Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by kbenson on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @03:56PM
(#14455415)
Well, there's quite a bit of German and Latin together. Doesn't that qualify?
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Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by Jtsummers on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @04:04PM
(#14455473)
The better case for modern English as a creole is through Middle English, when Old English met Norman French following the Norman conquest of England.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English_creole_hypothes...
Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by aap_ on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @04:04PM
(#14455478)
No, it's still Germanic. It just got a lot of loan words.
Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by kafkaesq on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @04:10PM
(#14455523)
A very high proportion of loan words, along with significant differences in grammar, phonetics and orthography. That's why people think of it as more of creole (or hybrid) language.
Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by aap_ on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @04:17PM
(#14455556)
None of these are reasons one should consider it a creole language. It may have been influenced by other languages, but that doesn't make it a creole.
Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by kafkaesq on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @04:29PM
(#14455643)
You can go find a linguist to debate this if you want. My basic points are simply: (1) the author of the original article wasn't making much of a point, and (2) in regard to what you were saying, where exactly English sits on the spectrum of hybrid languages is a multi-faceted issue -- rather more complex issue than simply the proportion of loan words.