by Norman A. Rubin

Created on: September 21, 2010

When we say that English is a strange language we have to be familiar with its spelling, pronunciation and the grammar to which a word belongs. Many people came to English speaking countries at different times, speaking different languages with varied pronunciations and grammar inflections , and these languages added more words and sounds to make today's English. Jewish immigrants from the Eastern part of Europe added Yiddish words to our vocabulary such as 'kibbitz' - advise, 'noodnick' – a pest, etc..  We say 'chow' when we say goodbye thanks to many Italians that came to the shores of America; French words were plenty such a 'femme' – woman, 'merci' – thanks, etc.. The Germans and Scandinavian peoples added many of their words and accents to the English of today. And at the present we are inundated with Spanish words and verbiage.

As we look at English language we realize there is neither egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger nor pine in pineapple. Pizza was now concocted in Italy, English muffins weren't invented in England, the turkey bird does not come from Turkey or French fries from France, while sweetmeats are candies but sweet breads which aren't sweet at all but simply meat.

Poets would have at times difficult time with the English language, as there are only four words in the English language, which end 'dous' – tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous. There are no words in the English language that rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple. The word 'dreamt' is only word that ends in 'emt'. But there are words that are the same whether they are spelled from left to right or right to left – 'kayak' and 'level' for example.

And the English grammar is odd at time. Why is it that writer's write but fingers do not 'fing', grocers don't 'groc' and hammers don't 'ham' with silly jokes. If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth 'beeth'?  We say one goose, two geese - so why can't we say one moose, and two meese. One can certainly make amends but not one amend! If a teacher taught, why haven't preachers 'praught'? And how come a slim chance be the same as a fat chance, while a wise and a wise guy are the opposite.

Off course there are many paradoxes to the way words are spelled in different English speaking countries. The ending of certain words that ends in 're'  in the Britain, American wordage turn the ending  to 'er',  so 'litre' becomes 'liter', 'metre' becomes

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