Have you ever thought that English is not a normal language? John McWhorter, professor of linguistics and American studies at Columbia University, seems to think so. He comes to this conclusion by comparing the Anglo-Saxon language with other languages.
Some reasons that make English so odd are that it excludes many features that language usually displays like applying gender to nouns, third person singular present tense peculiarities, the usage of ‘do’ which is actually very Celtic, and the fact that it has accommodated thousands of loan words from various languages. The essay is humorous and written with the understanding and insight of a linguist. For instance, McWhorter is able to identify how the Scandinavians actually spoiled Old English and in the process made the language easier.
“Thus the story of English, from when it hit British shores 1,600 years ago to today, is that of a language becoming delightfully odd. Much more has happened to it in that time than to any of its relatives, or to most languages on Earth.”
It’s not often that you get to read a humorous piece on the history of the English language. Don’t miss reading this one! Here it is: English is not Normal.
