He does come away with fond memories of Finland and the Finns.I found myself staring at a language of total incomprehensibility. The nouns behaved like cancerous bodies, adding syllables with careless profusion; the verbs seemed missing. The vocabulary came from ancient word-stock carelessly thrown about as in some semantic accident. Everything was prolix, random, anarchically inventive, as if the whole language was still being made up.
English Writer describes Finnish
English Writer describes Finnish
I am reading To the Hermitage by Malcolm Bradbury, published in 2000. Thought people might be interested, amused, or prompted to comment on his description of Finnish when he first encountered it in the early 1960's:
The best idea eventually must degenerate into work. - Peter Drucker
He's right on the money. During my Finnish classes I say that to myself all the time, "They're just making it up as they go along!!"
I have a feeling that a few decades ago the Finns got together and were like, "!"#¤%, all the other countries in the world have documented their language and have some rules and stuff, we better try and write some official rules so people don't start making jokes about Finnish like they do with Swahili."
The whole language just feels thrown together like what some kid would do the night before his term-paper is due.
"Finnish: It's like mathematics but without the logic."
I have a feeling that a few decades ago the Finns got together and were like, "!"#¤%, all the other countries in the world have documented their language and have some rules and stuff, we better try and write some official rules so people don't start making jokes about Finnish like they do with Swahili."
The whole language just feels thrown together like what some kid would do the night before his term-paper is due.
"Finnish: It's like mathematics but without the logic."
As a math teacher starting to learn Finnish I find this amusing and frightening. I've a roomful of students who swear algebra is math without logic - maybe I should teach 'em Finnish instead.Phil wrote: "Finnish: It's like mathematics but without the logic."
The best idea eventually must degenerate into work. - Peter Drucker
Gonzo, are you funning me?!Gonzo wrote:"Logic is like Finnish and math mixed up in a bowl without algebra." -Wilde.
Can't find any trace of that quote attibuted to Oscar Wilde or anyone else for that matter. I like it but can you verify its origin?The best idea eventually must degenerate into work. - Peter Drucker