"Database Explains Strange Survival of Irregular Verbs"

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  • tony yyy
    • Sep 2024

    "Database Explains Strange Survival of Irregular Verbs"

    I haven't read this properly but it looks as though it should be interesting.

    (PhysOrg.com) -- An historical study of the development of irregular verbs in the hundreds of Romance languages including French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Catalan has revealed how these structures survive. Experts have also examined why they are learned by successive generations despite ‘making no sense’ or, apparently, having any function in the language.

  • french frank
    Administrator/Moderator
    • Feb 2007
    • 29884

    #2
    Well, I'm amazed that there's been no immediate take-up on this subject . It's something which, in an imperfectly informed, non-systematic way, I tried to explain (and understand) myself years ago.
    It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

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    • vinteuil
      Full Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 12668

      #3
      ... well, this really would have been my kinda thing some thirty years ago - before I got diverted by triliteral verbs and broken plurals...
      Last edited by vinteuil; 23-06-11, 20:17.

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      • PatrickOD

        #4
        'Ours not to reason why'.
        Getting through the French irregular verbs was achievement enough - happy memories! - but I appreciate the interest and fascination, and I happily leave you to it.

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        • french frank
          Administrator/Moderator
          • Feb 2007
          • 29884

          #5
          Originally posted by PatrickOD View Post
          'Ours not to reason why'.
          Getting through the French irregular verbs was achievement enough - happy memories! - but I appreciate the interest and fascination, and I happily leave you to it.
          Mmmm, yes. It includes 80 different Romance languages and dialects, classified under the Latin infinitive ...
          It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

          Comment

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