South Africans should learn to speak each other's languages, says KZN artist

[Cosmik Debris]

For example: Imagine what the terms flammable and inflammable must look like to the average non-native speaker after you've just explained dependent and independent.

Because those mean opposites in English and French

English - Flammable - Catches fire
French - Inflammable - Catches fire

The Oil industry actually marks the labels with both meanings and the language of the meaning.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

There's another potentially confusing word. "rifle". As a noun it's a long-barreled firearm with grooves in the barrel. As a verb it's either to propel something with extreme accuracy ("he rifled the rugby ball between the posts") or to ransack.

What a mess.

The verb rifle is to search through something like a drawer. The rugby rifle may be slang.

 

[WizardOfAges]

You are going to have a heart attack if you keep getting yourself so worked up about every little thing.

But who will then post all the gloom and doom articles?

 

[porchrat]

Because those mean opposites in English and French

English - Flammable - Catches fire
French - Inflammable - Catches fire

The Oil industry actually marks the labels with both meanings and the language of the meaning.

Yea I get why, but it's just another example of why the language is difficult to learn. It's not consistent.

It's a beautiful and interesting language to be sure, but easy to learn it ain't.

 

[porchrat]

The verb rifle is to search through something like a drawer. The rugby rifle may be slang.

No not at all, that's a well established definition of the word. To rifle something also means to propel it with extreme accuracy. Check the dictionary.

 

[rietrot]

Languages are difficult, I'm still learning English

 

[RiaX]

It's true, I've tried but I honestly suck at retaining languages, give me useless facts about something and it'll be there in a twitch.
Though I think I could have adhd

I'm in the same boat. I can remember all the bad words nothing else

 

[Iwojima]

How about NO!

Let's first get rid of socialism and communism. Get rid of the corrupt government. Do away with AA and BEE and fix our laws again. Fix the economy first. Then we can look at something like this.

Well yes, those are priorities too, but one of the key enablers of those is to fix the relationships between people.

Talk to someone in their own language and see how an attitude changes for the better. It really is a great way to bridge a cultural gap.

 

[RedViking]

Haven't read the article. But I agree. For some of us it is just damn difficult to learn or speak another language. I do think it is of benefit, specially a language spoken in your region. Is it possible for everyone, no. That's why I also try not to mock those who don't speak English properly. Forumites and politicians don't count.

 

[RedViking]

How about NO!

Let's first get rid of socialism and communism. Get rid of the corrupt government. Do away with AA and BEE and fix our laws again. Fix the economy first. Then we can look at something like this.

Sorree, I does not understood. Plz repeat.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

Yea I get why, but it's just another example of why the language is difficult to learn. It's not consistent.

It's a beautiful and interesting language to be sure, but easy to learn it ain't.

That's because English is a Teutonic language with Germanic roots and Indo European roots for that. The English language is forever changing too with new words being added annually. It has words and rules of pronunciation and grammar from Latin, Greek, French, Indian, African and many other languages. The reason phone is spelt with a ph and not an f? - Greek.

 

[Geoff.D]

That is one of the real issues I have always had with the Nationalist government. My generation was not encouraged or even allowed to learn a local language. We were stuck with English and Afrikaans.
Some of us (like my mom's brother)also learnt Fanakalo because he worked in the mines at some stage.

My Mom and my father were fluent in Sotho and Xhosa respectively simply because they grew up on farms.

I saw to it that my two daughters learnt at least one local language (Zulu and Sotho) plus at least one other EU language ( German and French)

For me now to try is just not going to happen - I don't have the patience or the need or the inclination.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

No not at all, that's a well established definition of the word. To rifle something also means to propel it with extreme accuracy. Check the dictionary.

Thanks. That is news to me. It could be because of the spinning effect needed to accurately throw a rugby ball. The same spin is imparted on a bullet by a rifled barrel to improve accuracy.

 

[GrootVoet]

I rather learn a european langauge so that I can return home someday with all my loot wealth.

 

[daveza]

 

[ForceFate]

View attachment 1389214

Entire western, southern as well as south eastern Europe, ME, etc in one language.

 

[Dave]

Then and than still throw me

with a stone?

 

[Slootvreter]

I'll learn what I need. At this point, I don't need other African languages.

 

[Scooby_Doo]

"He said he learnt the language at the Durban University of Technology, where he studied drama."

What?

 

[Cray]

What?

He would be right a home here then...