About languages

[greg]

Greg, if you are serious about it and have the free time, I would suggest the Teach Yourself brand language tutors. I enjoyed working with the Finnish tutor, but I don't really have enough time to dedicate myself to it. Happily, they are much cheaper than the ridiculously-expensive Rosetta Stone series.

I know that series! 
A couple months ago I checked out the book for Polish in that series from the library. Of course, i don't remember a thing.... dzien dobry, not much else. Polish words seem to be some of the hardest to remember!

[Renfield]

I would also eventually like to learn Danish so I can read Kierkegaard in his own language.

I once made a comment on a WoW-related web-comic about Kierkegaard, the comic's artist being Danish, and she told me her father had met a man in China, once, who was fluent in Danish just for that reason. Yet to be honest, I won't blame either him, or you if you do it, either.

[Kullervo]

I once made a comment on a WoW-related web-comic about Kierkegaard, the comic's artist being Danish, and she told me her father had met a man in China, once, who was fluent in Danish just for that reason. Yet to be honest, I won't blame either him, or you if you do it, either.

I am hoping I will be able to study it in school, as it will be easier than relying solely upon the unsteady power of my will.

[Renfield]

I am hoping I will be able to study it in school, as it will be easier than relying solely upon the unsteady power of my will.

Most of the existentialist movement begs to differ!

(But yes, I see your point. )

[Lilas Pastia]

One of the most difficult things in English is the pronunciation of the vowel sounds. It will vary with apparently no better reason than usage. As in

height - weight
slime - sliver
silver - siren
dam - dame
man - mane
bus - abuse
some - tome
wolves - women

etc 

[matti]

One of the most difficult things in English is the pronunciation of the vowel sounds. It will vary with apparently no better reason than usage. As in

height - weight
slime - sliver
silver - siren
dam - dame
man - mane
bus - abuse
some - tome
wolves - women

etc 

or...

bear / wear - dear
tear - tear

etc

[Lethevich]

I once made a comment on a WoW-related web-comic

A fellow WoW refugee?

[Renfield]

A fellow WoW refugee?

Indeed!


Though I'm in it for the role-play, first and foremost; and of course the fireballs!

But then again, you probably might have reckoned I'm an RP server sort of person, from all my forum-babbling. You?


And incidentally, the person who told me about that Chinese man was Chidori, from Chronicles of the Flaming Ruby (rather than from Naruto ).

[Lethevich]

Indeed!


Though I'm in it for the role-play, first and foremost; and of course the fireballs!

But then again, you probably might have reckoned I'm an RP server sort of person, from all my forum-babbling. You?


And incidentally, the person who told me about that Chinese man was Chidori, from Chronicles of the Flaming Ruby (rather than from Naruto ).

Pre-TBC my guild was doing constant BGs as we weren't strong enough to do AQ content and onwards. This was nice, because we reached a point where we were polished enough to beat Naxx premades despite only having at best ZG and BG gear (eg. we could leave just one or two people defending an AB flag while we zerged enemy flags, because we knew that a) that person could hold up an attack for as long as possible with grenades/stuns/holds and b) we were experienced enough to reach them in time when they hit their "HELP ME PLX" macro). We reached a point where we were getting constant whispers from leading alliance PVE guilds for premade spaces when they weren't raiding, plus several horde PVP guilds in our battlegroup tended to desert if they came across us while in a PM. Post-TBC we went end-game content, but some of the main players (myself included) got bored, just as we were thinking about moving past Gruul's Lair, for quite a few reasons. My main is here.

[Renfield]

Pre-TBC my guild was doing constant BGs as we weren't strong enough to do AQ content and onwards. This was nice, because we reached a point where we were polished enough to beat Naxx premades despite only having at best ZG and BG gear (eg. we could leave just one or two people defending an AB flag while we zerged enemy flags, because we knew that a) that person could hold up an attack for as long as possible with grenades/stuns/holds and b) we were experienced enough to reach them in time when they hit their "HELP ME PLX" macro). We reached a point where we were getting constant whispers from leading alliance PVE guilds for premade spaces when they weren't raiding, plus several horde PVP guilds in our battlegroup tended to desert if they came across us while in a PM. Post-TBC we went end-game content, but some of the main players (myself included) got bored, just as we were thinking about moving past Gruul's Lair, for quite a few reasons. My main is here.

I spent most of my WoW time pre-TBC loitering around in Deathwing, then Defias Brotherhood when RP-PvP went live. At the moment, I'm loitering and/or guild (currently co-)leading and/or trying to teach a few people some manners (long story) in Sporeggar, happy prancing role-player Belf Mage junkie like I am.

Perhaps you should give "teh role-playing realmz" a shot, though, if you're fed up with the mainstream stuff: if it weren't for RP, I'd very likely have stopped playing when even the novelty of fireballs wore off, while this way, it's totally up to me (and my capacity to generate novelty, as it were).


End of digression, everyone: don't shoot! (Besides, I have fireballs, remember? )

[Lethevich]

I spent most of my WoW time pre-TBC loitering around in Deathwing, then Defias Brotherhood when RP-PvP went live. At the moment, I'm loitering and/or guild (currently co-)leading and/or trying to teach a few people some manners (long story) in Sporeggar, happy prancing role-player Belf Mage junkie like I am.

Perhaps you should give "teh role-playing realmz" a shot, though, if you're fed up with the mainstream stuff: if it weren't for RP, I'd very likely have stopped playing when even the novelty of fireballs wore off, while this way, it's totally up to me (and my capacity to generate novelty, as it were).


End of digression, everyone: don't shoot! (Besides, I have fireballs, remember? )

Several friends from my guild moved on to Hellgate: London, which they harassed me into buying - if they go back to WoW they will probably do the same until I go back, although I'm not sure if I would. By far the worst thing about WoW now is how f*cking boring it is living to 60 versus 61-70. The nearest I got to RP was a macro saying /y COME... CREATURE OF HELL AND NIGHTMARE! when I opened my Speedy the turtle cage...

[Renfield]

Several friends from my guild moved on to Hellgate: London, which they harassed me into buying - if they go back to WoW they will probably do the same until I go back, although I'm not sure if I would. By far the worst thing about WoW now is how f*cking boring it is living to 60 versus 61-70. The nearest I got to RP was a macro saying /y COME... CREATURE OF HELL AND NIGHTMARE! when I opened my Speedy the turtle cage...

LOL @ Speedy the hellish turtle from nightmare. But it's the attempt that matters, isn't it?

And Hellgate: London, meh... Diablo II, yes. But Hellgate seems like a semi-modernised rehash, to me.


Right, on-topic! Let me be on-topic, now. Unfortunately, I've nothing to add at the moment. Oh, I know, I'll go learn French, be right back.

[greg]

One of the most difficult things in English is the pronunciation of the vowel sounds. It will vary with apparently no better reason than usage. As in

lol makes you wonder how we learned them! 
according to wikipedia, there's 13 monophthongs and 7 dipthongs, that's way more vowels than any language i can think of....

[Renfield]

lol makes you wonder how we learned them! 
according to wikipedia, there's 13 monophthongs and 7 dipthongs, that's way more vowels than any language i can think of....

How about Greek?

[greg]

How about Greek?

The Greek vowel letters with their pronunciation are: <α> [a], <ε> [e̞], <η> , <ι> , <ο> [o̞], <υ> , <ω> [o̞]. There are also vowel digraphs which are phonetically monophthongal: <αι> [e̞], <ει> , <οι> , <ου> , <υι> . The three digraphs <αυ>, <ευ> and <ηυ> are pronounced [af], [e̞f] and [if] except when followed by voiced consonants or vowels, in which case they are pronounced [av], [e̞v] and [iv] respectively.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Greek

doesn't look like it. Maybe Ancient Greek

[Renfield]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Greek

doesn't look like it. Maybe Ancient Greek

Well, it's still 12 monophthongs there, and I do think there's at least a few more in Ancient Greek, as you suggested.

So almost, in Modern Greek (and phonetically speaking, which was how I made my tally).


As for diphthongs, I'd like to check my dictionary for something, and I'll get back to you.

[matti]

I was having a beer and a pear (a good combo, I dare say) at the pier when a bear came, and oh dear, he decided to tear the sheer pier. I started to fear, and was close to a tear (and I almost felt something coming from my rear end) but managed to get to my rare car and found the right gear. Then I saw a deer! That was clearly the most scaring experience I've had yet to bare! And as an endearing ending - the pants I was wearing were clean. Weird.

[greg]

I was having a beer and a pear (a good combo, I dare say) at the pier when a bear came, and oh dear, he decided to tear the sheer pier. I started to fear, and was close to a tear (and I almost felt something coming from my rear end) but managed to get to my rare car and found the right gear. That was clearly the most scaring experience I've had yet to bare! And as an endearing ending - the pants I was wearing were clean. Weird.

that is very queer

[matti]

that is very queer

Just trying to demonstrate what we non-natives have to go through learning your queer language.   

[Scriptavolant]

I'm Italian native speaker, I speak English more or less. I never speak English in my daily life, just read stuff, attend classes or watch documentaries. But I'm looking forward to move to Wales for a while so maybe I'll improve my conversational skills.
I speak French, not particularly well but I can talk. I have no problems to understand written Spanish, considering the amazing similarities with Italian, but I don't speak it or understand a word of spoken Spanish.