The English language has a long history of assimilating words from other languages. I heard a linguist describe the phenomenon by saying "English likes to beat up other languages in dark alleyways and steal their words".
As does German and a dozen other languages too. ^^
There is even a group, consisting of language proffesors, translators, ..., that tries to stop the americanisation of the german language, because of the mass of english words adopted into the german language.
OKay. But why isn't german the international speak. I mean a german word of the right german. Al letters are right. Al vokals standing on the right place. German is a perfect articulated and correct grammatical language.
English is a kauderwelsch. By the things what you say!
Because the majority can't use it right. Sad, but true.
Also, it's the very haphazard nature of English that makes it so interesting, you see. We have the most great literature of any language just because it's so complicated and has so many nuances. We borrow words from other languages when they are the best ones to describe something that was explained in that language. Besides Schadenfreude, an even better example is the French word deja-vu. We use it all the time, so much so that we don't even think of it as being French anymore. At the same time, let me bet that all your computer words over in Germany are English words.
Ahh.. i think the reason you have the "most great literature" is because of the mass of english speaking people. Literatur looses quality through translation most of the time. I don't think the language is the main reason. And if English has the best literature.. well that's questionable too.
English is a flexible language. By changing a single word or even grammar the entire meaning changes. I would also say English is nonlinear. I think I asked you about his when you first joined.
1) Ich rate, ihm zu helfen. - I advise to help him.
2) Ich rate ihm, zu helfen. - I advise him to help.
3) Ich rate ihm zu helfen. 1 or 2
So yeah... we do such things with punctuation marks.
There are more extreme examples. Wouldn't describe that as flexible through. More like overly complicated. German is a very thoroughly structured language.