有没有人觉得，英语是挺不成熟的语言啊？
- 主题发起人 Jay Wang
- 开始时间
- 注册
- 2011-06-25
- 消息
- 536
- 荣誉分数
- 601
- 声望点数
- 103
Past 300 years, along with western economic booming, English words increased rapidly, and it seems not to slow down in the future. The unlimited growth challenges our limited memory ability. According to research, the three reasons cause English language has been falling into progress trap:
A. English is less control in pronunciation on its progress.
B. English is less control in word-formation on its progress.
C. Modern factors (globalization and information age) are requesting more and more terminologies (new words).
A. English is less control in pronunciation on its progress.
B. English is less control in word-formation on its progress.
C. Modern factors (globalization and information age) are requesting more and more terminologies (new words).
- 注册
- 2011-06-25
- 消息
- 536
- 荣誉分数
- 601
- 声望点数
- 103
Less control in pronunciation
The pronunciation in every region is different such as British English, North American English, Australia English, India English, etc.
more than 50 countries are using English as their official language.
However, comparing with Chinese, Chinese does not have those problem because its unification of pronunciation has been processing since 20 years ago in China. So every person who under 20 years old pronounces almost the same.
The pronunciation in every region is different such as British English, North American English, Australia English, India English, etc.
more than 50 countries are using English as their official language.
However, comparing with Chinese, Chinese does not have those problem because its unification of pronunciation has been processing since 20 years ago in China. So every person who under 20 years old pronounces almost the same.
- 注册
- 2011-06-25
- 消息
- 536
- 荣誉分数
- 601
- 声望点数
- 103
Less control in word-formation
As the graphic shows, Latin, Greek, French, Italian, Arabic, Spanish, ect. make English word-formation so complicated. In the past hundreds years, millions of words were created or introduced into, but the creation seems not follow any rules.
English word-formation is linear. It can only go left or right. This feature makes English words towards longer and longer. However, people don’t want words to be so long, then how to solve the problem? Creating new words is only choice, especially for terminologies. For example, amphibious vehicle is shortened by amtrac. This is why English words become more and more.
Here is the amount of English words. In the year of 1604, the first English dictionary listed only 2,543 words. After 150 years, in the year of 1755, Johnson’s Dictionary collected 42,000 words. The newest dictionary --- Oxford Dictionary 2nd edition collected 170,000 words in current use, and 47,000 not use anymore today. If add some words people created by culture reasons, but have not collected into dictionary, then there are more than 600,000 words.
However, Chinese is built up by pictograph. Total around 13,000 words describes the whole world. And almost no new word is produced because the existed 240 roots and 3,000 characters can form any new term. surprisingly, you will never feel it's new because the roots and characters are so meaningful. Any high school graduate almost will not meet words they don’t know. Graduates from major in History School can easily get understanding the report written by graduates from major in Chemistry School, vice versa. For English, things are not easy like that. It might be that “sorry, I have no idea what you wrote because I don’t understand the terminologies.”
As the graphic shows, Latin, Greek, French, Italian, Arabic, Spanish, ect. make English word-formation so complicated. In the past hundreds years, millions of words were created or introduced into, but the creation seems not follow any rules.
English word-formation is linear. It can only go left or right. This feature makes English words towards longer and longer. However, people don’t want words to be so long, then how to solve the problem? Creating new words is only choice, especially for terminologies. For example, amphibious vehicle is shortened by amtrac. This is why English words become more and more.
Here is the amount of English words. In the year of 1604, the first English dictionary listed only 2,543 words. After 150 years, in the year of 1755, Johnson’s Dictionary collected 42,000 words. The newest dictionary --- Oxford Dictionary 2nd edition collected 170,000 words in current use, and 47,000 not use anymore today. If add some words people created by culture reasons, but have not collected into dictionary, then there are more than 600,000 words.
However, Chinese is built up by pictograph. Total around 13,000 words describes the whole world. And almost no new word is produced because the existed 240 roots and 3,000 characters can form any new term. surprisingly, you will never feel it's new because the roots and characters are so meaningful. Any high school graduate almost will not meet words they don’t know. Graduates from major in History School can easily get understanding the report written by graduates from major in Chemistry School, vice versa. For English, things are not easy like that. It might be that “sorry, I have no idea what you wrote because I don’t understand the terminologies.”
附件
- 注册
- 2011-06-25
- 消息
- 536
- 荣誉分数
- 601
- 声望点数
- 103
Modern factors requests more and more terminologies
More new words need to be created because globalization and progress of technology.
In Chinese, associative compounds avoid making completely new words. From the meaning of combined words, it is very easy to understand the terminologies in Chinese although you might see them at the first time.
Chinese language uses 13,000 words to cover English 170,000 words. Chinese speakers absolutely have more advantage.
Human beings are easy to remember 5,000 words, a little challenge to remember 10,000, difficult to remember 50,000, and maybe you completely don’t know the words more than 100,000.
More new words need to be created because globalization and progress of technology.
In Chinese, associative compounds avoid making completely new words. From the meaning of combined words, it is very easy to understand the terminologies in Chinese although you might see them at the first time.
Chinese language uses 13,000 words to cover English 170,000 words. Chinese speakers absolutely have more advantage.
Human beings are easy to remember 5,000 words, a little challenge to remember 10,000, difficult to remember 50,000, and maybe you completely don’t know the words more than 100,000.
