h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>> Oh, may I join? I am Germerican and need some brushup.. <<

You're in.
Here's your first lesson:

Does that mean you are an American living in Germany, perhaps an orphan abandoned by Elvis in the late 50s. Or does it mean you are an American of Germanic extraction. If the latter, I should inform you that compounding the two nationalities, as you have, implies that some cross-border-breeding has occurred. That's why I thought of Elvis.

Whereas, the hyphenated versions, (eg: Chinese-Canadian) always indicate first the country of origin and then the new country of residence. Generally speaking such hyphenations are dropped after two generations but many Irish-Americans trace their lineage back twelve generations and some Afro-Americans even longer (but not by much).
Most German-Americans have since become Dutch-Americans or just plain Americans.

In spite of this I discern somehow that you are yourself newly emmigrated to the US from Germany (sorta) and now live in the South (somewhere)...?

Welcome!

Obviously, this thread will always have people willing to answer any questions regarding languages, especially the history of words and the many ways that English is currently spoken in various parts of the globe.

Probably because it is so far flung English has never had any artifical standards, either set by some authouritarian body (like the French Academy which polices the use of French), or even, some ancient perfect model from which it has been deviating (Latin's evolution into modern Italian for example).

To 'perfect' one's language skills you have to constantly use the language as both a written and an oral medium. For every good book you read, have at least one intelligent conversation. But books, real books, are still the best way to learn the elegance of English.

Happily, the founder of this site was a writer of some great skill as well as a philosopher of great humour and realism, so I strongly recommend the works of Douglas Adams as a modern exemplar of 'good' written English. You can have fun enjoying the story even as you are building a solid basis of comprehension and expression in English.

Strangely, most of the best writers of English Literature have had a philosophical bent if one ignores the poets which is easily donne.

And Joseph Conrad is the best example of what happens when a non-English speaking (Polish) person learns the English language well. His novels may temporarily seem dated and out of step with current lifestyles and values but because his English writing is still a great model for clarity of expression and the heartbeat of syntax for those with Germanic bio-rythms, I would recommend his complete works be read simultaneously with Adams.

First quiz:
Differentiate between antidotal and anecdotal as demon started in the works of Douglas Adams.


~jwf~

>> ..does it really sound wrong to American (uh, you know what I mean) ears? <<

I could hope my Canadian perspectives on this question are adequately demonstrated in the posting above.

But for the record:

An American is a native born citizen of the United States. All other US citizens (millions of 'em) are hyphenated-Americans. The rest are resident aliens and illegal aliens and Canadians trying to get warm for a week or two.

In no sense do Canadians see themselves as Americans. We aren't even really 'North Americans' because we ARE thee NORTH Americans, which is to say we are NOT Americans.


~jwf~

Regarding well-written books, I really must recommend 'On Growth and Form' by D'Arcy Thompson.

It's basically about the mathematics and pysics underlying natural forms (growth of seashells, skeletons, etc), and was published in 1917, and was revised in the 1940s, so predates discoveries about DNA and suchlike, but even for a non-scientist, the language is so wonderfully early 20th century academic that it's worth reading even if you don't understand any of it just for the atmosphere of ivory tower and scarily bright dons.

It's so good I'm about to buy my 3rd copy, after lending out my previous two and not getting them back.

Isn't that the one with the pretty pictures of nautlid (and similar) shell growth? I should try it sometime.

Increasingly less is OK IMHO. If you concider the unit of reduction as 1 then that reducing unit can grow in a number of ways eg. linear, exponential or via a Fibonaci(?sp) sequence. The latter two examples are increasing reductions.

As for many fewer, I like the sound of far fewer best but that's probably just me!.

As for Americans not liking the term American, well...

What do they want to be called? ~jfw~ gives some examples from a Canadian perspective (one could ask whether that would be a Fench-Canadian, British-Canadian or Native viewpoint ).

The Americas, to give the continent its rather dated appelation surely includes the whole land mass from Cape Horn in the south to Ellesmere Island (part of Nunavut) at the northern tip of Canada and Barrow in Alaska.

...or is it me?

turvy

>> Strangely, most of the best writers of English Literature have had a philosophical bent if one ignores the poets which is easily donne.



B

Ben, yes I spotted that one as well. it is a tribute to jsquigglyf that I didn't immediately write that off as a typo! Very subtle and very clever. indeed!


btw, a question, crossposted from TheForum. What is the term for a society governed by intellectuals? Nearest I found was 'Pedantocracy' but I feel that may be made up

Gnomocracy?

Thank you for your wonderful exerpt!

First to myself, we created that term for the following reasons: I am a born German who lived in the US as a child, then again 12 years ago for a couple of years, and now since three years its US again, this time for good, probably.

So it would be German-American, but as I am not an American citizen (yet) and my kids are speaking their American English without foreign accent we created the pun term Germerican.

I am reading English books since my early childhood. My English is doubtfree American with a heavy German icing on top of it. My vocabulary is very high in understanding... a normal dictionary is no help, I need to work with the unabridged versions when I do not know a word.

My problem is that I am realizing that my English in speaking and writing is heavily influenced by the somewhat "slobby" Southern use of grammar and vocabulary. Though I understant most of the more sophisticated English I am not using it!

That's why I need some training, and PLEASE! when I am making a mistake tell me and suggest how to improve!!!

Thanks

>> What is the term for a society governed by intellectuals?

Doomed?

Thanks for that Ben

What is the contruction difference, or teaching method, which leads those who are not native english speakers to us phrases such as 'when I am making a mistake' instead of 'when I make a mistake' (sorry Canicula, not picking on you, especially as I am a monolinguist). I have spotted such phrases being used by some of our Indian employees as well. Is the second form just an informal shortening that has become common place?

English is particularly rich in tenses & nuances thus:

Present:
I make a mistake
I am making a mistake

Past:
I made a mistake
I was making a mistake
I have made a mistake
I had made a mistake
I did make a mistake

If your first language has fewer tenses then it is very difficult to catch the different nuances between these tenses.

Ben
*tense nervous headache?*

go on then, what are they?

OK, I can see some but I can't see a difference between
I make a mistake
I am making a mistake

except that on its own, the second form sounds right, but in the use above, the first sounds correct.

Ictoan,
"I make a mistake
I am making a mistake"

The former is a straight present tense which, in actual English usage, I would expect to have a dependent clause e.g. "whenever I think my wife will understand me". Without this rider it would be illogical: if you realise you are making a mistake, then stop and correct it.

The latter is "present continuous" which, also, needs a dependent clause to stop it looking / sounding like a sore thumb e.g. "so you can see what happens".

From my perspective the former is a general,non-specific state of affairs, the latter a comment on what is happening only at the precise time of speaking. But I have been wrong before; I think it was in 1978.

All these comments on the various forms of the present tense are completely valid.

But I'd like to offer another thought on the same subject: different languages have what I can only describe as a different sense of time.

For example, it is no coincidence that one of the simple French constructions that catches out English speakers is "depuis" plus the present tense (I _am_ here since yesterday - present because I am still here) which is best rendered with the perfect in English because the English perfect can have a continuous sense which (unless I'm mistaken) the French can't.

Stands back and waits for howls of derision....

"Stands back and waits for howls of derision...."

OK.
I'll start:

The French are rubbish!

Down with the Academie francaise!

(Next!)

>> What is the term for a society governed by intellectuals? <<

The ignorant masses.
Or more familiarly 'the mob'.
Also referred to by more-enlightened intellectual rulers as 'the people'. These 'people' have been known to eat cake in lieu of bread and to remember things their Presidents told them they wouldn't recall for long.

It is fashionable (and tactically advisable) these days to divide the growing and unwieldly populus into smaller more managable special-interest groups such as: an audience, consumers, the viewers, subscribers, believers, the readership, worshippers, the flock, fans or any other label which an intellectual organiser might care to stick on them.

But I could live happily in a Gnomoncy!
The proof that I could is that I believe I already do, as evidenced by my generally uplifted spirit.

~jwf~

>> As for Americans not liking the term American, well...What do they want to be called? <<

Sorry if I wasn't clear. It is WE Canadians who don't like being called Americans. We are Canadians, Canucks, hosers, bluenosers whatever... but we are not Americans.

As far as I know THEY (people in the US) like to call themselves Americans, often hyphenated to Patriotic-Americans. What most of them don't like being called is 'Yankees' except of course the ones who really are Yankees. A Yankee is someone from any of the northeastern states that wore the blue uniform of the Abraham Lincoln Union.

I know this is confusing to outworlders but 'the North' of the American Civil War is not to be confused with The TRUE NORTH which is THEE NORTH, or Canada. Home of April Wine and Avril Levigne.


~jwf~