CCC Makes Me Feel Stupid
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I always suspected it... :rolleyes:
If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles]About Rajesh? Yeah, but he sure can talk the talk, can't he? ;) OT: How's Matteo? My Matteo is doing well :)
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
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CPallini wrote:
I'm a pretty dumb old dog
Holy crap, Carlo. We could finally agree on something. :laugh:
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
You...........................:mad:.....................................
C#coder!!!!!!! :laugh:If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles] -
Okay, here's the thing: I'm a pretty bright guy. I'm no Einstein, but most folks would call me sharp as a tree. Or tack, whatever. ;) I read 30+ good, thick books on deep subjects a year, not to mention piles of technical literature. I even write articles and have a publishing contract. So what, exactly, is preventing my brain from getting CCC? Lol...I even read Solving The Cryptic Crossword Clues[^] to get smarter about it! I completely get the idea and when I read the answers I completely understand the justification/explanation. But 1-2 minutes, people? Seriously? I stared at one for 20 minutes once as the answers piled in, and when I came up with 3 or 4 different attempts I checked the first poster (about 1 minute in) and I was waaaaaaaaay off. I'm going to stick to programming...
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About Rajesh? Yeah, but he sure can talk the talk, can't he? ;) OT: How's Matteo? My Matteo is doing well :)
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
How's Matteo?
Fine, the usual little pest (and my second born Siro is fine too), thank you.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
My Matteo Samuel is doing well
Happy to hear this, Cheers :)
If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles] -
Dalek Dave wrote:
English is huge and growing, spoken by more people than any other language, and is easy to learn. Sure, it has it's idiom and irregular verbs, but no more than French.
While the very basics of English are easy, approaching anywhere near conversational level is very difficult for a non-native speaker to learn, specifically because it is huge and growing. Some features like collective nouns (school of fish, pride of lions) exist in other languages, but nowhere near with the extent and variety of English. English also uses the same word stolen adopted from other languages for different purposes: shit (Old English), crap (Middle English), feces (Latin), dung (Old Norse) and stool (Old German) all mean the same thing, but are typically used in very different contexts. English is also unique in having different words for the same thing, where the only difference is whether it is an agricultural product (pig, cow, sheep, deer, flax) or being used (pork, beef, mutton, venison, linen.) English also has a very large number of dialects, some of which are mutually unintelligible. While many people in India speak English, it is effectively a different language from what I grew up with in the western US. All in all, English is not an easy language to learn.
Gregory.Gadow wrote:
English is also unique in having different words for the same thing
I challenge you to find a language that accomplishes that feat in greater magnitude than the Arabic language. I'll give you some examples. There are 53 words for lion and 109 words for love. No exaggeration. The "proper" Arabic dictionary is a whopping 8 volumes which traces the etymology of any word to its 2/3/4 letter origin from which all other related words branch. Arabic is an incredibly articulate language. Having said that, I speak English at a far, far, FAR better level than I do Arabic, English being my maternal tongue, both in the sense that my Mother is a Canadian and I was raised in Canada :)
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
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:laugh: 5 is as high as I can go on this forum Rajesh! OT: Masoor Dal (Arabic Style) is great, isn't it? :) Are you going to roll your own or are you going to join me on byteintothis.wordpress.com[^]
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
5 is as high as I can go on this forum Rajesh!
I'll forgive you for that if you'd kindly vote on my other messages to compensate. :laugh:
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Masoor Dal (Arabic Style) is great, isn't it?
I've really not had it in Arabic style (could try that some time). And on the blogging front, I think I could join you, but a bit tied up at the moment and so won't commit a thing. I've a list of recipes that I thought I could start with. Will write to you. :)
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
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You...........................:mad:.....................................
C#coder!!!!!!! :laugh:If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles]:laugh: :laugh: Well, that was quite abusive!
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
How's Matteo?
Fine, the usual little pest (and my second born Siro is fine too), thank you.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
My Matteo Samuel is doing well
Happy to hear this, Cheers :)
If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles]Forgive me, I did not know that your second was named Siro *bows* I'm ecstatic to know that your boys are great and doing their job of being pests!
CPallini wrote:
My Matteo Samuel is doing well
Samo (Samuel, but we call him Samo) is my first born and can be a pest at times. Mathew [Matteo ;)] is my second, he is 2 months 16 days today :)
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
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You...........................:mad:.....................................
C#coder!!!!!!! :laugh:If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles]Oooooooh! The gloves come off! :-D
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
5 is as high as I can go on this forum Rajesh!
I'll forgive you for that if you'd kindly vote on my other messages to compensate. :laugh:
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Masoor Dal (Arabic Style) is great, isn't it?
I've really not had it in Arabic style (could try that some time). And on the blogging front, I think I could join you, but a bit tied up at the moment and so won't commit a thing. I've a list of recipes that I thought I could start with. Will write to you. :)
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
Done, I'll be waiting for your email :)
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
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Forgive me, I did not know that your second was named Siro *bows* I'm ecstatic to know that your boys are great and doing their job of being pests!
CPallini wrote:
My Matteo Samuel is doing well
Samo (Samuel, but we call him Samo) is my first born and can be a pest at times. Mathew [Matteo ;)] is my second, he is 2 months 16 days today :)
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Samo (Samuel, but we call him Samo) is my first born and can be a pest at times. Mathew [Matteo ] is my second, he is 2 months 16 days today
:-O Cheers, :)
If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles] -
See, now to truly impress, you'll have to work "educated dumbass" into your CCC. ;)
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Gregory.Gadow wrote:
English is also unique in having different words for the same thing
I challenge you to find a language that accomplishes that feat in greater magnitude than the Arabic language. I'll give you some examples. There are 53 words for lion and 109 words for love. No exaggeration. The "proper" Arabic dictionary is a whopping 8 volumes which traces the etymology of any word to its 2/3/4 letter origin from which all other related words branch. Arabic is an incredibly articulate language. Having said that, I speak English at a far, far, FAR better level than I do Arabic, English being my maternal tongue, both in the sense that my Mother is a Canadian and I was raised in Canada :)
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
I challenge you to find a language that accomplishes that feat in greater magnitude than the Arabic language. I'll give you some examples. There are 53 words for lion and 109 words for love. No exaggeration.
Not quite the same thing. In English, "lion" and "lioness" are not different words for the same thing but different words for different things. Some languages have finer distinctions than others: Some of those 53 words that would translate into English as "lion" actually mean "old lion", "alpha lioness" and so forth. For example, Modern Greek has several words that can translate into English as "love" but which actually carry distinctions not made in English: agape means true love from the heart, eros means sensual love, filios means friendship and loyalty and storge is affectionate love, such as between a parent and child. These are not four different words for love; these are four different words for four different concepts. Another distinction is that many of the 53 and 109 words represent dialectic and regional differences. Take, for example, the words "truck" and "lorry." Yes, two different words for the same thing. But in a practical sense, only one of these exist in a given dialect. Likewise with your observation. As I recall, the Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia has a different word for "lion" than the Arabic spoken in Egypt, both of which are different from the words used in Morocco and southern Sudan. This is why I noted that there are mutually unintelligible dialects of English: while the underlying language is the same, there is enough variation in vocabulary, syntatic patterns and manner of speaking that they are effectively different languages. The same diversity of dialects exists in many languages: the Spanish used in a Nicaraguan village is very different from the Spanish spoken in Madrid. In contrast, my scatological list (oops, I forgot to add "scat", from Greek) are different words for the same thing, all of which can be (and often are) used by speakers of the same dialect of English. Very few languages have this kind of linguistic variety, mostly because English is a bully: it doesn't borrow vocabulary, it follows other languages down dark alleys and robs them at knifepoint.
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
I challenge you to find a language that accomplishes that feat in greater magnitude than the Arabic language. I'll give you some examples. There are 53 words for lion and 109 words for love. No exaggeration.
Not quite the same thing. In English, "lion" and "lioness" are not different words for the same thing but different words for different things. Some languages have finer distinctions than others: Some of those 53 words that would translate into English as "lion" actually mean "old lion", "alpha lioness" and so forth. For example, Modern Greek has several words that can translate into English as "love" but which actually carry distinctions not made in English: agape means true love from the heart, eros means sensual love, filios means friendship and loyalty and storge is affectionate love, such as between a parent and child. These are not four different words for love; these are four different words for four different concepts. Another distinction is that many of the 53 and 109 words represent dialectic and regional differences. Take, for example, the words "truck" and "lorry." Yes, two different words for the same thing. But in a practical sense, only one of these exist in a given dialect. Likewise with your observation. As I recall, the Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia has a different word for "lion" than the Arabic spoken in Egypt, both of which are different from the words used in Morocco and southern Sudan. This is why I noted that there are mutually unintelligible dialects of English: while the underlying language is the same, there is enough variation in vocabulary, syntatic patterns and manner of speaking that they are effectively different languages. The same diversity of dialects exists in many languages: the Spanish used in a Nicaraguan village is very different from the Spanish spoken in Madrid. In contrast, my scatological list (oops, I forgot to add "scat", from Greek) are different words for the same thing, all of which can be (and often are) used by speakers of the same dialect of English. Very few languages have this kind of linguistic variety, mostly because English is a bully: it doesn't borrow vocabulary, it follows other languages down dark alleys and robs them at knifepoint.
Gregory.Gadow wrote:
it follows other languages down dark alleys and robs them at knifepoint.
I am going to have use that line!
------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC League Table Link CCC Link[^]
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
I challenge you to find a language that accomplishes that feat in greater magnitude than the Arabic language. I'll give you some examples. There are 53 words for lion and 109 words for love. No exaggeration.
Not quite the same thing. In English, "lion" and "lioness" are not different words for the same thing but different words for different things. Some languages have finer distinctions than others: Some of those 53 words that would translate into English as "lion" actually mean "old lion", "alpha lioness" and so forth. For example, Modern Greek has several words that can translate into English as "love" but which actually carry distinctions not made in English: agape means true love from the heart, eros means sensual love, filios means friendship and loyalty and storge is affectionate love, such as between a parent and child. These are not four different words for love; these are four different words for four different concepts. Another distinction is that many of the 53 and 109 words represent dialectic and regional differences. Take, for example, the words "truck" and "lorry." Yes, two different words for the same thing. But in a practical sense, only one of these exist in a given dialect. Likewise with your observation. As I recall, the Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia has a different word for "lion" than the Arabic spoken in Egypt, both of which are different from the words used in Morocco and southern Sudan. This is why I noted that there are mutually unintelligible dialects of English: while the underlying language is the same, there is enough variation in vocabulary, syntatic patterns and manner of speaking that they are effectively different languages. The same diversity of dialects exists in many languages: the Spanish used in a Nicaraguan village is very different from the Spanish spoken in Madrid. In contrast, my scatological list (oops, I forgot to add "scat", from Greek) are different words for the same thing, all of which can be (and often are) used by speakers of the same dialect of English. Very few languages have this kind of linguistic variety, mostly because English is a bully: it doesn't borrow vocabulary, it follows other languages down dark alleys and robs them at knifepoint.
Gregory.Gadow wrote:
Another distinction is that many of the 53 and 109 words represent dialectic and regional differences. Take, for example, the words "truck" and "lorry." Yes, two different words for the same thing. But in a practical sense, only one of these exist in a given dialect. Likewise with your observation. As I recall, the Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia has a different word for "lion" than the Arabic spoken in Egypt, both of which are different from the words used in Morocco and southern Sudan.
Yes and no. The words I referred to are in what is referred to as Classical Arabic, the root from which all other dialects emerge no matter how mutually unintelligible they may become. Indeed, I've actually seen an Iraqi and an Algerian fall back to Classical Arabic and they understood each other perfectly. It was humorous I grant you but because it was out of the ordinary. Anyhow, the 53 & 109 are from classical Arabic and are understood across the whole board. However, you are right in that they represent refinements. "Asad" (Hafez Al-Asad anyone?) and "Durgham" both mean lion in Arabic, but they are refined to mean a lion in the generic sense and an old lion that is still "proud". There is a similarity in the sense that different "classes" will refer to the same thing by different names. "Dinar" "floos", "mallim" (French millime" and "leira" (from the Italian Lira) are all money and all mean the same denomination, but depending on the context and class, usage is defined. And that's just in Amman.
Gregory.Gadow wrote:
it doesn't borrow vocabulary, it follows other languages down dark alleys and robs them at knifepoint.
Oh I'll agree to that :-D
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
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Gregory.Gadow wrote:
it follows other languages down dark alleys and robs them at knifepoint.
I am going to have use that line!
------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC League Table Link CCC Link[^]
Then you might like this one. English is like a woman's purse: full of things you don't need, and the one thing you do need you can't find. If you wanted to make it a tad less sexist, I would suggest comparing English to a COBOL manual or a political speech. :laugh:
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Gregory.Gadow wrote:
Another distinction is that many of the 53 and 109 words represent dialectic and regional differences. Take, for example, the words "truck" and "lorry." Yes, two different words for the same thing. But in a practical sense, only one of these exist in a given dialect. Likewise with your observation. As I recall, the Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia has a different word for "lion" than the Arabic spoken in Egypt, both of which are different from the words used in Morocco and southern Sudan.
Yes and no. The words I referred to are in what is referred to as Classical Arabic, the root from which all other dialects emerge no matter how mutually unintelligible they may become. Indeed, I've actually seen an Iraqi and an Algerian fall back to Classical Arabic and they understood each other perfectly. It was humorous I grant you but because it was out of the ordinary. Anyhow, the 53 & 109 are from classical Arabic and are understood across the whole board. However, you are right in that they represent refinements. "Asad" (Hafez Al-Asad anyone?) and "Durgham" both mean lion in Arabic, but they are refined to mean a lion in the generic sense and an old lion that is still "proud". There is a similarity in the sense that different "classes" will refer to the same thing by different names. "Dinar" "floos", "mallim" (French millime" and "leira" (from the Italian Lira) are all money and all mean the same denomination, but depending on the context and class, usage is defined. And that's just in Amman.
Gregory.Gadow wrote:
it doesn't borrow vocabulary, it follows other languages down dark alleys and robs them at knifepoint.
Oh I'll agree to that :-D
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
And Classical Arabic is a still different dialect, distinct from the colloquial Arabic dialects used in different Arabic-speaking countries. ;P I never meant to imply that English is the only language with different words that mean the same exact thing, only that it takes it to a much further extreme than other languages. That is one of the things that makes English a very difficult language for non-native speakers to learn.
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Whilst, of course, intelligence and knowledge are required, the main attribute you need is a cerebrum like a spiral staircase!
------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC League Table Link CCC Link[^]
If it's like yours, Dave, it's more like a corkscrew.
Software Zen:
delete this; -
And Classical Arabic is a still different dialect, distinct from the colloquial Arabic dialects used in different Arabic-speaking countries. ;P I never meant to imply that English is the only language with different words that mean the same exact thing, only that it takes it to a much further extreme than other languages. That is one of the things that makes English a very difficult language for non-native speakers to learn.
Gregory.Gadow wrote:
And Classical Arabic is a still different dialect, distinct from the colloquial Arabic dialects used in different Arabic-speaking countries.
LOL. I don't know if you can consider it a different dialect. I don't know of any analog. Its somewhat akin to colloquial everyday spoken "language" as opposed to the proper well written, grammaticality correct and proper vernacular of the same language with all the letters properly pronounced. That's how you'll find the "G" (as in George) equivalent in Arabic pronounced as such by North African Arabs who would colloquially pronounce it as "G" as in Gastronomy. Whereas North African Arabs west of Egypt will pronounce the "Q" (as in Quiet) properly in their everyday vernacular its pronounced as "K" (as in cull) or even "'A" (no English equivalent :)).
Gregory.Gadow wrote:
That is one of the things that makes English a very difficult language for non-native speakers to learn.
Same Arabic. I left Canada 13 years ago and I still don't have a full grasp of the Arabic language as I do of the English language.
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]? Food[]
