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   REPLY: 2:5075/128.130 4e484c2d   
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   Oops!  What I meant to say was:   
      
   Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:   
      
    AH>  If one has a dictionary which explains the etymology,    
    AH>  i.e. from whom we borrowed the word, it's easier to    
    AH>  understand spellings like "yacht" & "caught".       
      
      
              Perhaps I should have typed "knot", rather than "yacht"... but then   
   you might learn more, if you look up "yacht" for yourself, than you would have   
   learned if you are fairly content with what you already know about "knot".  My   
   point is that native speakers tend to struggle with these issues as well... so   
   what you are seeing in Dallas's message is our version of gallows humour.  :-)   
      
                      
      
    ak>  It is also a big question what percent of all English     
    ak>  words is known to all the people speaking English. ;)   
      
      
              No argument AFAIC.  When last I heard there were +/- half a million   
   words in the English language, not counting technical terms... but the average   
   social conversation included only about 300 of them.  I don't talk down to the   
   folks I meet in this echo, yet they seem to keep coming back for more....  :-Q   
      
      
      
    ak>  So, when speaking English, maybe it is a good idea to    
    ak>  simplify phrases and don't use old fashion words.    
      
      
              In some cases, yes.  In others it's sufficient if you get the drift   
   ... while people like Anton & me will have a wonderful time with material like   
   "lest thy clownish bearing discover thee".  I don't remember now what you were   
   asking about on that particular occasion... but I immediately added IVANHOE to   
   my "must-read" list & was not disappointed.  It's a good adventure story which   
   like most classics can be appreciated on a variety of levels, and as a teacher   
   I'm delighted when others can admit they have no idea what I'm babbling about.   
   In my experience very few junior high school students do that... and one of my   
   former students told me I was the only teacher he'd ever met who said "I don't   
   Inknow".  If you tell me you don't understand I can slow down or try rewording   
   what I said or get back to you when I've examined the matter further.   
      
              I'm quite in awe of those who can master a foreign alphabet, as you   
   have, in order to communicate with me.  I reckon we all have our talents.  :-)   
   --- timEd 386 1.10.y2k+   
      
      
      
      
   Area : Ardith's 14 Discussion   
      
   Date : Sat Jan 08, 20:14                                                   loc   
   From : alexander koryagin                                     2:153/7715 To     
   : Ardith Hinton                                          2:153/7715 Subj :   
   Confusion!!                                                             
   ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ   
   ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ   
      
   * Copied (from: English_Tutor) by Ardith Hinton using timEd/386 1.10.y2k+.   
      
   Hi, Ardith Hinton!   
   I read your message from 06.01.2022 23:56   
      
   Happy New Year!   
      
     DH>>  We speak of a brother and also of brethren... [etc.].   
     ak>>  For English learners it should be something more   
     ak>> positive.;-)   
     AH>           Understood.  Okay... in general, and on a more   
     AH> serious note:            1)  My native tongue has simplified   
     AH> various other inflections which caused a lot of grief when I   
     AH> was trying to learn French & German.            2)  If one   
     AH> has a dictionary which explains the etymology, i.e. from whom we   
     AH> borrowed the word, it's easier to understand spellings like "yacht"   
     AH> & "caught".  In short, we borrowed them from different languages.   
     AH> And once you know words like "scribe" in English, you can make    
   sense of   
     AH> headers written by people from Europe who've forgotten to change their   
     AH> language toggle....  :-))   
      
   It is also a big question what percent of all English words is known to all   
   the people speaking English. ;) So, when speaking English, maybe it is a good   
   idea to simplify phrases and don't use old fashion words.   
      
   Bye, Ardith!   
   Alexander Koryagin   
   fido.english_tutor 2022   
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