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[Viper]

The variances of pronunciations between our words as they are written are incredibly vast (largest of any language in fact).

For instance, colour is not pronounced the same as hour which IS pronounced the same as power. Because of this pronunciation diversity, simply altering the spelling isn't dumbing it down. Doing so would suggest it was done as a means to make it fit in with other words of similar text. But color doesn't have any other words of similar text -olor for which to provide association with.

Why it and others were changed is a debate with little to go by but simply to dumb it down is illogical.

[Garfunkel]

Jagwah!

[Z]

Originally Posted by Viper

Why it and others were changed is a debate with little to go by but simply to dumb it down is illogical.

It wasn't changed to dumb down the language. It was changed to give the new people of the new world (America) a unique identity. Webster had the most effect in that regards with his first 'American' publication which made his dictionary the second most popular book in NA after the Bible.

And as you said, linguists found many inconsistencies with Websters method of 'simplification', but again, technicalities and linguistic access weren't the reasons why he did it in the first place. It was about establishing a unique identity separate from Britain. That was vital for their future and for their survival.

It reminds me about the war of independence; it wasn't about independence at all, it was done in retaliation of higher taxes from Britain. Some may say that was the final straw, though.

[Garfunkel]

Higher taxes work.

[Viper]

Originally Posted by Garfunkel

Higher taxes work.

But not when you don't get a say in government.

[JasonXe]

what's wrong with "color"?

Im coloring in my coloring book.

[Garfunkel]

Originally Posted by Viper

But not when you don't get a say in government.

Aye.

[D3adcell]

Originally Posted by JasonXe

what's wrong with "color"?

Im coloring in my coloring book.

I don't think anyone here has a problem with colored folks jason.

[Z]

Windows 7 tops Vista in early consumer sales by more than 200%

[Garfunkel]

Really not surprised.

[masonite]

Originally Posted by frosty

I can't see how you could say a language that doesn't pronounce half the letters in it's words could be easier than english to learn. English can be tricky, but get a person who has never heard or read french to pronounce cest la vie or laissez les bon temps rouler properly just by reading it... good luck with that one. At least I can read german or spanish and get the pronunciation correct most of the time.

I personally support a unified Latin based net language, as we've been using it for 40 years (therefore most of the people online are familiar with it), and many of us won't even be able to type in some of these new web addresses. How will search engines cope with it? It raises a lot of questions.

I'm not saying it's easy to learn - but if you look at how those phrases you wrote are written by hand, they've got annotations on the letters to indicate different pronunciations, which tell the reader what sort of sound the word makes.
English doesn't have that. Words like "same" or "knife" have no annotation whatsoever as to which letters are silent - the reader basically just has to know. I can't speak french, and yet i know how to pronounce many french words - once you know their pronunciation, you can pretty much apply it to any words in their language, thanks to the annotations on the letters. And then theres the even more obscure english rules - like "i before e except after c", which afaict is just something thrown in there to make the whole thing even messier than it already is.

Again, im not saying it's easy to learn french, but english is notoriously hard, particularly for adults to pick up.

Still, it could be worse. It could be latin.

Windows 7 tops Vista in early consumer sales by more than 200%

I guess even boiled rice can seem like a feast if you keep people hungry enough

In all honesty though, I hope it's a decent improvement, I'm getting a bit sick of XP

[frosty]

Words like "same" or "knife" have no annotation whatsoever as to which letters are silent - the reader basically just has to know.

A lot of french words are this way also. temps in the above quote for instance... half that word is silent with the other half pronounced differently than read, and no indication to do so.

[Garfunkel]

The best language of all is German.

It sounds just so... dare I say, Sexy?

[curryking1]

Originally Posted by frosty

A lot of french words are this way also. temps in the above quote for instance... half that word is silent with the other half pronounced differently than read, and no indication to do so.

You're comparing the expected English pronunciation of 'temps' to the French pronunciation. Isn't that a little bit... I dunno... odd?

'Temps' as it's pronounced in French isn't an inconsistency in French. The last parts of words ending in a bunch of consonants in French are usually silent. There's no indication because that's a major rule in French. Long series of consonants ending words are only pronounced when a vowel follows them... that's why only the 'm' is pronounced.

And the beginning is the normal pronunciation with the vowel e in that sort of word... it's just like 'comment' you don't pronounce the 't' and the pronunciation on 'e' is the exact same as 'temps' with the 'ah' sound.

Very peculiar comparison there. The whole word is pronounced completely differently than compared to English, I'll give you that... even if it has nothing to do with pronunciation in French.

English is notoriously the hardest language to learn in the world. Especially for adults like masonite said. Mainly because it has by far the most special rules than any language (at least between stuff like contemporary European languages, I don't know anything about Eastern languages).

[frosty]

I do know that it is well known that english is the hardest language to learn, but french just didn't come across to me as a particularly easy one to learn either. I'd think Spanish would be the easiest of those i've tried to pick up on.

[curryking1]

All the romance languages have similar conventions. Respective rules are all very consistent also. I've met people who speak all of French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese and they've never said anything about French being more difficult than others.

That conjecture about pronunciation there was way off lol. Like... really... really far off and was inconsistent with a major rule in French. So I'm not sure what your experience is with all these languages lol, I dunno what 'picking up' constitutes.

I've learned French seriously for about 4 years and Spanish about 2 years--stopped learning both now--and neither I would call more difficult than the other, definitely not.

[Z]

'World-mode' iPhone due next year, says fanboi rumor


The Jobsian cult is hard at work on a "world-mode" iPhone capable of tapping both CDMA and GSM/UMTS wireless networks, according to the fanboi rumor mill.

Citing a report from investment research firm OTR Global - which cites unnamed sources in the Taiwanese handset supply chain - Apple Insider says this dual-standard Jobsian status symbol will arrive on Verizon's stateside CDMA network in the third quarter of 2010.

The idea is to build a single handset that can be sold to carriers across the globe. In the US, both Verizon and Sprint are still on CDMA.

According to Apple Insider citing OTR Global citing unnamed Taiwanese sources, an Asustek subsidiary will build Apple's hybrid iPhone - not current partner Hon Hai. Apparently, Steve Jobs doesn't want to be "constrained by a single-source assembler."

The rumor mill also says that Apple's world-mode iPhone will have a 2.8-inch screen, which would make it about 20 per cent smaller than today's 3.5-inch device. Previously, pics have appeared on the net indicating a 2.8-inch model is in the works.

In the US, today's UMTS-based iPhone is available solely on AT&T's second rate network, forcing Verizon into a partnership with the strangest of bedfellows: Google. Verizon is currently flooding the country with ads trumpeting its Google-based iPhone-challenger, which it insists on calling Droid. ®

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11..._iphone_rumor/

Smaller screen? I don't know, iPhones screen seems the perfect size. Sure, it is a little big than most smart phones, but I like it that way. I got an LG Renoir which has a screen of about 3" and it seems small because there is a lot of surface not covered by the screen. I love how the iPhone seems to not waste any face surface not covered by a screen.

[iSDK]

GSM currently allows them to sell a single version world wide.

I honestly don't see Apple making a version really just for Verizon. Jobs can be rather petty and Verizon snubbed him when he was first trying to sell the iPhone... makes for bad blood.

[Garfunkel]

Because he's a grungy old bastard, that's why.

[iSDK]

Originally Posted by Garfunkel

Because he's a grungy old bastard, that's why.

I don't think anyone would refute that, but since his return Apple has been rather quite profitable.