Differences between English and your native language

CalifJim

Anything in the lyrics of songs that Elvis himself ever sang?

To the cross of Calvary
Mm, let it be my prayer, dear Lord, each day
To help me do the best I can
For there is no friend on whom I can depend
Blessed Jesus, hold my hand.

(Oh, I know he didn't write it, but he sang it, didn't he? )

 Finnish is extremely rich in compounds. This because all concepts are written as one word. Therefore all of these examples are compounds in Finnish: a collection of butterflies, a heap of sand, a bottle of beer, a department store, foreign policy, air force, labour permit, night train etc. Since countless nouns can be added after "a collection of" and after similar expressions, there is no limit to compounds and it would be impossible and pointless to try to include them in a dictionary.

Another convenient thing is that it is always possible to form an adjective and a noun from a place name. There must be more than a million towns and villages in the world, which means that in the Finnish vocabulary there are more than a million words to denote people who live in these places. Even if a person has never heard the name of a foreign village, he knows what to call a person who lives there. English is extremely awkward in this respect. If you live in New York, you are a New Yorker. Those who live in London are Londoners, but those who live in Moscow are Muscovites and those who live in Grantham are Granthamians. I wonder what to call anyone who lives in Uppsala or Kauniainen?

Cheers

CB 

Alienvoord

Really? What's the Finnish word for the concept "still angry about how I lost my wallet yesterday"?

 

Hmm...   Maybe concept isn't the best word. Random House Webster's definition is "a general notion or idea" and I couldn't think of a better word to use. Perhaps you can help me? What would be a good word for what I described in my previous post?

Cheers

CB 

Alienvoord

I would just say that Finnish is highly synthetic.

 

Yes, it is, but isn't there a word in English for what I described? Actually, I have wondered about this for as long as I have studied English. I have never seen a word I think suitable. Perhaps there isn't one. Well, never mind...

Cheers

CB 

 I think about albour permit etc. in exactly the same way as you and I understand why you wonder why you would need to describe words like that any other way. You don't! It's just that in Finnish there is a word for a "complete" concept or conception. I know now that these aren't the right words. I always had my doubts about them.  The Finnish word is a noun. And we need not talk about compound words or compound nouns at all. For example a zebra is complete in itself as it is: I saw a zebra. However, I can also use it as part of a compound word: a zebra crossing: Pedestrians should use a zebra crossing to cross a street. In this sentence zebra on its own wouldn't be enough, wouldn't be complete. Crossing is also needed for the meaning to be understood.

In Finnish there is a word, a noun that covers both usages, and Finns can say that all ****s that consist of more than one word are written as compounds. I don't know what English noun to insert where **** is. That is the word I am looking for. I am beginning to think there is no such word! That would in no way be exceptional. In the world's thousands of languages there are countless examples of that. It is a fallacy to think that all words of a language have a counterpart in all other languages. No way. And no language is the worse for that because all languages are deficient in this respect.

CB