Comments on: Get Excited About English http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:37:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Mary http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1263 Mary Wed, 28 Feb 2007 04:51:33 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1263 Stephen, I was hoping you, a certified Englishman, would comment on this post! Thanks for the great insight and clarification! So, we Americans are alone in using "you" as a "singular" pronoun? I know we use it interchangeably (both plural and singular), but many times change it to "you all" or "y'all"--if you're from Texas! (I was!) So do you speak in Welsh mostly? Stephen, I was hoping you, a certified Englishman, would comment on this post! Thanks for the great insight and clarification! So, we Americans are alone in using “you” as a “singular” pronoun? I know we use it interchangeably (both plural and singular), but many times change it to “you all” or “y’all”–if you’re from Texas! (I was!)

So do you speak in Welsh mostly?

]]> By: Stephen Kingston http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1261 Stephen Kingston Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:21:38 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1261 Language is a fascinating subject. I love finding out where all these words come from. A bit of additional information about you: The second person pronoun has its roots in prot-indoeuropean - the language from which nearly all european and many indian languages are derived. In PIE, the second person plural article is ju. This ends in 'u' of course, and you are right - it is not actually English that the word comes from! In Anglo Saxon, "eow" is the plural form and "dhu" (which later became "thou"). An oddity of English is that the singular form has dropped right out of the language (except in Yorkshire), and this is probably because of similarities with the French "vous" which led to "you" being used formally even when talking to just one person. Indeed, Welsh shows this same pattern, although the informal singular form has not dropped out of the language. In Welsh, you is "chi" but thou (singular of you) is "ti" But if you are talking to someone politely who is older than you, you should always use "chi" to be polite. Thus: Sut y'ch chi? (How are you) If you are talking to family, children or to God, you use the familiar form: Sut wyt ti? (How are you) Regards, Stephen Language is a fascinating subject. I love finding out where all these words come from.

A bit of additional information about you: The second person pronoun has its roots in prot-indoeuropean - the language from which nearly all european and many indian languages are derived. In PIE, the second person plural article is ju. This ends in ‘u’ of course, and you are right - it is not actually English that the word comes from!

In Anglo Saxon, “eow” is the plural form and “dhu” (which later became “thou”). An oddity of English is that the singular form has dropped right out of the language (except in Yorkshire), and this is probably because of similarities with the French “vous” which led to “you” being used formally even when talking to just one person.

Indeed, Welsh shows this same pattern, although the informal singular form has not dropped out of the language. In Welsh, you is “chi” but thou (singular of you) is “ti”

But if you are talking to someone politely who is older than you, you should always use “chi” to be polite. Thus:

Sut y’ch chi? (How are you)

If you are talking to family, children or to God, you use the familiar form:

Sut wyt ti? (How are you)

Regards,
Stephen

]]> By: Mary http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1259 Mary Thu, 22 Feb 2007 01:23:08 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1259 Thanks so much for the recommendation, Kaye! It comes at a great time for me, fascination-wise! I'm also looking for more children-friendly books on it, if anyone has any titles in that department! :O) Thanks so much for the recommendation, Kaye! It comes at a great time for me, fascination-wise! I’m also looking for more children-friendly books on it, if anyone has any titles in that department! :O)

]]> By: MInTheGap http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1264 MInTheGap Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:27:45 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1264 Babysitter age-- that's going to be quite a while for me, but I look forward to it! It sounds like it will be an interesting movie. Babysitter age– that’s going to be quite a while for me, but I look forward to it! It sounds like it will be an interesting movie.

]]> By: Mary http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1270 Mary Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:18:53 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1270 Krislinatin, thanks for the review! I wonder when it will be out on DVD! I just wish they'd make a movie of either Atonement Child or The Scarlet Thread by F.Rivers...now that I'd LOVE! Ann...not sure yet if hubby and I will get to go...February is plenty busy--weekend-wise, but we're talking about it. Deborah, we keep meaning to get the Nate Saint movie also! Thanks for reminding me... Gina, I know what you mean...so many times the Christian movies don't get any ads...we didn't even know about the End of the Spear being in theaters until it was on its last weekend... Georgiana, why don't you go to once in a while with your dh and let your teen watch the tots? I can't wait till my oldest is babysitting age! :O) Krislinatin, thanks for the review! I wonder when it will be out on DVD! I just wish they’d make a movie of either Atonement Child or The Scarlet Thread by F.Rivers…now that I’d LOVE!

Ann…not sure yet if hubby and I will get to go…February is plenty busy–weekend-wise, but we’re talking about it.

Deborah, we keep meaning to get the Nate Saint movie also! Thanks for reminding me…

Gina, I know what you mean…so many times the Christian movies don’t get any ads…we didn’t even know about the End of the Spear being in theaters until it was on its last weekend…

Georgiana, why don’t you go to once in a while with your dh and let your teen watch the tots? I can’t wait till my oldest is babysitting age! :O)

]]> By: Gina http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1265 Gina Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:02:09 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1265 I keep hearing about Francine's movie on the radio. I missed the last Christian film in the theatres because it didn't run very long. guess I have to get there faster next time! I keep hearing about Francine’s movie on the radio. I missed the last Christian film in the theatres because it didn’t run very long. guess I have to get there faster next time!

]]> By: Gina http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1266 Gina Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:02:08 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1266 I keep hearing about Francine's movie on the radio. I missed the last Christian film in the theatres because it didn't run very long. guess I have to get there faster next time! I keep hearing about Francine’s movie on the radio. I missed the last Christian film in the theatres because it didn’t run very long. guess I have to get there faster next time!

]]> By: krislinatin http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1268 krislinatin Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:43:11 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1268 The last sin eater was great, i took my hubby and son and even my 13 yo loved it! Its done well, its a little edgy/scary, enough to keep you awake and the message is awesome and i love Francine rivers books. I think its kept pretty close to the book, but i read the book a few years ago. krislinatin Have a blessed day! The last sin eater was great, i took my hubby and son and even my 13 yo loved it!
Its done well, its a little edgy/scary, enough to keep you awake and the message is awesome and i love Francine rivers books. I think its kept pretty close to the book, but i read the book a few years ago.
krislinatin
Have a blessed day!

]]> By: Leticia http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1255 Leticia Mon, 19 Feb 2007 22:54:20 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1255 I still love spelling, grammar and punctuation. English was my life. This is rather sad to share, however, but I must share this funny little tidbit about myself. I was failing or getting low grades in most of my classes in high school, but I was in honors English! lol! Go figure? Anyhoo, there is one word that irks me to no end and I hate the fact it can now be found in the dictionary...ain't!! Arghh...NO! NO! NO! I still love spelling, grammar and punctuation. English was my life.

This is rather sad to share, however, but I must share this funny little tidbit about myself. I was failing or getting low grades in most of my classes in high school, but I was in honors English! lol! Go figure?

Anyhoo, there is one word that irks me to no end and I hate the fact it can now be found in the dictionary…ain’t!! Arghh…NO! NO! NO!

]]> By: ann_in_grace http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1257 ann_in_grace Mon, 19 Feb 2007 09:27:36 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/02/18/get-excited-about-english/#comment-1257 :) I got excited about English when I was 6. It has never left me... Excellent article, Mary - this is my linguistic animal speaking! :) I got excited about English when I was 6. It has never left me…
Excellent article, Mary - this is my linguistic animal speaking!

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