Thomas Wimmer
Contributing Writer
self-portrait - Photo by Thomas Wimmer
Having studied Linguistics, French, German, Latin, Classical Greek and Old English, and finding no end to exploring and learning about language in general, and Germanic and Romance languages in particular (which includes their comparison), I have come to the conclusion that we are shaped by the words and expressions we use, as much as we keep shaping them while we go through our diverse life experiences.
Sometimes, these experiences are the result of our choices; at other times they are, more or less, imposed on us by others, or they come to us indirectly, for better or for worse, by events unfolding.
Latest Articles
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How Do We Spot Grammar?
We can handle grammar without thinking about it much, and we often neglect it to the point of twisting it out of shape.
May 23, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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What is Grammar Anyway, and How Do We Handle It?
For a language teacher being asked "What is grammar" is similar to a programmer being asked "What actually is a program". Here's how to approach the issue.
May 11, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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Natural Versus Constructed Languages
All forms of language have similar goals, getting a message across; they vary, however, in scope and flexibility.
Apr 21, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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From Pidgin to Creole via Creativity
The creativity and the flexibility of the human mind before the background of a given environment can quite naturally produce a new language.
Apr 19, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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Pidgin and Creole in Perspective
Natural languages with origins prior to written evidence or more recent ones born under special circumstances share many features.
Apr 18, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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Creoles Now and Then
Pidgin, creole or somewhere in between, the categories aren't cast in concrete. An extended pidgin is certainly well on its way to achieving more maturity.
Apr 12, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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Pidgins, Creoles and Some Overlap
Comparing pidgins and creoles, which often serve as lingua francas under various circumstances, we'll have a look at their making.
Apr 11, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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Overcompensation or Language Change?
English was once a lavishly inflected language with a case system, rich conjugation patterns and various verbal modes. These days, it is still on the move.
Apr 4, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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From Tok Pisin's Sounds to Old English Ones
After dealing with the Latin values of the vowels of Tok Pisin, we'll here move on to an understanding of the sounds of German and Old English.
Mar 30, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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Spelling the Old-English Way: Vowels and Fricatives
Old-English spelling wasn't one hundred percent phonetic, but sufficiently so to reliably render the world of the dialects of its day into writing.
Mar 24, 2011
- Thomas Wimmer
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