Perhaps I should have typed "knot", rather than "yacht"... but then you might learn far more, if you check out the latter for yourself, than you'd have learned if you think you understand "knot" & its +/- 20 definitions.  The point is that native speakers tend to struggle with these issues as well.  :-)

                                   

 ak>  It is also a big question what percent of all English 
 ak>  words is known to all the people speaking English. ;) 


           No argument there.  When last I heard there were +/- half a million words in the English language, not counting technical terms... but the average social conversation included only about 300 of them.  I don't talk down to the folks I meet in this echo, yet they seem to keep coming back for more....  :-Q



 ak>  So, when speaking English, maybe it is a good idea to 
 ak>  simplify phrases and don't use old fashion words. 


           As a schoolteacher, I realized I might use terms my students didn't understand & invited them to request a bit more explanation.  From my POV this was a considerable improvement upon what grownups often did was a child.  Many of them ignored what I had to say if I didn't say it the way they were used to or assumed I must be misprouncing my name because they'd never heard it before while children & foreigners get it right when it's just one of many new words.

           As a parent, I often had to dummify my language to communicate with other people's kids.  But AFAIK we're all adults here... and you're welcome to tell me you haven't a clue what I'm on about if that's the case.  OTOH some of us love it when you quote stuff like "lest thy clownish bearing betray thee" & decide to read IVANHOE for ourselves.  That's adult education for you....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+


Date : Sun Jan 09, 00:09                                                   loc From : Ardith Hinton                                           1:153/716 To   : alexander koryagin                                     2:153/7715 Subj : Confusion!!                                                           ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ

Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

 AH>  If one has a dictionary which explains the etymology, 
 AH>  i.e. from whom we borrowed the word, it's easier to 
 AH>  understand spellings like "yacht" & "caught".    

     
           Perhaps I should have typed "knot", rather than "yacht"... but then you might learn far more, if you check out the latter for yourself, than you'd have learned if you think you understand "knot" & its +/- 20 definitions.  The point is that native speakers tend to struggle with these issues as well.  :-)