NationStates Jolt Archive


Languages

Edwardis
03-10-2006, 00:05
Just a curiosity post. Are there certain language families that you prefer over others? Do you despise some, but have fallen in love with others?

I really like Celtic and Germanic languages. To a lesser degree Finno-Ugric and Semitic languages.

EDIT: POLL EXPLANATION: I tried to keep the more well-known languages broken down, while the lesser known languages are grouped by area (African and Native American, fo example). And I'm sorry, I didn't make it multiple choice. I pressed okay before I remebered.

EDIT 2: I realize Basque is not Indo-European. Another mistake on my part, sorry.
Infinite Revolution
03-10-2006, 00:13
romance, and slavic
Llewdor
03-10-2006, 00:15
I really dislike the sound of romance languages. French, especially.

The languages of northern Europe are lovely. Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Irish and Welsh are probably my top 5.
GoodThoughts
03-10-2006, 00:19
I am lucky enough to hear Lakota and Ojibway every now and then and they are lovely.
Rasselas
03-10-2006, 00:55
I really dislike the sound of romance languages. French, especially.

The languages of northern Europe are lovely. Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Irish and Welsh are probably my top 5.

Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian....*swoon*. I adore them.

I like speaking the romance languages but I can't understand much thats said to me, sounds like one crazy blur of syllables.

And Russian, Russian sounds cool.
Greyenivol Colony
03-10-2006, 01:14
Since I've been at Uni, I've heard a lot of Mandarin, and it's really pretty (especially when girls are speaking it).
Sel Appa
03-10-2006, 01:28
"Other Indo-European (Greek, Basque...)"

Basque isn't Indo-European. Don't you know "it's not realted to any other language"
New Xero Seven
03-10-2006, 01:29
German... *droolz*
German Nightmare
03-10-2006, 01:31
Ve have vays to make you talk. :p
New Xero Seven
03-10-2006, 01:33
Ve have vays to make you talk. :p

Das ist gut! :)
German Nightmare
03-10-2006, 01:34
Das ist gut! :)
Sehr sogar! ;)
Saxnot
03-10-2006, 01:36
My personal affinitty is for the Celtic and Romance languages.
New Xero Seven
03-10-2006, 01:36
Sehr sogar! ;)

WUNDERBAR!!!!!111 :eek:
Neo Undelia
03-10-2006, 01:40
I love the rough sound of Germanic and Scandinavian languages. Those click noises that some Africans languages have are pretty cool, too.
No opinion on other language groups really.
Edwardis
03-10-2006, 01:48
"Other Indo-European (Greek, Basque...)"

Basque isn't Indo-European. Don't you know "it's not realted to any other language"

I realized that, but I don't know how to change poll options. I guess I should put that in an edit.
Whereyouthinkyougoing
03-10-2006, 01:50
Romance. No contest.
Whereyouthinkyougoing
03-10-2006, 01:53
"Other Indo-European (Greek, Basque...)"

Basque isn't Indo-European. Don't you know "it's not realted to any other language"
Really? I always thought Basque was a Celtic language. Huh, learn something new every day.
Hamilay
03-10-2006, 01:55
I don't really like any one family of languages- Latin and German are great, but not a huge fan of Norwegian or French. Latin, German, Russian and the Asian languages FTW.
Soviestan
03-10-2006, 06:13
romance, and slavic

agreed.
Wallonochia
03-10-2006, 06:16
Romance. No contest.

Agreed. Algonquin languages are kinda cool too. I know a few Ojibwe (although I think Anishinabek is the correct term) speakers, and it sounds rather cool. However, since I'm a French major you guys can imagine how I feel about the Romance languages.
Kyronea
03-10-2006, 06:27
The sound of Japanese and Romanian both are immensly pleasing to my ear.
The Beautiful Darkness
03-10-2006, 06:39
I like Romance languages, mostly because they are easy to learn. :)
Nomanslanda
03-10-2006, 21:24
The sound of Japanese and Romanian both are immensly pleasing to my ear.

wherever did you pick romanian as an interesting language?:rolleyes: (i mean i'm a native speaker and i'm not that fond of it)... but since i'm a romance native i'm quite fond of the other romance languages... except portuguess because i can't understand any of it:p ... what really fascinates me though is northern germanic, i.e. norwegian, swedish, danish
Pax dei
03-10-2006, 21:30
My girlfriend speaks, French, German, Spanish and Dutch.
I speak Irish and it gets to her that she cant pick it up easily as she cant really draw on another language for help.Well that and she cant pronounce her 'R' s :D
Cabra West
03-10-2006, 21:32
Romance and Germanic. Those are the sounds I can relateto most easily, although I do enjoy the sound of Indian dialects as well.
I'm not overly fond of the Slavic languages... they have a tendency to always sound rude and aggressive to me.
Vetalia
03-10-2006, 21:37
Germanic and Slavic languages. I like Germanic because English is my first language and German my second, and I like Slavic because of the sound and because my family came from Eastern Europe and Russia so we have cultural ties to the region.

Also, I like the Slavic languages because my NS country's language sounds like Russian...but that's another reason.
Swilatia
04-10-2006, 00:54
Indo-European languages are the only ones that sound civilised.
Strathcarlie
04-10-2006, 01:02
Celtic languages; was sexually involved with a girl from the Western Isles once. Lovely :D
Sheni
04-10-2006, 01:41
Japanese and Latin only.
Dunno why those two.
Posi
04-10-2006, 08:13
Russian sounds awesome. So does German (particularly when they are yelling).

British English is hilarious.
Boonytopia
04-10-2006, 10:24
I've studied French for a number of years, so I'm biased towards that.

The clicking language of the Kalahari bushmen (can't think of their correct name) is really cool.
Compulsive Depression
04-10-2006, 10:52
C. Simple and elegant.
Ifreann
04-10-2006, 11:13
C. Simple and elegant.

Wouldn't C just sound like English?
Kanabia
04-10-2006, 11:24
The only languages that I really dislike the sounds of are ones that sound guttural.

I really like the sound of Finnish, though, so I voted that.

Indo-European languages are the only ones that sound civilised.

lol.
New Foundation
04-10-2006, 11:34
I like the sound of the Germanic languages, but am currently *trying* to learn Latin (for about two weeks so far anyhow). I think Japanese and Russian would be interesting to learn as well, but I've never had much luck with languages :(
Pure Thought
04-10-2006, 11:58
wherever did you pick romanian as an interesting language?:rolleyes: (i mean i'm a native speaker and i'm not that fond of it)... but since i'm a romance native i'm quite fond of the other romance languages... except portuguess because i can't understand any of it:p ... what really fascinates me though is northern germanic, i.e. norwegian, swedish, danish



I have to tell you, I also like the sound of Rumanian very much. When I had shortwave radio, I used to try to pick up a station in Bucharest. I had no idea what they were saying but I loved the music of the speech. Funnily enough, I don't like all Romance languages equally. I also like Spanish, Italian and Latin, but French makes me want to run away and hide. Or beat my brains out with a large rock.

I'd have voted "Slavic" + "Scandinavian" + "Rumanian" if the poll supported it. Oh yes, and Mandarin.
Flichenbachen
04-10-2006, 12:14
I'd have to go with Russian. It sounds amazing when it's spoken at full speed, even though I can't do it yet. Also love the sound of Irish and Lugandan.
NERVUN
04-10-2006, 12:17
Germanic as English is my L1 and while I apprciate the poetry in other languages, very few have met (and none surpassed) Shakespeare.

Japanese as that is where I live and it can be a beautiful language (It can also be a hiddious language as anyone who has ever encountered a DoCoMo girl knows).

And I'm actually fond of ancient Greek. My Western Civ professor, in an effort to interest us in why the Odessey has survived actually chanted part of the first story in ancient Greek, it was beautiful.
Minaris
04-10-2006, 12:21
For the record, Greek, Italian, Rumanian, Spanish, French, and Portugese are Latin (or something... but Greek is Romance). also, Russian is pretty much backwards Greek.

And I was in Latin, so I know of what I speak.
Swilatia
04-10-2006, 12:36
lol.
what is so funny about that.
Kanabia
04-10-2006, 12:52
what is so funny about that.

How and why do they sound "civilised"? What criteria do you use to come to that conclusion?
Laerod
04-10-2006, 14:15
The Romance and Germanic languages.
Compulsive Depression
04-10-2006, 14:25
Wouldn't C just sound like English?
Depends on how you write it, really. It can sound however you like, but with more semi-colons.
Drunk commies deleted
04-10-2006, 15:58
Just a curiosity post. Are there certain language families that you prefer over others? Do you despise some, but have fallen in love with others?

I really like Celtic and Germanic languages. To a lesser degree Finno-Ugric and Semitic languages.

EDIT: POLL EXPLANATION: I tried to keep the more well-known languages broken down, while the lesser known languages are grouped by area (African and Native American, fo example). And I'm sorry, I didn't make it multiple choice. I pressed okay before I remebered.

EDIT 2: I realize Basque is not Indo-European. Another mistake on my part, sorry.

I like the languages used by social insects of the order hymenoptera. They communicate through dancing and body odor. Thus they remind me of smelly, ecstasy popping ravers.
Risottia
04-10-2006, 16:07
Russian
German (Hochdeutsch)
Yddish
Latin
Czech
Italian
Ancient Greek
Risottia
04-10-2006, 16:10
Indo-European languages are the only ones that sound civilised.

Of course: civilization is from the latin "civitas".
Farnhamia
04-10-2006, 16:16
For the record, Greek, Italian, Rumanian, Spanish, French, and Portugese are Latin (or something... but Greek is Romance). also, Russian is pretty much backwards Greek.

And I was in Latin, so I know of what I speak.

Uhm ... Greek is not a Romance (Latin-derived) language, sorry. And to call Russian "pretty much backwards Greek" is pretty much wrong. I'll grant you the Russian alphabet looks that way, for a very good reason, but Russian's a Slavic language, only tangentially related to Greek as they're both Indo-European.