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[–] [S] 2 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Pretty sure the majority of the English dictionary is just loanwords, too.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    “The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse removed. 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.”

    ― James D. Nicoll

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    English readily absorbs both the best and worst of all the other languages. If some other language has a word that really hits the mood of even just a small amount of English speakers - bam! - it's English now, motherfucker!

    Add to this, it's chock-full of complicated and often hidden rules that can - or absolutely cannot - be broken, depending on context. No wonder people learning it as a second language have that permanently confused look on their face.

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