Unfortunately for the thin-skinned, modern colloquial English reflects its melting pot heritage moreso than any other language. To quote an author whose name for the moment escapes me, "English doesn't just borrow from other languages, it follows them down dark alleys, knocks them over the head, and goes though their pockts for loose bits of grammar."
Fortunately for us (and any foreigners with a sense of humor) for every example where we've inadvertently embarassed or insulted someone by a linguistic faux pas, there are a dozen more where we've done it ot ourselves. When GM/Chevrolet was getting set to introduce a sporty, midsize car to the Central and South American markets, they spent tens of millions on ad campaigns and studies without anyone realizing the simple truth that in the most prevalent language of the region the car's name translated from 'Nova' to 'Doesn't Go".
20th March 2007, 05:07 PM
Threaded Mode