Second Language

[amenotatsujin]

Is it possible to completely learn two languages without becoming slightly deficient in one or both?

[Justin]

Yes it is!

As far as "completely", I'm not certain anyone can claim they've completely learned a language. We're never going to quit learning more about language and semantics.

[perplexity]

A good number of those who turn up to online forums use English as their second or third language, and often do better than others who claim it as their first language.

-- RH.

[pilgrimshost]

Isnt it intersting that the hebrew language, which has realy only just been reintroduced to the world after two thousand years of near total disuse.Used only by a number of jewish scholars and orthdox rabbis ever since,it wasnt until jews repatrioated back to Isreal in the early 20th century that they adopted it as their first language. So in effect hebrew is an ancient language which was beautifly preserved in its biblical form. Though in fact there there have been new vowels added to the original letters.

But my real point is this, how is it that an anceint language with its complex forms has a complicated mathamatical eliment which in effect performs in an amazing way? For instance the name for man translated into its numerical value then added to the value for woman it forms the value for child! So how is it that this language is so advanced yet so ancient. Im being very vague but the experts would agree. It seems logical that language should evolve and thus be more complex than its predisesor-in this case it appears not to be so!

[perplexity]

Originally Posted by pilgrimshost

For instance the name for man translated into its numerical value then added to the value for woman it forms the value for child!

That is odd.

I'd thought that their God told them to go forth and multiply.

-- RH.

[pilgrimshost]

ha ha,well done. I was wondering am I on the wrong path in this thread. I was thinking, now im getting more formiluar with this forum thing that I have to stick to the main topic(in this case philosophy). I realise I have to think of all the particular issues in this way, rather to go off on a tangent! You are a knowledgable philosopher, what would you suggest?

[perplexity]

Take it all with a pinch of salt.

[Aristoddler]

Go forth and child?

No...that's bad math.

[fromabove]

Originally Posted by amenotatsujin

Is it possible to completely learn two languages without becoming slightly deficient in one or both?

It is impossible to "completely" learn one single language,a specific language would change over time,new words are coined and outdated words are eliminated,is there anyone completely learned English?I don't think so.

[perplexity]

Originally Posted by fromabove

...is there anyone completely learned English?

I'd say that William Shakespeare did more than completely learn English; he invented a good deal of it.

There's a bit more than that to catch up on though, nowadays.

--- RH.