Why is it that when people say “have to” as two words it’s got a “v,” but when they run it together it’s an “f,” “hafta”? -FML *** Dear… really? FYL? Bummer. They mostly don’t say “have to” with a “v” in the first place. “I have six cows” has a “v,” or “I have […]
I have an unpleasant acquaintance, an American learning Chinese. He was mocking another student of Chinese, a woman with a Southern accent, saying the accent carried over into her (advanced) Chinese, “Neeeee haa-yoh,” and so on. I don’t know her, and I don’t know Chinese, but this really burns me up. So my question for […]
Part 1 (A Matter of Some Consonants) is here. Part 2 (Disemvoweled) is here. Remember several thousand words ago when somebody asked me if all languages use the same sounds? And then I went and inventoried all the sounds that English has? Now finally – FINALLY – we can use that knowledge to contrast English […]
Dear Language Nerd, Do all languages use the same sounds? -Sally Kimball *** Dear Sally, Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo. … ….. … All right, long answer with actual facts and stuff. But you asked for it: We make language sounds by exhaling* air and then blocking or partially blocking that airflow […]
Dear Language Nerd, Why do Spanish speakers put “e” on the front of words in English, like saying “estudent” for “student”? Gammie *** Dear Gammie, It’s actually not about the “e,” but about the “st.” Spanish words never start with “st,” “sc,” “sp,” “sn,” or “s” plus any other consonant. (“S” plus vowel is fine, […]