For those who don't think English is my first language

[PhotonGuy]

Some people on this forum have had the impression that english is not my first language. Well, as a matter of fact its my third. My first language is martial arts, my second language is math, so that would make english my third language.

 

[donald1]

 

[Xue Sheng]

Some people on this forum have had the impression that english is not my first language. Well, as a matter of fact its my third. My first language is martial arts, my second language is math, so that would make english my third language.

Problem is....Martial Arts and Math are not languages....although an argument could be made for math

language - the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Some people on this forum have had the impression that english is not my first language. Well, as a matter of fact its my third. My first language is martial arts, my second language is math, so that would make english my third language.

You practiced martial arts and math before you learned English?

Spanish is my first language. I'm not fluent in it anymore, and English is my main language, but technically Spanish was my first language.

 

[MA_Student]

Cool story bro

 

[JR 137]

I grew up speaking Armenian and English simultaneously. My father and his side of the family are all immigrants and none of them spoke a word of English to me until I was around high school age. My mother and her side only spoke English to me.

Which is my first language?

I’d say English, as that’s the language I was formally educated in, and I’m not capable of having a highly technical conversation, such as science, math, etc., in Armenian. I’d understand what’s being discussed, but I couldn’t use technical jargon.

Sorry, I just had to contribute my insignificant information to this thread.

 

[AngryHobbit]

Some people on this forum have had the impression that english is not my first language. Well, as a matter of fact its my third. My first language is martial arts, my second language is math, so that would make english my third language.

By that logic, I have Russian, Ukrainian, English, music, math, physics, literature, martial arts, and drawing as my languages. But I don't think that's quite it works. Although... like others here, I can see how math can count as a language - because it can be used for communicating certain ideas without much ambiguity.

If we follow Dictionary.com and define language as something used for communication, I would like to get a better explanation what exactly could be communicated through a martial art and how? You know... other than the obvious, "If you want to beat me up, I don't recommend it."

 

[Xue Sheng]

Well.....I can count to 10 in 6 languages...... does that mean I can speak them......hmmmm.....SURE...why not

 

[JR 137]

I pride myself in learning swear words in as many languages as possible. I need to know when someone’s insulting me. I know the worst phrases in at least a dozen languages. I learned them from friends who are native speakers, not the internet.

 

[AngryHobbit]

I pride myself in learning swear words in as many languages as possible. I need to know when someone’s insulting me. I know the worst phrases in at least a dozen languages. I learned them from friends who are native speakers, not the internet.

It's actually a great point of inner conflict for me. People keep asking me to teach them Russian swear words, and I don't want to, because I feel bad about propagating the belief that Russians only know how to drink and swear.

 

[AngryHobbit]

I grew up speaking Armenian and English simultaneously. My father and his side of the family are all immigrants and none of them spoke a word of English to me until I was around high school age. My mother and her side only spoke English to me.

Which is my first language?

I’d say English, as that’s the language I was formally educated in, and I’m not capable of having a highly technical conversation, such as science, math, etc., in Armenian. I’d understand what’s being discussed, but I couldn’t use technical jargon.

Sorry, I just had to contribute my insignificant information to this thread.

I don't know any Armenian, sadly, but I do have a few Armenian recipes my dad brought home from his many travels as an Aeroflot pilot. Do you cook Armenian food at home? Their cuisine is truly amazing.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I pride myself in learning swear words in as many languages as possible. I need to know when someone’s insulting me. I know the worst phrases in at least a dozen languages. I learned them from friends who are native speakers, not the internet.

There are some insults in North China that in the USA would not be all that insulting if they were insulting at all. In North China...it would get you punched in the head.

 

[JR 137]

I don't know any Armenian, sadly, but I do have a few Armenian recipes my dad brought home from his many travels as an Aeroflot pilot. Do you cook Armenian food at home? Their cuisine is truly amazing.

Sadly I don’t cook much Armenian food. I’d be the only one eating it. And the stuff I really want takes pretty much all day to cook.

The only thing I semi regularly cook is shish kabob. I use my uncles’ recipe for pork and chicken. It’s a work in progress. It’s great until you eat my uncles’, then it’s just acceptable.

 

[JR 137]

There are some insults in North China that in the USA would not be all that insulting if they were insulting at all. In North China...it would get you punched in the head.

I’ve found there are a lot of insults in other languages that either don’t translate very well/don’t make sense here, or are just not ready insulting here. For example, a good Armenian insult literally translates as “dog’s protege” in English, and it doesn’t have a rough translation nor connotation of “son of a *****,” which would be an entirely different phrase in Armenian. Equally and perhaps more insulting though.

 

[JR 137]

It's actually a great point of inner conflict for me. People keep asking me to teach them Russian swear words, and I don't want to, because I feel bad about propagating the belief that Russians only know how to drink and swear.

I’ve met many people who didn’t want to teach me their insults. I soften them up by asking how to say hello and how are you in their language. After I’ve got those down pretty good, they usually teach me an insult or two as well

 

[drop bear]

Problem is....Martial Arts and Math are not languages....although an argument could be made for math

language - the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way

His fist do the talking.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I’ve found there are a lot of insults in other languages that either don’t translate very well/don’t make sense here, or are just not ready insulting here. For example, a good Armenian insult literally translates as “dog’s protege” in English, and it doesn’t have a rough translation nor connotation of “son of a *****,” which would be an entirely different phrase in Armenian. Equally and perhaps more insulting though.

Call a married man in Beijing a Turtle..... you just accused his wife of cheating on him and he is either to stupid to know or he knows and is ignoring it because he is not a real man.

Tell a man his sister is a Chicken....just called his sister a prostitute

 

[AngryHobbit]

Sadly I don’t cook much Armenian food. I’d be the only one eating it. And the stuff I really want takes pretty much all day to cook.

The only thing I semi regularly cook is shish kabob. I use my uncles’ recipe for pork and chicken. It’s a work in progress. It’s great until you eat my uncles’, then it’s just acceptable.

I make a MEAN shish kabob - just ask @gpseymour . I use lamb and soak it with onions and vinegar for 24 hours prior to cooking.

I also have my dad's recipe for rice pilaf - although it's from Uzbekistan. Central Asian recipes are somewhat different from the ones that come from the Caucasus region.

 

[AngryHobbit]

I’ve found there are a lot of insults in other languages that either don’t translate very well/don’t make sense here, or are just not ready insulting here. For example, a good Armenian insult literally translates as “dog’s protege” in English, and it doesn’t have a rough translation nor connotation of “son of a *****,” which would be an entirely different phrase in Armenian. Equally and perhaps more insulting though.

We have a similar problem in Russian, but with terms of endearment more than with cusswords. For example, our terms of endearment include calling someone a little fish, a paw, or a berry.

 

[granfire]

Well.....I can count to 10 in 6 languages...... does that mean I can speak them......hmmmm.....SURE...why not

but in what language do you do math in?
I have tried counting in Japanese during workouts, but end up doing it in german, although it is a little striped these days...or adding up stuff.