My friend David Kotschessa Almodovar sent me this link today, and I think you'd really enjoy it. I imagine most of you have heard what it sounds like when English speakers try to pretend they're speaking other languages (French, Chinese, etc, etc). Well, this site shows what fake English sounds like when speakers of other languages imitate it. There's a fabulous Italian video with a totally fake English song (which rocks, even as it is incomprehensible) and some examples of onomatopoeia differences, and other fascinating stuff.
Thanks, David! I hope you all have as much fun with it as I did.
When I saw "O Dad, Poor Dad! Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I Feel So Bad" in English, the part of the Commodore (iirc) was done to comic effect in a French accent. When I saw it in German years later* the part was done in a broad American accent. I knew it right off, but dang if I can tell you how I knew it, aside from the glides added to the long vowels.
ReplyDelete(*)In case you were wondering: "O Vater, armer Vater! Mutter hing dich in den Schrank und ich bin so krank."
OFloinn, that's totally awesome. :D
DeleteSince a lot of people in my family speak languages other than English as their first language, I hear stuff like this all the time. It never fails to make me laugh!
ReplyDeleteJai
I'm sure, Jai! Thanks for commenting.
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