Original question by @[email protected]
I like to lean about words from around the world and use them in my speech. I have a particular love for British words. I just love words like spiv, nod, wasteman, barmy, slapper, bruv, shafted, nonce, junkie, bint, smackhead, slag, breve, chav, squiffy, slaphead, dosh, shafted
i used to import words from other countries before tariffs kicked in
I speak English. And, as James Nicoll said,
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.
I speak some Spanish and some Dutch, but I don’t know if I borrow many words from them that aren’t “normal” borrow-words.
Pure English should not use Latin Alphabet.
It’s back to celtic writing.
That’s a weird take when it’s not a Celtic language. It’s Germanic (with heavy Romantic old French influence), so you should really be talking about runes or something.
Latin letters are a terrible fit, though, you’re absolutely right about that. It gives you 4 vowels to work with and my spoken dialect has 17.
Dutch is also great at mugging others for words.
I tend to use kanpai as my toast and cheers in place of thanks as an American
Nej, jag vägrar att använda utländska ord.
Uff-da
I was thinking that I don’t but then I realised, I say Hallo all the time instead of hola.
I speak English natively and Spanish as a second language but most people I talk to speak English as a second language.
When I go back to my hometown I have a pretty noticeable accent and I tend to use a smaller vocabulary.
We use “no bueno” quite a bit in our house. Not sure how it crept in but I like it.
Words from different countries? That’s cute. Kawaii, even.
“Chingadera” and a smattering of other Spanish words/slang; “świnia”, which means pig in Polish, because my Grandma says it, and “haiyaaaaaa”, said with a long sigh, thanks Uncle Roger.
I’ve picked up some words from colleagues, so I often say yalla yalla or acha.
Sometimes American words can be fun like “yo man wassup”.
I’ve started learning Sinhala and sometimes I’ll swap between English and the few Sinhala words I know when I’m talking with my girlfriend
All the time! I say maccas for McDonalds.
it’s better than “MickyDs” or whatever the americans say 🤭
Do people still say that?
I saw someone in a large group chat I’m in use it just the other day, but I have no idea how popular it actually is in the States.
I’m Dutch, but often speak English as I’m fluent in it, so it sometimes mixes. Other words I often use are
- some German, Spanish and French phrases (secondary languages),
- various toasts, like lechajim, skål, depending on the people I’m with,
- some Arabic like shukran, habibi,
- Surinamese slang (kaolo is a fun one)
We often toast in the language of the liquid we’re drinking
Surinamese slang (kaolo is a fun one)
I love people using it as a synonym for “very”, when in fact means “shit hole”.
lechajim
I’ve never seen that spelling before. Usually I see ‘L’chiam’
All the time.
There is no such thing as a (modern) language that is not assembled from borrowing from other languages. So even speaking a single language, one may already be ‘borrowing’ from quite a few more. Add to that many of us will speak at least two languages (native + English), or more.
So yeah, like many, I borrow words and expressions from any of the languages I speak, even more so with those words and expressions I have a sweet spot for ;)
Moi?
