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Is English considered a pretty language by non-English speakers?

Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:24 pm
Posted by HailHailtoMichigan!
Mission Viejo, CA
Member since Mar 2012
71539 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:24 pm
Languages are often characterized as ugly (german, Vietnamese) or pretty (French, Italian) in the way they sound

Where does English fall in those categories? It is a Germanic language similar to german so maybe non English speakers find it cacophonous/ugly?
Posted by Shenanigans
Spring Hill, TN
Member since Nov 2012
2401 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:26 pm to
I don't really give a flying frick what non-English speakers think, but that's just me.
Posted by Gnarkill
Member since Aug 2017
382 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:27 pm to
Well it's the language that's ruled the world for the better part of the past 600 or so years, so I don't really GAF what they think of it as long as they bend the knee.
Posted by East Coast Band
Member since Nov 2010
65855 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:29 pm to
Southern English is prettier than Yankee English.
Posted by tigerbandpiccolo
Member since Oct 2005
49383 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:29 pm to
Not American English.

From what I've been told, English isn't a soft language like Spanish and Italian. But American English is harsher than British English. I was told that the Brits much prefer the Southern accent from the US. Said it's much softer and more pleasant to the ears.
Posted by LucasP
Member since Apr 2012
21618 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:30 pm to
My ancestors came from Germany so technically I'm not an English speaker, I think it sounds like trash.
Posted by OldSouth
Folsom, LA
Member since Oct 2011
10970 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:30 pm to
I've never heard it called ugly by Europeans but they do think it sounds slow and arduous.
Posted by HailHailtoMichigan!
Mission Viejo, CA
Member since Mar 2012
71539 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:30 pm to
quote:

Southern English is prettier than Yankee English.
No doubt. By far the prettiest english accent is the non-rhotic southern accent (tidewater accent)

Literally no form of english is prettier anywhere in the world
This post was edited on 8/29/17 at 9:31 pm
Posted by tigerstripedjacket
This side of the wall
Member since Sep 2011
3107 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:32 pm to
quote:

Where does English fall in those categories? It


quote:

cacophonous/ugly
Posted by Gaston
Dirty Coast
Member since Aug 2008
41208 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:42 pm to
French is the language of love, Spanish is the language of passion, English is the language of business. That's how I've heard it.
Posted by DoUrden
UnderDark
Member since Oct 2011
25965 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:43 pm to
Nope, Italian and French are, but frick the Italians speak 90 MPH!!!
Posted by deeprig9
Unincorporated Ozora
Member since Sep 2012
70540 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:49 pm to
Central and South Americans have told me English sounds like dogs barking.

Posted by HempHead
Big Sky Country
Member since Mar 2011
56314 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:58 pm to
Posted by Kino74
Denham springs
Member since Nov 2013
5359 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 9:59 pm to
There is a YouTube video on what english sounds like to a non english speaker.

what english sounds like



Also there is one where it's how far we can go back and still understand english.

How far back
This post was edited on 8/29/17 at 10:02 pm
Posted by gatorrocks
Lake Mary, FL
Member since Oct 2007
13989 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 10:00 pm to
What version of English?

Ebonics or normal?
Posted by Easy
Los Angeles
Member since Dec 2008
5687 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 10:02 pm to
Mostly ugly. Like a Slavic language sounds to us I think.

LINK

In my opinion the best English accent is West Indian. It has a rhythm to it.
Posted by HempHead
Big Sky Country
Member since Mar 2011
56314 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 10:04 pm to
quote:

In my opinion the best English accent is West Indian. It has a rhythm to it.



me told she not do that

come come
Posted by SlapahoeTribe
Tiger Nation
Member since Jul 2012
12283 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 10:08 pm to
It's not viewed as one of the great romantic languages like Hungarian or Italian; there was a time when most of Europe wrote almost all of their works of entertainment in Italian because it was considered the most beautiful language.

English didn't really get much acclaim until Shakespeare came along and brought it into its heyday.

English is somewhat set apart because of our speed of speech. Linguist who study such things have determined that we have a much lower syllable-to-information ratio that most languages. That is part of the reason so many other people sound like they are talking fast when in truth we're purveying ideas at the same speed - we just use less "sounds" to do it.

The double edge of that sword, however, is our shite-pile of grammar rules that don't apply half of the time. Add to that our use of a frickton of understood-but-not-spoken words, and our use of inflection to change a word's meaning, and you quickly find yourself understanding why it isn't considered a precise language like German.

But it is the world's most spoken language and the most common second language.
Posted by biglego
San Francisco
Member since Nov 2007
80357 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 10:11 pm to
No one considers American English to be pleasant so it's always been a little surprising the best and most popular lyrical music is in English.
Posted by HempHead
Big Sky Country
Member since Mar 2011
56314 posts
Posted on 8/29/17 at 10:13 pm to
quote:

No one considers American English to be pleasant so it's always been a little surprising the best and most popular lyrical music is in English.



There are benefits to having two consecutive worldwide empires that speak English, ya know.
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