Whenever English speakers complain about how hard it is to learn a foreign language, you can practically hear the eyes of non-native English speakers rolling in their heads. That’s because those with English as their native tongue never have to consciously work through all the strange kinks of spelling out words like “Wednesday” or puzzle over slang terms like “runny nose.”
What many non-native English speakers (or even native English users) don’t realize is that the English language has a lot of nuances, some of which is because it borrows words from other languages like Latin or Greek. And over time some words had their origins lost or ceased being used in their original language. In other words, the English language basically hoards words from other languages and can even change their meaning after some time.
Take the word, “awful” for example; the word has bounced back and forth between meaning something excessively bad (today’s interpretation) and something spectacularly impressive. So a few hundred years ago, a fireworks display would have been called “awful” as it was something that filled a crowd with “awe.”
You see, that’s the kind of stuff that drives non-native English speakers nuts!
Here are 20 more examples of why non-native English speakers think English is just too weird for words.
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So do you have any other examples you can think of? If so, please let us know in the comments section. And don’t forget to share this story with your family and friends (especially non-native English speakers). I’m sure they’ll have a ball.
Source: Bored Panda