why is it humans not humen
bc “human” comes from a latin root (homo > humanus > humaine > human) and “man” (and thus “men”) comes from a germanic root (mann > man)
so you get humans, not humen, since “humans” doesn’t play by germanic rules
look at that i asked a question and i got an answer THANKS
English isn’t a language, it’s three languages stacked on top of each other wearing a trenchcoat.
(via sanshodelaine)
why is “tie” prounounced like “tai” but “tier” is pronounced exactly like the german word “tier” or the english word “tear”?????
why is the english word “bear” not pronounced like “tear” but “beer” is????
WHY IS TEAR PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY BASED ON WHAT IT MEANS????
why is “heir” pronounced like “hair”?????
why is the english language so confusing
it’s even better than that; “heir” is pronounced as “air”
… yep
(via cupboardgods)
The English language is like London: proudly barbaric yet deeply civilised, too, common yet royal, vulgar yet processional, sacred yet profane: each sentence we produce, whether we know it or not, is a mongrel mouthful of Chaucerian, Shakespearean, Miltonic, Johnsonian, Dickensian and American. Military, naval, legal, corporate, criminal, jazz, rap and ghetto discourses are mingled at every turn. The French language, like Paris, has attempted, through its Academy, to retain its purity, to fight the advancing tides of franglais and international prefabrication. English, by comparison, is a shameless whore.The Ode Less Travelled (via fuckyeahstephenfry)
From the Open University: “ Voiced by Clive Anderson, this entertaining romp through ‘The History of English’ squeezes 1600 years of history into 10 one-minute bites”
Brilliant stuff, and also draws to attention the singularly vital fact that KATE BEATON HAS A TUMBLR ACCOUNT why did I not know this before now?!