Funny things in languages

[skanthan]

Indha programme engalhukku romba useful thaan. because romba rare questions ellaam eeasiya handle pandrathukku teach pandraanga. of course yenga examukku lightaa study panninaalae high score marks thaan definite.

Sudhama,

It would be lovely if we could see the above sentence again with the Sanskrit words in place of the English words, which I have highlighted in bold. Please could you post that sentence again, this time with the Sanskrit words in place of the English words? Thank you.

Oh, So you are testing me.?... My dear SKANDA,

OK.. Here it follows

Indha Prayoga paddhathi engalhukku romba upayoakam thaan. kaaranham romba Apoorva prasnangalh ellaam sulabhamaa prayoachanam pandrathukku upadesam pandraanga. Nis-sandhaehama yenga Pareekshaikkukku laghuvaa prayathnam panninaalae apaaramaana Palam thaan Nischayam

.

Thank you.

[skanthan]

To the interested hubbers. Here is the above sentence again repeated in Tamil script.

இந்த ப்ரயோக பத்ததி எங்களுக்கு ரொம்ப உபயோகம் தான். காரணம் ரொம்ப அபூர்வ ப்ரச்'னங்கள் எல்லாம் ஸுலபமா ப்ரயோஜனம் பன்றதுக்கு உபதேச'ம் பன்றாங்க. நி:ஸந்தேஹம் எங்க பரிக்ஷைக்குக்கு லகுவா ப்ரயத்நம் பன்னினாலே அபாரமான பலம் தான் நிச்'சயம்.

[app_engine]

Yesterday a Detroiter was having trouble understanding 'sunAyA' v/s 'suniyE' in Hindi (one is make others listen and the other is listen).

I've explained him the difference and identified a couple more of similar construct in Hindi. I wonder why they've chosen such similarly sounding words for complementary actions

sunthA - सुनता - listen
sunAtha - सुनाता - make others listen (or, tell)

seekhtA - सीखता - learn
sikhAtA - सिखाता - make others learn (i.e. teach)

samajtA - समझता - understand
samjAtA - समझाता - make others understand (i.e. explain)

If someone is newly learning to read Hindi (with its many rules as to when to add "a" and when not etc), this can be really confusing!

[venkkiram]

Some funny sentences in English:

The farm was used to produce produce.

I did not object to the object.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

Boxing rings are square.

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

They were too close to the door to close it.

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

I was proven right that I had the right of way.

[app_engine]

U.S. first lady's name is Michelle (தமிழில் : மிஷெல்).

See how the Thamizh news papers report her visit to India :

http://www.dailythanthi.com/article....date=11/8/2010

Michelle = மிச்செலி

ஒபாமா, மிச்செலி இருவருமே, "மீ ஹாய் கோலி" என்ற பாடலுக்கு ஏற்றவாறு குழந்தைகளுடன் நடனமாடினார்கள்

[app_engine]

Small improvement in dinathanthi today

Now Michelle = மிச்செல் (அப்படியாக அவுங்க "எலி" இல்லைன்னுட்டாங்க)

http://www.dailythanthi.com/article....date=11/9/2010

[Querida]

A Poem that I often share with students when they inquire about the differences in English Prounciation...I often find that new learners of English say the words as they are spelled...and are taken aback when they are told the word is pronounced quite differently:

"I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you
On hiccough, thorough, slough, and through.
Well don't! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard but sounds like bird.
And dead: it's said like bed, not bead,
For goodness sake don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).
A moth is not a moth as in mother
Nor both as in bother, nor broth as in brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear, for bear and pear.
And then there's dose and rose and lose--
Just look them up--and goose and choose
And cork and work and card and ward
And font and front and word and sword
And do and go, then thwart and cart,
Come, come! I've hardly made a start.
A dreadful Language? Why man alive!
I learned to talk it when I was five.
And yet to write it, the more I tried,
I hadn't learned it at fifty-five."

[app_engine]

Querida,
Nice one!