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From: selvakum@sun14.vlsi.uwaterloo.ca (C. R. Selvakumar)
Subject: Re: basic"english"-another critique
Message-ID: <D4GsJv.616@sun3.vlsi.uwaterloo.ca>
Keywords: a flaw in the vocab list of basic english
Sender: news@sun3.vlsi.uwaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo
References: <3ibmnk$hh3@metz.une.edu.au>
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 17:57:29 GMT
Lines: 39

In article <3ibmnk$hh3@metz.une.edu.au>,
Julie Vaux <jvaux@metz.une.edu.au> wrote:
[..]
>
>	As Basic English stands it proves perhaps that the greatest 
                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>	strength of English is its ability to absorb loan words
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>	and often simplify them. Another irony revealed by the number
>	of laon words from Old French on the list is that modern ENglish 
>	seems to have "hybrid" vigor - its balance of Germanic and Romance
>	features is another strong point!
>

            No I don't think there is any 'strength' as you imply.
            The popularity of English is due to America. Period. English
            colonial influence would have died just like others ( Dutch for ex)
            
           For arguement's sake, if X language accepts all the words
           of all major langauges, then this X language will not be any more
           popular or 'strong' ( say like English today). 
           Hypothetically if America ( with its huge
           population and economic and military strength), is a non-english
           speaking country, say like Brazil or like Indonesia, English
           would not have 'the strength' which you suspect.

           The 'strength' of English is its number ( 250M) in America.
           UK's presence is nothing significant and it will have the same
           clout as Italy or Iran. If South America were to be economically
           strong and resourceful as USA, then Spanish would have been
           just as popular as English. 

           I don't think English has any intrinsic 'vigour' that is more
           significant than other developed languages except the MARKET
           there is there ( not just number but buying power).

           -Selva

             
