book, for as charming and engaging as Bill can be, was a bit much info for me to master while half asleep on night shifts. I have to read it again during daytime.

 

[Guitar Heel]

it's a vest, because horses don't have sleeves.

 

[surfsteve]

This thread fellates blue whale.

 

[Heartstring]

Great thread!



@Chicken Man Weren't Sumerian spellers around a few thousand years ago?