2006-10-08 02:36:26 · 12 answers · asked by shlomogon 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Do other languages have so many? Which langugages?
2006-10-08 02:36:49 · update #1
English is extremely young, only about 1000 years old. For a language, that is very young!
It is actually a mixture (blend) of southern saxon (=northern german), norwegian and french.
The number of synonyms comes from the fact that all these "mother-languages" (or source languages) had a word for a certain meaning.
Example: cranky/sick/ill (today's english)
krank = german for sick/ill
sick = comes from southern saxon/dutch "siech", means the same
ill = same word coming from scandinavian languages (all scandinavian languages are only various dialects of the same language!)
So, since the english language derrived so recently from all their intruders' languages, you will have some words that mean the same, but come from various sources or cultures.
2006-10-08 03:56:53 · answer #1 · answered by albgardis T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So Many Synonyms
2016-12-18 14:57:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
English words derive from many different languages, so the same word derived from the French could have a synonym derived from the German. Also, more common words tend to have more synonyms. Hence the proverbial 14 word for snow in Inuit.
2006-10-08 02:41:13 · answer #3 · answered by WendyD1999 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because early England was invaded by the Romans, then the Saxons. The British then built a tremendously large empire (ever hear the saying, "The sun never sets on the British Empire"), and more words were brought in from farflung places like Africa, India, China ("tea" is from Chinese), and the Americas. Even more words were added to (especially American) English for animals from Native American languages.
2006-10-08 13:53:13 · answer #4 · answered by The Doctor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, English is a fairly young language and does not have too many words. If you study Arabic, which is at least 2000 years old and a direct descendent of a much more ancient language, Aramaic, the number of synonyms is amazing.
2006-10-08 02:46:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The English language us the largest vocabulary in the world. The reason it has so many synonyms is because they all have slightly different meanings, and implications. This means it's easier to be completely accurate, but for learners of English, it makes it more difficult to be accurate, as there's a lot more to learn.
2006-10-08 09:44:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Wendy has the main reason. English has such a mixed ancestry. There are a few Celtic words from the earliest known inhabitants of Albion, words from the Angles/Saxons/Jutes who came from the continent, words from the Danes who invaded later, words from the Norman French after 1066, and words added later, generally coined from Latin or Greek.
One good example:
Kingly - Pertaining to a king. Anglo-Saxon
Royal - Same, from French "roi", king.
Regal - Samr, coined from Latin "regus", king
Many languages resist words from outside - French is a prime example. They want to keep French "pure". Never mind that it is bastard Latin in the first place. English has always embraced words from other sources.
2006-10-08 03:59:44 · answer #7 · answered by dollhaus 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Although there are many synonyms, they do not mean exactly the same thing. Usually one word is more appropriate than another in a given situation.
2006-10-08 02:41:07 · answer #8 · answered by rscanner 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
thats the word and you fell free to use other words which means the same that is the right of the english people and so with other languages
2006-10-08 02:42:14 · answer #9 · answered by Jesus M 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
english is made of lot diffrent languages and that's why it has to much synonmyms.....hope I helped
2006-10-08 04:11:20 · answer #10 · answered by Zoe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋