Archive:

Day: October 25, 2016

Which Western language has the most un-phonemic spelling system?

By: | Post date: 2016-10-25 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Other Languages, Writing Systems

Irish, especially before the mid-20th century spelling reforms, quite possibly; its marking of slender vs broad consonants is still pretty baroque even now. It led to the following comment on the Lojban mailing list in 1993 by And Rosta: “Some of the English might say that the Irish orthography is very Irish. Personally, I have […]

What are the differences in grammar between Australian English and British English if any?

By: | Post date: 2016-10-25 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: English, Linguistics

Thanks to Robert Charles Lee for his answer. The one grammatical difference I’ve noticed is that British English allows do next to auxiliary verbs as a pro-verb; Australian English does not. So Did you ever see the Pope? can be answered I haven’t done in British, but only I haven’t in Australian. Answered 2016-10-25 [Originally […]

Have any creoles become national languages?

By: | Post date: 2016-10-25 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Linguistics, Other Languages

Neel Lex Lumi’s answer names Tok Pisin and Haitian Creole. Add: Papiamento: “is the most-widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands, having official status in Aruba and Curaçao. The language is also recognized on Bonaire by the Dutch government.” Maltese language: may or may not be a creole. Afrikaans: may or may not be […]