The history of English language in 10 minutes

[size=18][i]My goodness!!!
How fast he speaks!
I like this video : it is funny and it unfolds real facts but if I want to get the whole of it, I must listen to it once more at least.
Thank you Muriel.

Irène.

Hi Muriel and Irene,

Irene, don't feel disheartened, as I had to listen a few times myself, as he speaks too fast even for me !

Good luck !
Krystyna

I like the Cafe polyglotte.
It is really funny and convivial.
I should try to participate more often but I find it difficult to choose an interesting topic and I often lack of time.

Are you interested if I tell you that tomorrow, I will have all the family for lunch? Not sure!!
A few days before, I had heralded that I was decided to prepare a smorgasbord( that means kind of buffet they have in Norway.)
It was thoughtless of me to take that decision as I did not know at all what it was consistent of.
I was at risk to look completely ridiculous.

I got some information on the Internet, at the library and learned, and read!
That drove me mad . I ran to specialised shops in Paris, so expensive, then to Ikea far more affordable.
A sister of mine understood I was in a clutch (I mean :j'étais dans le pétrin) and offered to help. Afterwards, I felt more comfortable.
Just as I am writing these few lines, the smogarsbord is ready and I hope tomorrow my guess will enjoy it!

Hi Irene,

Smorgasbord is known in English, but it is a rather "posh" word (used more by expensive restaurants and hotels !)
More usual for us is to say buffet for an informal family gathering, like you do in French.

I'm sure your smorgasbord will be fine tomorrow !
Your family is lucky to have you prepare such a big meal for them.

Best wishes,
Krystyna

DEAR FRIENDS

A friend told me this morning that " to be in a clutch" was not appropriate to the situation I was describing.
I don't know why.
She said I should have used " I am in a mess" or I am in a pickle".
I am afraid " herald " too, may not have been well used.
It makes me think of The Herald Tribune".
To herald is to announce something important to a lot of people which was not the case..

My guests told me the salmon tureen and the pancakes were really tasty but they did not like that much the marinated herrings.
" you should have cooked them by yourself, they said, they should have been far better".

Anyway, when they left, they looked satisfied.

Take care.

Irène.

dear Muriel

Thank you for helping.

To sum up, to say "je suis dans le pétrin", you can say I am in a pickle, in a fix , in a mess, or in somebody's clutch.
Now, it would be important to know in what situation it' s accurate to use that one or the other one .

Yesterday, France Inter gave an interesting program at 2pm.
Claude Hagège, a famous linguist who speaks at least 50 languages, showed that the British language ( he doesn't like it, he says it is ugly compared to some other which look like melodies) is made of words from other countries .
Just what your video shows.
He has just written and issued a book (one more!) : "Contre la pensée unique", Odile Jacob is the editor.
His idea is that we are at risk not being able to evolve if all of us, all around the world, speak English because that drives us to think in the same way.
He said each country must fight for its own words and expressions, that the hegemony of English is dangerous.

He gave some examples and I didn't understand.
Le chant l'a rendu célèbre.
The French will say :" He became famous by singing".
English people will never say that. They will say "He sang his way to fame".
May be, but what does that show?

Have a good day all of you.

Irène.

Hi, Irene, your messages are very interesting, indeed !
I agree with Claude Hagere on the fact that each country must fight for its own language. A language is part of the culture and says so much about the way of thinking of the people.
Only this morning, I came across the word "ragioniere" in Italian, which means : comptable. Isn't it more accurate than "contabile" ?

It's also true that some languages are more musical than others. Not only are the Spanish and the Italian language musical, but also the Korean language. Listen to a Korean film in VO and you will be amazed with the softness of it, many singing Os ending the phrases.