Thursday, January 12, 2006

Early Language Proto-Indo-European: spoken about 5,000 years by wandeing tribes on southeast European plains. It is divided into three regional groups: East (Burgundian, Vandal, and Gothic, all extinct) North (Icelandic, Faeroese, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish) West (German, Netherlandic [Dutch and Flemish], Frisian, English) Did you know that over its existance English has been simplifying itself in the use of inflection? It's true. Ancient language used more inflection, and English uses relatively little compated to something like German. English is actually more like Chinese in that it has less inflection. Here's a quote from Britannica: The German and Chinese words for “man” are exemplary. German has five forms: Mann, Mannes, Manne, Männer, Männern. Chinese has one form: jen. English stands in between, with four forms: man, man's, men, men's. 9:40:20 PM  permanent link  Reader Comments []  Google It! troglodyte Pronunciation: 'trä-gl&-"dIt Function: noun Etymology: Latin troglodytae, plural, from Greek trOglodytai, from trOglE hole, cave (akin to Greek trOgein to gnaw, Armenian aracem I lead to pasture, graze) + dyein to enter 1 : a member of a primitive people dwelling in caves 2 : a person resembling a troglodyte (as in reclusive habits or outmoded or reactionary attitudes) 9:27:36 PM  permanent link  Reader Comments []  Google It!

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