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My mother tongue is Hindi but I'm as fluent in English since I started learning English right from the age of four at school. And though I mostly use Hindi at home, I speak English as well. My writing skills in English are possibly better than my Hindi though since I generally read literature in English. I think most Indians in urban areas know atleast three languages...Hindi, English and usually their regional language.
My first language is English, and I am contstantly in awe of people who become fluent—or even conversational!—in another language, especially when their first language is one very different from English. I took French classes in high school, but learned almost nothing beyond vocabulary. My hope is to learn French and German, but I seem to hit a wall when it comes to languages, where my mind fills up and I can't make sense of anything more. :rolleyes: But I can make up for it by being such a total English geek. :thumbs_up:p
HappyWind:
Those are "legal terms," words that people use in a court of law. When someone sues another person, lawyers often call it "taking the matter to trial." "Take" means the same as "bring," though it would sound strange to say, "bring the matter to trial." It's just a polite way of saying, "to open a court case against someone."
A "contingency fee" is the lawyer's payment when their client wins the trial and receives money, usually for an injury they suffered. The fee is "contingent" because the lawyer is paid a percentage of whatever the plaintiff wins, so if they win a lot, the lawyer gets paid a lot; and if they win very little, the lawyer gets paid very little.
I hope that helps.
Emily, English geek=cool in my books :p
Welcome to the forums HappyWind :)
Well! the percentages are almost 50/50 now, I continue to be impressed by the range of cultures and languages here :D
I'm actually surprised it's 50-50, it seemed to me that the number of people from non-English places was far higher...but I guess I didn't consider the many English speaking cultures that are also part of the great variety of this forum...
So I see it's exactly 50/50 now! :)
My native langauge is italian,anyway i've been studying english for ages(since i was 8).I studied it at high school too, and now i'm keeping improving it at uni.
But i must admit i'm obsessionated with langauges and infact i also study Spanish and french and i've tried(just for a year) to study russian which is very fascinating but as hard as latin and i swear i've hated it at high school.
So i'm italian proud to be neapolitan but desperately in love with english...'cause i will never be as good as i'd like to be... this is my only regret!
Changos! Spanish speaker here, too; but I would wish to understand French, English, German, Italian and Ancient Greek. Just a little bit by now, because it takes time; but I am trying, I am self teaching, but reading helps.
My first is Icelandic... am I the only one here?...
Not sure, but I recently saw an interesting TV program about Iceland on the Travel Channel. The host, Anthony Bourdain, is such a joker I didn't know if I could trust what he said. Do you receive the Travel Channel in Iceland?Quote:
Originally Posted by Helga
While he is indeed the mordant wit, I think he's the most exceptionally well-travelled, well-read and most entertaining `chef' there is :DQuote:
Originally Posted by starrwriter
Miss Iceland Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir, a 21-year-old anthropology and law college student and part-time policewoman, was crowned Miss World on Saturday:Quote:
Originally Posted by Helga
Helga, are all of you Icelandic girls this beautiful? I thought Iceland was settled by Vikings. Miss World has dark hair and doesn't look very Viking-like.
My first is Hebrew..
than english and for the last six months i study spanish.
Does anyone knows hebrew..
I thought they were all blonde too...Quote:
Originally Posted by starrwriter
Helga, are all of you Icelandic girls this beautiful? I thought Iceland was settled by Vikings. Miss World has dark hair and doesn't look very Viking-like.[/QUOTE]
I have found in a German play about Sigfrido, that Brynhild, the queen of Thule, was black haired and had black eyes. Sigfried , talking to Kriemhild, says at a moment: "And I thank you for having blue eyes instead of black eyes..." and so. As a black haired woman, I was very dissapointed, and forgot the author name and virtues. I can`t remember, but I guess his name was Goebbels or something in that way.
I don't know a word of Hebrew, but I know spanish acceptably.Quote:
Originally Posted by Weeping Willow