I post things in english!

[diginova]

Discuss.

[Translation: I can eat glass and it doesn't hurt me.
Availabe in many different languages at http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/utf8.html.]

[SpiderPumpkin]

Availabe in many different languages at http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/utf8.html.
The German translation of that is totally wrong (it says "I can eat glass without damaging myself"), so I'm guessing the majority of the others are too.

[Redbone]

Object not found!

The requested URL was not found on this server. The link on the referring page (http://www.hamumu.com/forum/showthread.php%3ft=20113) seems to be wrong or outdated. Please inform the author of that page (http://www.hamumu.com/forum/showthread.php%3ft=20113) about the error.
If you think this is a server error, please contact the webmaster (webmaster@columbia.edu).

[SpiderPumpkin]

Object not found!
Try removing the "]" at the end.

[drgamer]

The German translation of that is totally wrong (it says "I can eat glass without damaging myself"), so I'm guessing the majority of the others are too.
Well, there is an email link saying that additions/ corrections would be appreciated.

And there are also a few other german versions under the note #1. I'm also thinking that the ENGLISH version is incomplete; leaving out the 'without causing harm to myself'. Considering that it's mentioned in note #1 (in case you don't know which one I'm talking about, it's the one that you see when you click on the 'certain phrase' link.

[diginova]

#43 in the list is
English: I can eat glass and it doesn't hurt me.

If any of you are Python fans, here is a famous "phrasebook" translation (actually accurate this time):
A légpárnás hajóm tele van angolnákkal

And the "phrasebook" that inspired the sketch (1884 ed.)
http://books.google.ca/books?id=TZFZ95l2QtEC

And a comparison with Babelfish
http://www.zompist.com/spoke.html

[Redbone]

Try removing the "]" at the end.
Yeah, I'm aware.

[drgamer]

Yeah, I'm aware.
Did you also remove the period at the end?

[Ninja of Frozen Milk]

Je peux manger du verre, ça ne me fait pas mal

I can eat some glass, that doesn't do me bad...
Uh I think thats a little off...


This is the meaning I have translated to the Swabian dialect. However, I just have noticed that most of the German variants translate the "inflict pain" meaning. The German example should read:
"Ich kann Glas essen ohne mir zu schaden."


Is that better?

[diginova]

None of that matters since
Mein Luftkissenfahrzeug ist voller Aale

[Ninja of Frozen Milk]

Your what is what?

[diginova]

My hovercraft!
It's full of eels!

MY HOVERCRAFT IS FULL OF EELS!

私のホバークラフトは鰻でいっぱいです

[drgamer]

Sorry to hear that.

[BryanSNK]

Ich habe einmal einen zwanzig sieben Pfundaffenfisch mit einer Seite der Pommes frites gegessen.

Yeah...

[SpiderPumpkin]

Ich habe einmal einen zwanzig sieben Pfundaffenfisch mit einer Seite der Pommes frites gegessen.

Yeah...
"I have once eaten a 20/7 Poundmonkeyfish with a page of the chips"?

[Ninja of Frozen Milk]

What?

[SpiderPumpkin]

What?
Exactly what I was thinking :> What I posted is just what the German text says, though. It makes no sense to me either. I have no idea what the sentence was supposed to mean, but as it is, it means exactly what I posted.

[drgamer]

Well, the 'worlds funniest joke' sketch had a 'joke' in german that made absoluetly no sense at all. Gramatically or otherwise.

EDIT: Although, considering how it was translated...

[diginova]

You need to watch more Python.

And why Chinese is painful:《施氏食獅史》

石室詩士施氏，嗜獅，誓食十獅。
氏時時適市視獅。
十時，適十獅適市。
是時，適施氏適市。
氏視是十獅，恃矢勢，使是十獅逝世。
氏拾是十獅屍，適石室。
石室濕，氏使侍拭石室。
石室拭，氏始試食是十獅。
食時，始識是十獅，實十石獅屍。
試釋是事。

Romanization (pinyin)« Shī Shì shí shī shǐ »

Shíshì shīshì Shī Shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī.
Shì shíshí shì shì shì shī.
Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì.
Shì shí, shì Shī Shì shì shì.
Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shìshì.
Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shíshì.
Shíshì shī, Shì shǐ shì shì shíshì.
Shíshì shì, Shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī.
Shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī, shí shí shí shī shī.
Shì shì shì shì.

Meaning:« Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den »

In a stone den was a poet Shi, who was a lion addict, and had resolved to eat ten.
He often went to the market to look for lions.
At ten o'clock, ten lions had just arrived at the market.
At that time, Shi had just arrived at the market.
He saw those ten lions, and using his trusty arrows, caused the ten lions to die.
He brought the corpses of the ten lions to the stone den.
The stone den was damp. He asked his servants to wipe it.
After the stone den was wiped, he tried to eat those ten lions.
When he ate, he realized that these ten lions were in fact ten stone lion corpses.
Try to explain this matter.

Ah, tonal languages.

[drgamer]

Ahem:

Since the passage is written in Classical Chinese, homophony is not an issue. Classical Chinese is a written language and is very different from spoken Chinese. Different words that have the same sound when spoken aloud will have different written forms, comparable to deer and dear in English.
Also, many characters in the passage had distinct sounds in Middle Chinese. All the various Chinese spoken variants have over time merged and split different sounds. For example, when the same passage is read in Cantonese, there are seven distinct syllables - ci, sai, sap, sat, sek, si, sik - in six distinct tone contours, leaving 22 distinct morphemes. In Min Nan or Taiwanese, there are six distinct syllables - se, si, su, sek, sip, sit – in seven distinct tone contours, leaving 15 distinct morphemes. Even with Dioziu (Chaozhou/Teochew), there are eleven distinct syllables - ci, cik, sai, se, sek, si, sip, sik, chap, chiah, chioh - in six distinct tone contours, leaving 22 distinct morphemes. However, it is still debatable whether the passage is any more comprehensible when read aloud in other dialects than it is in Mandarin.
Ah, wikipedia.

[diginova]

Ahem:

Since the passage is written in Classical Chinese, homophony is not an issue. Classical Chinese is a written language and is very different from spoken Chinese. Different words that have the same sound when spoken aloud will have different written forms, comparable to deer and dear in English.
Also, many characters in the passage had distinct sounds in Middle Chinese. All the various Chinese spoken variants have over time merged and split different sounds. For example, when the same passage is read in Cantonese, there are seven distinct syllables - ci, sai, sap, sat, sek, si, sik - in six distinct tone contours, leaving 22 distinct morphemes. In Min Nan or Taiwanese, there are six distinct syllables - se, si, su, sek, sip, sit – in seven distinct tone contours, leaving 15 distinct morphemes. Even with Dioziu (Chaozhou/Teochew), there are eleven distinct syllables - ci, cik, sai, se, sek, si, sip, sik, chap, chiah, chioh - in six distinct tone contours, leaving 22 distinct morphemes. However, it is still debatable whether the passage is any more comprehensible when read aloud in other dialects than it is in Mandarin.

Ah, wikipedia.

It still doesn't change the fact that this poem can't be read aloud, and that Chinese is a pain to pronounce.

[drgamer]

Uh, yeah it can. Just not in modern chinese.

EDIT: And using that phrasing.

[SpiderPumpkin]

Uh, yeah it can. Just not in modern chinese.
Why can't it be read aloud in modern day Mandarin? It can be read just as well as in any other/older dialect. (The question, of course, is if people would understand it without looking at the Hànzì.)
Chinese is a pain to pronounce.
How so? I never had any problems with Chinese pronunciation.

[diginova]

How so? I never had any problems with Chinese pronunciation.

Because the language is tonal, and has multiple levels of inflection that can easily change the meaning of what you are trying to say.

And while it's true that the poem isn't as insane in modern Mandarin, it's still pretty repetitive and a tongue twister in its own right.

[SpiderPumpkin]

Because the language is tonal, and has multiple levels of inflection that can easily change the meaning of what you are trying to say.
I know that; it's really not very difficult once you get used to it though. I definitely wouldn't call it a "pain to pronounce" :>

[Ninja of Frozen Milk]

Vous avez tort. Chinois est difficile, Japonase est facile. Je n'ai pas les problems apprendre Japonese, mais Chinois fait beaucoup des problems.

Excusé moi, mon français est un peu rouillé.

[SpiderPumpkin]

Vous avez tort. Chinois est difficile, Japonase est facile. Je n'ai pas les problems apprendre Japonese, mais Chinois fait beaucoup des problems.

Excusé moi, mon français est un peu rouillé.
Google translator says:

"You're wrong. Chinese is difficult, Japonase is easy. I do not have problems learning Japanese, but Chinese is a lot of problems.

Excuse me, my french is a little rusty."

For those who don't want to go through the trouble and enter this into a translation machine thingy themselves (since NoFM didn't provide a translation for people like me who didn't learn French at school (Latin is superior anyway)).

And as for that statement, can't say I agree. Chinese is a little bit more difficult to pronounce than Japanese, but the grammar is ridiculously easy (and the majority of the 汉字 (hànzì) you need to learn appear in Japanese as well anyway (as 漢字 (kanji))). Never quite understood what some people think is so difficult about Chinese, it's very easy imo (though it may just seem that way to me since my mother tongue is one of the most complicated languages in the world, so anything seems easy in comparison).

[Ninja of Frozen Milk]

Touché, but I just find Japonese easier.

BTW, that translation is off. It should be "Chinese causes some problems" on the last part.

And yes, German is insane

[drgamer]

Not as insane as English can be. I mean, sure, if it's your first language, it's easy. But considering how utterly insane English is in the fact that all the rules have exceptions. And those exceptions can have exceptions :/

And Latin may be neat, and it has roots in quite a few languages... it's a little 'dead' now.

And geeze, how many languages do you know SP?

[AtkinsSJ]

At least English doesn't have masculine and feminine stuff.

Interestingly, Old English did have masculine/feminine, and a huge number of tenses and word forms. So as complicated as it is now, in many ways it's got simpler.

[Ninja of Frozen Milk]

At least English doesn't have masculine and feminine stuff.

Interestingly, Old English did have masculine/feminine, and a huge number of tenses and word forms. So as complicated as it is now, in many ways it's got simpler.

Neither does Japanese, nor does it have plural forms

Not as insane as English can be. I mean, sure, if it's your first language, it's easy. But considering how utterly insane English is in the fact that all the rules have exceptions. And those exceptions can have exceptions :/

And Latin may be neat, and it has roots in quite a few languages... it's a little 'dead' now.

And geeze, how many languages do you know SP?

Not in Vatican City, Latin is an official language there.





On another note, masculinity and femininity isn't so hard once you get used to it.

[AtkinsSJ]

Not in Vatican City, Latin is an official language there.

Vatican City has no set official language. Unlike the Holy See, which most often uses Latin for the authoritative version of official documents of the Roman Catholic Church, Vatican City uses Italian in its legislation and official communications. Italian is also the everyday language used by most of those who work in the state. In the Swiss Guard, German is the language used for giving commands, but the individual guards take their oath of loyalty in their own languages, German, French, Romansh or Italian.
*Words.*

[drgamer]

A little 'dead' didn't mean 'no one uses this language' :p, I'm just saying, it's not as commonly used.

Also, feminine, masculine, and neutral stuff can result in pretty neat little language puns. (when 'translating' by what it sounds like)

'The Door', when in German, can sound like 'detour'.

[SpiderPumpkin]

Not as insane as English can be. I mean, sure, if it's your first language, it's easy. But considering how utterly insane English is in the fact that all the rules have exceptions. And those exceptions can have exceptions :/
Have you ever seriously tried learning German? :> There aren't many exceptions in German because there aren't even clearly defined rules for far too many things. There's so much stuff you just have to "learn by heart" it's not even funny (the plural forms, for example, can have one of 5 different endings or no ending at all (which of these is the case does not depend on the word gender or whatever, it just appears to be pretty much random; I've been trying for some time to figure out a clear logic behind plural endings, and there doesn't seem to be one), plus changes to the stem which can in many cases be irregular. English, in the case of plural forms, adds an -s).

The only really "irregularities" in English I can think of are irregular verbs, which also appear in great numbers in German and are actually even more irregular there since they can't even be put into "groups" of irregularities.

And let's not forget the whole "connecting words" thing, i.e. when two words are written as one and when they're not. There are rules for this, but they are very, very complicated and have exceptions to them, so even native speakers get this stuff wrong 50% of the time (which makes you wonder why things like "spelling reforms" have changed when to use ß and when to use ss, but apparently not even tried to simplify things like this).
And Latin may be neat, and it has roots in quite a few languages... it's a little 'dead' now.
Doesn't matter. Knowledge of Latin is very helpful if you're gonna try to learn Latin-based languages afterwards; or any European language, actually, since pretty much all of them at least borrow words or other elements from Latin nowadays.
And geeze, how many languages do you know SP?
Not many :\ German, English, Latin, Spanish, Dutch (to a degree), Japanese, some Chinese, some basic stuff in French, a bit of Italian and a tiny bit of Arabic, perhaps going to start learning Russian next, or Welsh. Oh, I think I also still know a bit of Sindarin (Grey-elven :p), and the Standard Galactic Alphabet >_>
At least English doesn't have masculine and feminine stuff.
Neither does German. German has maculine, feminine and neutral stuff :>
'The Door', when in German, can sound like 'detour'.
Maybe if your German pronunciation is awful :>

[Ninja of Frozen Milk]

Ay, Remind me never to take German.... Ever.

Though, alot of german words sound like english.

[diginova]

Not many :\ German, English, Latin, Spanish, Dutch (to a degree), Japanese, some Chinese, some basic stuff in French, a bit of Italian and a tiny bit of Arabic, perhaps going to start learning Russian next, or Welsh. Oh, I think I also still know a bit of Sindarin (Grey-elven :p), and the Standard Galactic Alphabet >_>

I'd consider 14 a little more than "not many".
I just know English, some Spanish, a year of Japanese and Klingon.
(my roommate's father is the head of the KLI)

[ElMikkino]

I only know English and a bit of French. Hoping to learn Japanese in a few years though...

[drgamer]

Have you ever seriously tried learning German? :> There aren't many exceptions in German because there aren't even clearly defined rules for far too many things. There's so much stuff you just have to "learn by heart" it's not even funny (the plural forms, for example, can have one of 5 different endings or no ending at all (which of these is the case does not depend on the word gender or whatever, it just appears to be pretty much random; I've been trying for some time to figure out a clear logic behind plural endings, and there doesn't seem to be one), plus changes to the stem which can in many cases be irregular. English, in the case of plural forms, adds an -s).
Took it for two years, got pretty good grades. (I accidentally hit my back button on my mouse... so I'm not repeating everything I typed)
I believe it more often than not it depends on the spelling of the words. Exceptions, of course, are there. Mostly to make the spelling/pronunciation, well, more pronounceable.

The only really "irregularities" in English I can think of are irregular verbs, which also appear in great numbers in German and are actually even more irregular there since they can't even be put into "groups" of irregularities.

Ways to spell, certain rules for grammar...It's confusing at least to me. I keep forgetting exactly how Gerands work. Of course, it has been simplified over time.
And let's not forget the whole "connecting words" thing, i.e. when two words are written as one and when they're not. There are rules for this, but they are very, very complicated and have exceptions to them, so even native speakers get this stuff wrong 50% of the time (which makes you wonder why things like "spelling reforms" have changed when to use ß and when to use ss, but apparently not even tried to simplify things like this).
The reason for the ß to change to ss is that it looks too close to 'B', and alot of foreigners ask where stuff like 'Strab' street is, instead of 'Strass' street. I thought that at least some of the word combining was good, but then again, I didn't get far enough into the language to get into what apparently are the insanely complicated words. (I'm surprised the two digit numbers are still done like 'nine and ninety' though.)
Though I'd like to know where you got the '50%' number. I'm thinking it's a tad exaggerated.

Doesn't matter. Knowledge of Latin is very helpful if you're gonna try to learn Latin-based languages afterwards; or any European language, actually, since pretty much all of them at least borrow words or other elements from Latin nowadays.
I said that, in the part you quoted, albeit less well spoken.

Not many :\ German, English, Latin, Spanish, Dutch (to a degree), Japanese, some Chinese, some basic stuff in French, a bit of Italian and a tiny bit of Arabic, perhaps going to start learning Russian next, or Welsh. Oh, I think I also still know a bit of Sindarin (Grey-elven :p), and the Standard Galactic Alphabet >_>
A good solid five languages, with parts in a lot of languages doesn't seem like 'not many'. More than the normal person, but I suppose less than what a diplomat would know. (Although way back when, they used French for diplomacy...)

Neither does German. German has maculine, feminine and neutral stuff :>
Which I already mentioned. Also, it's 'masculine'

Maybe if your German pronunciation is awful :>
I said CAN. Although accents do have an effect on it. Although if you want to get technical: Die, pronounced as 'De' and the 'Tur' (or at least something like that) pronounced somewhat like 'cha ur' Or 'ter' or something like that. I'm just saying, to someone who is just listening to the language can think that it sounds like detour. (Accented, I give you that; It's not gonna sound like 'The tour' :p)

[SpiderPumpkin]

The reason for the ß to change to ss is that it looks too close to 'B'
That's the biggest nonsense I've ever heard/read. "ß" still exists, there were just no ruels as to when to use it before, now there are (it's used after a long vowel, while "ss" comes after a short vowel).
I'm surprised the two digit numbers are still done like 'nine and ninety' though.)
Because how you say stuff can't be changed by a spelling reform.
Though I'd like to know where you got the '50%' number. I'm thinking it's a tad exaggerated.
It's absolutely not exaggerated, you haven't faced the horror yet.
Which I already mentioned.
I wasn't talking to you :>
Also, it's 'masculine'
Spelling mistake. No need to play smart, though if it makes you feel better, do continue.
Die, pronounced as 'De' and the 'Tur' (or at least something like that) pronounced somewhat like 'cha ur' Or 'ter' or something like that.
Nobody has an accent like that though :> That doesn't even sound like German.

EDIT: Also, don't you think it's a tad ridiculous you're trying to tell me something about my own language? :>

[TyTBone]

Wholey cow, you people are writing a lot ... in English, nonetheless!

[Ninja of Frozen Milk]

Je n'ecris pas en anglais, j'ecris en français.
Mais je ne me soucie pas d'allemand de toute façon.

(I'm not writing in English, I'm writing in French. But I don't care about German anyway)

[drgamer]

That's the biggest nonsense I've ever heard/read. "ß" still exists, there were just no ruels as to when to use it before, now there are (it's used after a long vowel, while "ss" comes after a short vowel).

Because how you say stuff can't be changed by a spelling reform.

It's absolutely not exaggerated, you haven't faced the horror yet.

I wasn't talking to you :>

Spelling mistake. No need to play smart, though if it makes you feel better, do continue.

Nobody has an accent like that though :> That doesn't even sound like German.

EDIT: Also, don't you think it's a tad ridiculous you're trying to tell me something about my own language? :>
I didn't mean that the nine and ninety thing would have been changed by a spelling reform. And besides some of what I'm saying I was taught BY my German teacher. Who has BEEN to Germany. So I'm not making stuff up. Oh, and saying that NOBODY has that accent is a little silly. Just because no one has that accent where YOU are, doesn't mean that people don't VAGUELY sound like it. And I might have been a bit off in what my 'pronounciation' words were, considering you know so many langauges, but I DID hear that, at least a little bit, when my German teacher said it. And just because it's your own language, doesn't mean you know EVERYTHING about it. :p

[SpiderPumpkin]

some of what I'm saying I was taught BY my German teacher. Who has BEEN to Germany.
And the stuff I'm saying is said by a native speaker who lives in Germany, so who would you rather trust? :3 I know you're not making things up, but people who only teach a language and don't actually speak it as their mother tongue can err :>
Oh, and saying that NOBODY has that accent is a little silly. Just because no one has that accent where YOU are, doesn't mean that people don't VAGUELY sound like it.
German isn't a very widely spoken language, so it's not very hard to acquire knowledge about all the local dialects :> Of course, non-native speakers tend to often have strange accents when trying to speak German, so maybe a foreigner might say it like that :p But at least I'm fairly certain no native speaker would, I know enough about regional dialects to be sure of that :>
pronounciation
It's spelled "pronunciation" :>
I DID hear that, at least a little bit, when my German teacher said it.
Like I said, foreigners tend to have different accents (since you stated your German teacher has "been to Germany", I'm assuming he's not a native speaker). I don't know your German teacher and have never heard him speak German, so maybe he has an accent like that, I can't deny that since I don't know. I was referring mainly to native speakers when I said "nobody" would have an accent like that :>
And just because it's your own language, doesn't mean you know EVERYTHING about it. :p
How would you know? ;>

[drgamer]

Well, actually my teacher went by Frau Holt. Honestly, I'm surprised you assumed, SpiderPumpkin.

And really, the only reason I pointed out your spelling error in particular was that you were talking about spelling reform.

So, you're saying you know EVERYTHING about the German language?

[SpiderPumpkin]

Well, actually my teacher went by Frau Holt. Honestly, I'm surprised you assumed, SpiderPumpkin.
I don't understand what you mean here.
And really, the only reason I pointed out your spelling error in particular was that you were talking about spelling reform.
What does talking about a German spelling reform have to do with making a typo while typing in English?
So, you're saying you know EVERYTHING about the German language?
Yup.

[drgamer]

I mean, my teacher is female, and thus not a he, like you stated. :p

Okay then, since you know EVERYTHING about German, what was the first word of German ever made(I'm not talking about modern, or even middle German, I'm talking about the very beginning of German)

[SpiderPumpkin]

what was the first word of German ever made(I'm not talking about modern, or even middle German, I'm talking about the very beginning of German)
There is no way to trace the beginning of a language since languages don't "begin", they slowly evolve from another language (or multiple other languages) and never stop evolving. As thus, no first German word was ever "made"; a German language simply evolved from what people in this area were speaking back then, it's impossible to define an exact become where it became a new language since there are no conditions that need to be true for that. Strictly saying, I guess you could say the "first word" of a language would be the name of the language itself, since when that word comes about (with a definition that refers to the language in question) is when a dialect is first defined as an individual language. That said, the first German word would have been "Deutsch" or an earlier spelling variant, referring to the German language.

[AtkinsSJ]

The first German word was probably the same as the first English word anyway, as they are both Germanic languages (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_languages). (Ooh, lots of pretty graphs.)

[cyberclone42]

Chinese is painful
LAOYING DA!!!!!
correct.

[SpiderPumpkin]

The first German word was probably the same as the first English word anyway, as they are both Germanic languages (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_languages).
They weren't established as distinct languages at the same time though, and it wouldn't be a German word before "German" was a language :>