I love English

[Gurm]

I dunno, did you? I just reread all of this, and I'm so lost at this juncture that I really can't tell.

Can't we all just get some cheese and get on with it?

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[KvHagedorn]

Jason, are you also a fan of Doug Adam's Dirk Gently books? They are the only books I think I have ever read four times, just because of the sweet way he turns a phrase.

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Kind Regards,

KvH

[Gurm]

Kv:

I am a longtime fan of Mr. Adams. My personal favorite phrase of his was something to the effect of:

"The large yellow ships hung in the sky in exactly the same way that bricks don't."

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[This message has been edited by Gurm (edited 07 February 2000).]

[PurpleHaze]

There's one house, two hice, one mouse, two mice, so when you have more than one quiche whats gonig on? And how would you spell it?

one beef, two beeves, two steves, one steef. One moose, two meese, two cheese, you choose, one choice. One moon two mine, one virus two virii, one walrus two walruses, one Wallace two walleyes?

Now commonly people guffaw at the plural of Elvis being Elvii and the single of Levis being one Levi. Now where do Elvices and Levices come into play , and with all the unices out there and all the prickly cactii, can't we decide on a curriculum or some curriculi, and a preferred brand of prophylactii?

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Ami Y. Koriuchi - foxyviolet@hotmail.com
Asus P3BF 1003.A - P3-500 - G400Max
256MB 6NS - 75 GB of 10k RPM SCSI UW

Hello... my name is ami. and this is my signature.

[Jorden]

Doesn't Ami follow only this forum, or all fori? I've already introduced the new multiple to forum, being fori (and see it used widely).

What's that with one house, two hice, btw??? When did that change from houses??
Going through Space's English I find new words all the time, but to hear some from Ami??

Btw, why isn't it one shoop and two sheep, as with one goose and two geese??

I might point out that Dutch is a difficult language as well, but that's more because we use the unpronouncable 'G', 'SCH' and 'CH' so many times

Jorden.
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Got a language??? Try another ...

[Alec]

Forum is a latin word. Fori is the plural of forum in latin, i reckon.

I had Latin lessons for two years, so you´d better believe me.


[This message has been edited by Alec (edited 09 February 2000).]

[PurpleHaze]

Jorden:Heh i've had NO time to follow lately but I don't wanna become a stranger

As for shoop sheep goose geese, my point exactly

[Gurm]

Ami,

Some of the forms you mention are due to arbitrary decision. Some, however, follow rules based on the language from which the word was derived. As follows:

There's one house, two hice, one mouse, two mice,

No excuse here. This is purely arbitrary... you shouldn't have mouse->mice, but house->houses.

so when you have more than one quiche whats gonig on? And how would you spell it?

Ask the French. It's their word. We don't even really know the plural, so we just add an 's' to the end. Kinda like the Russians using the word "rah-dee-oh" for radio, and then trying to make it conform to their declension system. (grin)

one beef, two beeves,

There is no plural of beef, since beef is a material. Much as there is no plural of nylon when it is used to mean a material (although it is nylons when used to describe women's hosiery).

two steves, one steef.

Steve is a proper name. The only way to pluralize proper names is with an 's' at the end (and maybe an 'e' or an apostrophe, depending on the name).

One moose, two meese,

Goose->Geese, Moose->Moose

Again, arbitrary (didn't say everything in this language made sense!).

two cheese,

Cheeses. I think the brits just made this word up so it follows standard rules... an 's' on the end.

you choose, one choice.

This is a verb. Don't start in on verbs and participles, we could have an entirely new conversation.

One moon two mine,

I have no idea where you get this one. None whatsoever. Can't even think of any other words like this that work this way... spoon? no. balloon? no. typoon? no. *shrug*

one virus two virii,

Latin. Second declension masculine.

one walrus two walruses,

English all the way. 's' at the end.

one Wallace two walleyes?

Proper name again. *shrug*

Now commonly people guffaw at the plural of Elvis being Elvii and the single of Levis being one Levi. Now where do Elvices and Levices come into play , and with all the unices out there and all the prickly cactii, can't we decide on a curriculum or some curriculi, and a preferred brand of prophylactii?

Now you're just confusing declensions. My memory of latin is somewhat spotty, since I haven't read any in about 10 years. However... *ahem* (latin lovers correct me if I'm wrong):

1st declension... feminine...

Flora (singular)
Florae (plural)

2nd declension... masculine...

Marcus
Marci (pronounced mark-eye)
Lexus
Lexi
Bogus
Bogi (just kidding! hehe)

2nd declension... neuter...

cerebellum
cerebella

3rd declension is icky...

singluar can be just about anything, for example, ager... rex... etc.
plural is always -es or -a

4th declension is also tricky, since it looks like 2nd declension. words which fall into this category are:

manus, versus, etc. and the plural is also manus, versus, etc.

the neuter of the 4th declension ends in -u in singular and -ua in plural... and i can't think of any english words that fit this bill.

The 5th declension is simple:

-es, -es... always.

The words that confuse people fall into the 3rd declension. Things like codex, index, matrix, etc. Are all 3rd declension nouns. Their plurals always end in 'es', but since the word structure won't allow 'codes' or 'indes' (they'd be different words then), you must reassemble the word. Since 'ex' and 'ix' are really just bastardisations of the 'ic' ending, you get 'indices, matrices, and codices'.

Et viola. Language lesson over.

- Gurm




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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[Jorden]

No Alec, the real plural for forum is forums.

[Pace]

Hehe, I was just trying to find a post of mine (where 'Pace' asked for maths help ), and came across this.

Just thought I'd make the unrepliable message repliable to

Also, PaulCS mentioned that we don't often use sincerely when on the net etc, but I often write letters the same as emails, and indeed posts on this (such as Thanks In Advance - though usually shortened to TIA, but also Regards). Using Dear is missed out coz it does sound 'wrong' in here.

What do you's think about grammar now? Is the net making you spell differently? SMS messages making you abbreviate to extreme lengths? Or are you completely oblivious to TLAs?

Regards,

Paul.

[Gurm]

Jeh, D00D. D3 N3T 15 m4k1n m3 5up3r-133t!

- G\/4/\/\

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[dZeus]

Jorden, Dutch is a tough language? I don't think so! Here's lesson 1 for all you non-Dutch speaking MURCers.

try to pronounce the following text 20 times after another:

Gisteren begroette ik een Groninger in Scheveningen, vlak voordat hij in een kuil op het Scheveningse strand viel, gegraven door ene inwoner van 's Hertogenbosch

[Paddy]

There is a well-known street in Leicester called 'Belvoir Street'.

Guess the pronunciation?

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btw, English is supposed to have originated in the Leicester area...

[paulcs]

I'm still working on Leicester.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[Jorden]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Gisteren begroette ik een Groninger in Scheveningen, vlak voordat hij in een kuil op het Scheveningse strand viel, gegraven door ene inwoner van 's Hertogenbosch</font>

Try typing it 20 times, Frank

But on the Belvoir Street thingy... How does one say "Belvoir Street" ? Bell for err Street?

And though Lester is not as difficult as Wooster, Pat should send Paul a Lesterian dictionary

Jord.