Is English just badly pronounced French? [18:08]

YouTube ^ | RobWords

[SunkenCiv]

In this video I respond to the claim that English does not exist, but is instead merely badly pronounced French. I explain just how much the French have influenced our language, but why it is still a distinct, Germanic language.

Chapters
0:00 Does English exist?
0:26 Where English comes from
1:14 England's French kings
2:12 French words in English
4:46 Lingoda
6:01 More French words
6:49 Different dialects
8:41 After the French kings
10:42 English words in French
12:27 French grammar
13:52 H dropping
15:19 Poetry
17:12 Conclusion

Is English just badly pronounced French? | 18:08
RobWords | 432K subscribers | 246,530 views | March 30, 2024

[ANKE69]

Do you have a example?

[kiryandil]

au contraire...  

[SubMareener]

Right, and the Earth is Flat has been around for a long time, too.

[SunkenCiv]

One tidbit that lingers in this old guy is that the “split infinitive” is not possible in Latin, so the knuckle-buster monks who taught English to native speakers of English claimed that splitting the infinitive is improper. What ‘holes. :^)

Beef and mutton are Old English.

There’s probably more rattling around in here, but that’s all that comes to mind.

[SunkenCiv]

No you didn’t.

[Bob434]

engrish is similar to german too-

[SunkenCiv]

Suffice to say, the path from old to current English had many merged forks.

[jagusafr]

Well, except “shampooing” as a noun...

[Burma Jones]

Rob and others (maybe Orwell) have made the point that if you were a peasant in England (post-Norman Conquest) tending an animal, you used the Germanic word (e.g., cow), but if you you were a higher-status person who encountered the animal on your dinner plate, you used the French word (boeuf -> beef).

[Jamestown1630]

It seems to me that’s comparing very different types of sensory perception.

[PghBaldy]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting this (and of your threads for that matter).

[norwaypinesavage]

How can this be??? The French mispronounce their own language worse than any other language.

[Buttons12]

There are books in our family library, “Mots d’Heures: Gousses, Rames” and “N’Heures Souris Rames” — added to the fun of homeschooling but not for everybody. :D

[knarf]

No one taught him take instead of tyke

[chickenlips]

A great many English prefixes, subjects & objects are derived from Latin.
**********************************************************
Greek is the root of a lot of words also.

[Buttons12]

About 60 years ago I was forced to study Latin in Catholic school. Given that I just barely speak English I can’t say I enjoyed it.

Funny, my dad always says that's the only amusement he got in school (some 60 years ago), Latin class. Apparently the translations by 4th year students could be hilariously inaccurate.

I learned it at home, and enjoyed it without an audience.

[Verginius Rufus]

Some basic words in English are Scandinavian, like they/their/them and skirt (shirt is from Anglo-Saxon).

The closest relative of English is Frisian, spoken in the Netherlands.

[nicollo]

Well, the French did save us from eating swine or playing musical tools.

As for the French origin of “people,” it’s more evidence that Obama with his “folks” is just another white Anglo-Saxon.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

I remember the always hypocritical french when they had a live, televised discussion between the “yess,’ and “nos” about whether or not it was OK to incorporate English words into their language:

At the very start of the ‘discussion’ verbal outrage grew with shouting on both sides between the yess and nos. The moderator then shouted,”SHUT UP!”

[Buttons12]

When I was very little, Mom sang songs to me in various languages, the French were the best! Qui a Peur du Mechant Loup (Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf) comes to mind, plus old pop songs, by Piaf and Brel.
Il Etait un Petit Navire was about a boy who went to sea and almost got cannibalized until a miracle saved him. Jolie Tambour had a twist at the end.
Sur le Pont d’Avignon and Le Roi d’Yvetot were lively dancing tunes.
If you’re teaching French, such songs are the icing on the cake.