Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!cam-news-feed3.bbnplanet.com!news.inc.net!easynet-uk!newsfeed.easynet.co.uk!dispatch.news.demon.net!demon!fido.news.demon.net!demon!news2.euro.net!wirehub!newsgate.cistron.nl!news.radio.cz!newsbastard.radio.cz!news.radio.cz!CESspool!news-feed.inet.tele.dk!enews.sgi.com!EU.net!news.mathworks.com!europa.clark.net!newsfeeds.sol.net!ix.netcom.com!elna
From: elna@netcom.com (Esperanto League N America)
Subject: Re: can an IAL really work?
Message-ID: <elnaE6K1qE.3Cs@netcom.com>
Organization: Esperanto League for North America, Inc.
References: <853605030.2652@dejanews.com> <7fhgixpoaz.fsf_-_@phoenix.cs.hku.hk> <elnaE6Bxq8.Bxx@netcom.com> <7fsp2ewb94.fsf@phoenix.cs.hku.hk>
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 05:25:25 GMT
Sender: elna@netcom6.netcom.com
Lines: 36

sdlee@cs.hku.hk (Lee Sau Dan ~{@nJX6X~}) writes in a recent posting (reference <7fsp2ewb94.fsf@phoenix.cs.hku.hk>):
>
>What do you mean by "non-national"?  Do you can't the various Japanese
>dialects, Chinese dialects and Filipino dialects?
>
FWIW I notice that your command of English, although quite good, is
still sometimes spotty, so that little errors creep in. I doubt that a 
single post of yours is error-free. However, your Esperanto posts (which
appear regularly in soc.culture.esperanto) are usually perfectly written.
How long have you studied English? Esperanto?
>
>    Esperanto> Well, perhaps my case is unique. I have studied both
>    Esperanto> German and French, the two languages most similar to
>    Esperanto> English (with the possible exception of Frisian), and I
>
>I'm not sure, but is Dutch or German closer to English?
>
Probably Dutch, but don't forget that Dutch was considered a dialect
of Deutsch until quite recently. I also suggested Frisian (a dialect
of Dutch? or a separate language?) as the closest.

>BTW, French  belongs to  the   Romance language family  while  English
>belongs  to the Germanic  family.  Why do  you  say French is close to
>English?  Because of  the  Norman Conquest? 

No, not merely because of this piece of history, yet largely due to it.
Many aspects of modern English grammar are derived from French, not Germanic.
And of course, great quantities of vocabulary were fused in during the time
of French rule.


-- 
Miko SLOPER              elna@netcom.com              USA  (510) 653 0998
Direktoro de la          ftp.netcom.com:/pub/el/elna   fax (510) 653 1468 
Centra Oficejo de la     Learn Esperanto! Free lessons: e-mail/snail-mail
Esperanto-Ligo de N.A.   Write to above address or call:  1-800-ESPERANTO
