Quote Originally Posted by Wizard_Lizard View Post
Well I mean with the latin thing, to argue that english does not have any latin based words is plain silly, not just coz of the romans, but also the french, who's language is definetly based on latin. Although English is just a weird amalgamation language anyhow. And with my two second research that is definetly definitively correct I found "English is a Germanic language, with a grammar and a core vocabulary inherited from Proto-Germanic. ... The influence of Latin in English, therefore, is primarily lexical in nature, being confined mainly to words derived from Latin roots." SO uh. it's kinda both? A germanic language with latin words shoved in?
It has *some* latin words thrown in from aboit 400 years of French occupation of the british isles.

But saying it is in the same family as Spanish and Portuguese is just.... not correct.

Quote Originally Posted by jinjitsu View Post
Wizard_Lizard is right, as far as I can tell - Germanic grammar and structure, primarily Romantic vocabulary.

That said, I 100% agree, ImNotTrevor - this ridiculous argument has been providing me with little seratonin boosts for days.
It is not primarily romantic in vocabulary.
Basically, the french influence as conquerors and nobility meant that the fancy term for things comes from french, and the normal version from germanic.

A poor person lives in?
A House.
(From germanic "haus")

A rich person lives in?
A Mansion
(From Middle French "Maison")

A peasant ate Cow.

A nobleman ate Boef. (Eventually, beef.)

How do you eat?
Well, you'd normally "Chew" (germanic)
But if you're pretentious you "masticate" (latin)

There are a lot of old french words thrown in, but English is still a thoroughly Germanic language in the eyes of every linguist on the planet.

Their contention was NOT that there was latin influence. I asked if that's what they meant. It was not. They insisted English was a Romance Language, not a Germanic language.

In any case, this would mean this person had a better case than that "Scuba" is pronounced with the "u" from "underwater" and the "a" from "smack".