Gaming terms in your language

[deathred]

My parents only speak Spanish, so my command of it is just the same as my English.

For those who say that if you speak Spanish you can understand Portuguese, Italian and French, I have to agree. The way sentences are structured in those languages are exactly the same. Many of the words are highly similar, with a few variations in emphasis, accent, and meaning. In one of my offices, I deal with people from all over the world, and I can keep up with all Spanish speaking persons (from all different places) as well as the Portuguese people, and the French (including Creole). I even understand plenty of Tagalog, since the Filipino language is influenced by Spanish as it is Chinese. As for Italian, I can keep up with my RAI TV channel, as well as the Lega Calcio.

Now going to Catalan, I can say that it isn't dead and gone. Catalan is similar to Castellano, but it has major differences. Most notably is the heavy use of 'vos' when refering to someone and the use of 'eis' in the conjugation of verbs. Valencia, Spain is known for its use of Catalan in several regions. Aragon, Spain as well. Think of Catalan as a Dialect of Spanish, just as Puerto Ricans speak it differently as opposed to Domincans, Cubans, Mexicans, Colombians, etc...

I'm cracking up at the 'comecocos' bit, still thinking its 'Coconut Eater'.

[Ivo]

While I am prepared to believe that some people will be able to understand Portuguese (ok), Italian (really?), French (!) and even Creole (!!!) just from knowing Spanish, this is certainly far from the norm. People that are able to genuinely extrapolate so far have to be exceptionally good with languages.

I know I am able to follow Spanish reasonably well mostly just from knowing Portuguese, having watched some cartoons in Spanish and reading some Spanish videogame mags when I was a kid. Everything beyond is a stretch (I actually learned French in school for some years, and don't remember most of it).

BTW - keeping up with a football transmission is not particularly demanding

[deathred]

I may be an exception to the norm, growing up in an area of New York with a wide array of languages. But aside from that, as I mentioned before, unlike English, most of the languages influenced heavily on Latin have very similar forms of sentence and phrase structure. And yes, many of the words share roots.

I know it doesn't take much to understand whats going on in a Soccer match, but the fact is that you can understand it. It's not like watching a show from Japan or India where I can't follow anything.

Maybe I've been exposed to a lot that it enables me to do this. However, I still believe its possible to have a decent level of understanding between languages by knowing one. I'm not saying Dialects, but the base/standardized language.

[jfrost]

I agree with Ivo, it's very difficult to find someone who can understand so many languages while formally knowing only one. I find it specially surprising that you can understand French, as surveys normally show that French has very low mutual intelligibility with other Latin languages.

[RCBH928]

jfrost
I am not sure how much the world out there is exposed to other languages
but I can tell you for sure if you interact with them it will be easier. Having 85% of the same vocabulary with another language, you only probably need to learn few keywords and get a hang of the accent and you are good to go.

[Erik_Twice]

Now going to Catalan, I can say that it isn't dead and gone. .

No my point is not that it is dead now but that it was dead 30 years ago.

[RCBH928]

How can you turn a dead language alive?

If you were American or British , will you go to your friend like
"Lets speak Latin"

then you will just have a hard time trying to communicate in a language you never used before, and insist on it, never using English that you both know well?

[Erik_Twice]

^Basically you remove all Spanish education and put Catalan language instead until the population knows Catalan. When the regional goverment refuses to teach in Spanish, airs most TV programs in Catalan and bans shops for having Spanish names you know you are fucked.

No kidding here.

[RCBH928]

then people starts communicating in Catalan on dinner table and in shops, and forget Spanish?

[Erik_Twice]

then people starts communicating in Catalan on dinner table and in shops, and forget Spanish?

When the force teachers to police children while playing so they speak in Catalan isntead of Spanish yes they do.