What's In A Word??

[zimmer1lb]

Did you ever wonder how Union got to be Union?? You don't younderstand something, you UNderstand it. You Unlatch a screen door. So, obviously Union should be Onion. The Onion Army of the Potomac. Run!! The Onion Army is coming. We were raided by a bunch of Onion soldiers. No, Union just doesn't make sense.


zimm out

[Brother_Padre]

I have no reply too this. The english language is very confusing at times and it's just best not too question it :) I hold great respect too all those who have learnt it as a second language.

[Mi'kmaq]

I have no reply too this. The english language is very confusing at times and it's just best not too question it :) I hold great respect too all those who have learnt it as a second language.
Not really that confusing lol. Look at Un and On.

[Brother_Padre]

Not really that confusing lol. Look at Un and On.

For people learning it there is, there are two sides too the english language; the easy, phonetic words which are said how they are spelled and then, well; the rest. There are sooo many words that are spelled very differently too how they are pronounced. What zimm is getting at is that 'Union' has got a 'un' at the beginning which looks like it should be said like it is in 'understand' however the word 'union' is pronounced 'younion'. That is what he is trying too say and that is why the english language can be hard too learn and confusing at times. You're American i'm guessing so English is your first language and you've never really thought about the actual words themselves because you've learnt it naturally. But i'm sure when you were younger and just started learning too read you read words phonetically rather than properly.

[Mi'kmaq]

For people learning it there is, there are two sides too the english language; the easy, phonetic words which are said how they are spelled and then, well; the rest. There are sooo many words that are spelled very differently too how they are pronounced. What zimm is getting at is that 'Union' has got a 'un' at the beginning which looks like it should be said like it is in 'understand' however the word 'union' is pronounced 'younion'. That is what he is trying too say and that is why the english language can be hard too learn and confusing at times. You're American i'm guessing so English is your first language and you've never really thought about the actual words themselves because you've learnt it naturally. But i'm sure when you were younger and just started learning too read you read words phonetically rather than properly.
I do learn other languages. I can speak Afrikaans a bit and I'm learning Cajun French and Polish. I grew up around German and Spanish. I do think of the way words are spelled. It amazes me truthfully.

[zimmer1lb]

My posting was meant to be a play on words. Guess I failed at the attempted humor. So I won't be on Comedy Central none too soon.
In a serious note however. It is sad that college educated people murder the written American version of the language. And it is embarrassing to see documentation, professional and other materials that do not distinguish between........to/too.......their/there.....here/hear and others. So I think the state of the Onion Address shouldn't be the joke it is today. :p


zimm out

[Brother_Padre]

My posting was meant to be a play on words. Guess I failed at the attempted humor. So I won't be on Comedy Central none too soon.
In a serious note however. It is sad that college educated people murder the written American version of the language. And it is embarrassing to see documentation, professional and other materials that do not distinguish between........to/too.......their/there.....here/hear and others. So I think the state of the Onion Address shouldn't be the joke it is today. :p


zimm out

I see the humour :P

[Rithal]

Well I'm gonna be that guy... Union comes from the word "Unification" I believe. Union means together, or "one". The idea of the states was that they were "one" or "unified" therefore it was called a/the "union"... Sorry... I couldn't resist.... I did see the humor though :P

[zimmer1lb]

Well I'm gonna be that guy... Union comes from the word "Unification" I believe. Union means together, or "one". The idea of the states was that they were "one" or "unified" therefore it was called a/the "union"... Sorry... I couldn't resist.... I did see the humor though :P

We're in trouble. If this doesn't get resolved the Onited Federation of Planets won't come about. We'll be the laughing stock of the Oniverse.:eek:

zimm out

[Bravescot]

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
--James D. Nicoll

[Mi'kmaq]

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
--James D. Nicoll
Thats fucking hilarious. Never thought a quote about the English language would make me laugh so much.

[BloodBeag]

There is more than sound per letter. U can be "uh" "ew" and more so don't be stoopid

[Historical Player]

Sometimes English makes as much sense as Klingon to me. I just go with it.

[Rithal]

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
--James D. Nicoll

This ^^^ Made my day.

But really, the only way you can become really fluent in speaking English is just by... speaking it... for a long time. You must constantly correct yourself on the way words are pronounced to remember them. Why are certain words pronounced the way they are? I have no... clue... XD

I have been taking German, and to me, German makes much more sense :D

[Bravescot]

I make so many errors in my day to day life with my spoken English and I live in BRITAIN! It really is just a backwards language.

[Rithal]

Yeah, I screw up English all the time. Especially out in public. I say something stupid that doesn't make sense, but made sense in my head and then I'm like *I don't English....*

[Bravescot]

I just stand there and god "How to English?"

[Historical Player]

I just stand there and god "How to English?"

How English is Spoken would eb better for a book

[Bravescot]

There is a book about that called "Eats Shoots and Leaves" I recommend looking it up