Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 (USS@Tek, v1.1) based on 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site tektools.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!hplabs!tektronix!tektools!steves
From: steves@tektools.UUCP (steve shellans)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Usenet Phrase Guide--request for help
Message-ID: <874@tektools.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 28-Mar-86 15:29:22 EST
Article-I.D.: tektools.874
Posted: Fri Mar 28 15:29:22 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Mar-86 03:16:52 EST
References: <1646@mtgzy.UUCP> <248@kvvax4.UUCP> <400@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: steves@tektools.UUCP (steve shellans)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 34

In article <400@umcp-cs.UUCP> dsn@maryland.UUCP (Dana S. Nau) writes:
>In article <248@kvvax4.UUCP> harald@kvvax4.UUCP (Harald Eikrem) writes:
>>anita@utastro.UUCP (Anita Cochran) writes:
>>>We found that anywhere we went in Sweden, Denmark or
>>>Norway everyone knew English since they must start learning it in 3rd
>>>grade.
>>
>>This is about true.  I bet almost any person in this country at least
>>understands "thank you".  And for the language question, "Do you speak
>>English?", if someone dont answer reasonably to this, then either
>>he/she dont speak the language, or you're in Finland  :-).
.
.
.
>
>I would imagine the Finns have some pretty compelling reasons for learning
>foreign languages:  Finnish is a difficult language to learn (for example,
>they have no prepositions, but instead have about sixteen cases), and most
>non-Finns would have little reason for learning it.
>-- 
>
>Dana S. Nau,  Comp. Sci. Dept.,  U. of Maryland,  College Park,  MD 20742
>dsn@maryland		seismo!umcp-cs!dsn		(301) 454-7932

Years ago I picked up a piece of information that is intriguing, but I
have never been able to confirm.  It is: The Finnish and Hungarian languages
are related to each other but to no other languages.

Can anyone confirm?  Are there any theories as to how this might have
evolved, and when?

Steve Shellans
Tektronix, Beaverton OR
{ihnp4,ucbvax,decvax,allegra,zehntel}tektronix!tektools!steves