Question of the Week 9/26/08

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned so far this year, in or out of class?

Sam Parks , a senior English major, said he learned in his British literature class that the English language mostly comes from French and German, and that the implications of word selection relate to the language the words originated from.
“We use the romantic side, the French side, to say things that sound smart,” and we associate words that come from the German language with being simpler and more “to the point,” he said.
For example, he said, compare the French “cordial invitation” with the German “hearty welcome.”
Or, he added, look at the difference in the way we interpret “house,” which is German, and “mansion,” which comes from the French “maison.”