2007-07-20 07:35:59 · 7 answers · asked by geyamala 7 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
A better question would be to ask why "most U.S. citizens" feel that way. Many other countries and cultures are a more accepting of the languages of their neighbors and a higher percentage of Europeans speak multiple languages (vs. U.S. Citizens). As a culture and a country we are VERY young and a certain amount of immaturity comes with that cultural adolescence.
That said - there are certainly people from every culture that find humor in things that are different from the norm that they know. This is usually a sign of immaturity and something we would all do well to recognize in ourselves before we show our ignorance.
2007-07-20 07:50:23 · answer #1 · answered by moleary1018 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well, I believe that a lot of languages are funny.
I believe it's funny that all nouns in Spanish have either male or female denotations. Even potatoes are "female."
I think it's funny that the Japanese will take word phrases and adopt them into their language simply by making them "sound" Japanese. In Japanese, the actual spoken term for an egg salad sandwich is "Egu-sarada Sanduichi."
I think that it's funny that in German, the way to form new words is by stringing old ones together, so that some of the more recent words in the German lexicon are ridiculously long and near impossible to spell.
And here in the United States, we have so many colloquial language differences it's not funny. Depending on where you are, if you want a sandwich you have to ask for a hero, a hoagie, a grinder, or a sub. If you travel across the country and ask for a "soda" you will get different things from different places. And some places almost have a language all their own (like the places in New England where if you want a milk shake you have to ask for a "cabinet".)
I think language is a funny thing in general. But funny in an interesting and fascinating way. Not in a way that is demeaning or insulting. We should all be having more fun with language.
2007-07-20 16:45:09 · answer #2 · answered by Dominus 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What horrible wording for your question. First of all people do not feel that their language is appropriate and others are not, people tend to feel other languages are funny sounding because they are not familiar with them. They sound funny only because we are not used to them. I know we just moved to Romania and when we arrived the language sounded so odd but now after a few months even though I cannot understand it yet it is sound less and less odd everyday and more familiar. I can even pick out words now and see the separation between the words and sentences.
2007-07-20 14:46:07 · answer #3 · answered by Petra 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We, in the US, seem to feel this way--which is ironic, considering that we 'borrowed' words and phrases from so many other countries.
I think it has to do with the fact that here, we are not taught foreign languages until high school - where as in many other countries, the students are taught English at very early ages (before they seem so hard to learn, and 'foreign').
2007-07-20 14:57:13 · answer #4 · answered by Holiday Magic 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think the reason why is because people are so unfamiliar with it that the way they grew up, they're shielded from it. So after a while, they're just accustomed to it so much that they like it the way.
2007-07-20 14:46:01 · answer #5 · answered by t3h_hul|<_1sh_m3h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its Xenophobia, not zenophobia.
People have a predilection toward liking what they understand and trying to discredit that which they do not understand.
2007-07-20 18:07:14 · answer #6 · answered by cavassi 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because we're all secretly zenophobic.
Wait, that's a greek word and I hate the greeks!
2007-07-20 14:42:38 · answer #7 · answered by Pete N 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋