From: utzoo!watmath!sunybcs!rocksvax!rocheste!ritcv!mjl
Newsgroups: net.followup
Title: Re: English
Article-I.D.: ritcv.320
Posted: Wed Apr 20 20:09:59 1983
Received: Sun Apr 24 01:48:24 1983
References: fortune.930

While it is true that all languages have words and phrases borrowed from other
cultures, English seems to be particularly prone to such assimilation.  I, for
one, think English is all the richer for this.  Just look at all the synonyms
for a simple word like house (domicile, mansion, cottage, etc.), contemplate
the subtle connotations of each, and realize that much of this subtlety is due
to the diverse origins of the words.  Of course, we pay for this flexibility
and expressiveness with the baroque spelling "rules" of English.

It is also interesting to note the fanatic intensity with which the purity of
French is upheld by the Academy, in cooperation with the French government.
Not knowing French very well, I'd like to see a comparison of the relative ex-
pressiveness of French and English.

Further discussions of this and other language topics should probably move to
net.nlang (that's where I'll be).

Mike Lutz (ucbvax!allegra!rochester!mjl)