Odd to suggest that English is incomplete because it borrows heavily from French or Latin. Ask George bush. The French don't even have a word for espionage. Seriously though. How many languages are borderline forced to use English terms for nearly everything invented in the post-colonial era, albeit at times a slight variation.
English: Computer
Spanish: Computadora
German: Computer
Japanese: Konpyūtā
Hindi: kampyootar
Now, someone in an advanced nation could try to find an existing word that gave the right impression but that makes little sense because a new concept can't simply displace the old meaning in the process or you lose the old meaning. They could mash up words to the effect of "electric abacus" or some other nonsense but they'll just end up sounding like idiots. In the end they just use the English word or the butchered version of it.
In a primitive nation? They would end up with "small skyfire counting pouch" at best. I don't know Japanese but I'm guessing the Japanese were advanced enough when the washing machine was invented to already have terms amounting to "washing" and "machine" so they just used their own words to name the same device, but more primitive languages that have no effective word for 'machine' are once again stuck with using English words to describe a new device.
You only have to listen to a foreign language show set in modern times to constantly pick up on dozens of English words that seep into the dialogue. Corporate branding makes this phenomenon even more ubiquitous. Do non-english speakers call an iPhone an i(insert foreign word for phone) or do they just call it an iPhone?
The foreign words adopted by the English language pale in number by comparison to the opposite. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the fastest ways to grapple with a foreign language is simply to memorise a list of all the words that are drawn directly from english or exist as minor variations of the same word.
English: Computer
Spanish: Computadora
German: Computer
Japanese: Konpyūtā
Hindi: kampyootar
Quote:Quote:
Latin definition for:
computatrum, computatri
noun
declension: 2nd declension
gender: neuter
Definitions:
calculator
Age: Coined recently, words for new things (19th-21st centuries)
Now, someone in an advanced nation could try to find an existing word that gave the right impression but that makes little sense because a new concept can't simply displace the old meaning in the process or you lose the old meaning. They could mash up words to the effect of "electric abacus" or some other nonsense but they'll just end up sounding like idiots. In the end they just use the English word or the butchered version of it.
In a primitive nation? They would end up with "small skyfire counting pouch" at best. I don't know Japanese but I'm guessing the Japanese were advanced enough when the washing machine was invented to already have terms amounting to "washing" and "machine" so they just used their own words to name the same device, but more primitive languages that have no effective word for 'machine' are once again stuck with using English words to describe a new device.
You only have to listen to a foreign language show set in modern times to constantly pick up on dozens of English words that seep into the dialogue. Corporate branding makes this phenomenon even more ubiquitous. Do non-english speakers call an iPhone an i(insert foreign word for phone) or do they just call it an iPhone?
The foreign words adopted by the English language pale in number by comparison to the opposite. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the fastest ways to grapple with a foreign language is simply to memorise a list of all the words that are drawn directly from english or exist as minor variations of the same word.
The public will judge a man by what he lifts, but those close to him will judge him by what he carries.