Didier69
Expert
Joined: 10 Dec 2007
Posts: 123
Location: Provence / Frankrike
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 Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Harrenys Targaryen wrote: | | Fredrik wrote: |
Or often just rephrased with "er".
Don't you feel that "er" in some ways is roughly similar to Danish "der", Harrenys? I used to read Dutch and get all confused because of this word, but when I started to replace it with "der" it makes sense every time! (Although it makes Dutch sound even more keukentaalachtig.)  |
Oh, Fredrik, when you consider that "er" is also a German word, it opens up a messy can of worms; "he" auf Deutsch, "there" in Nederlands, and "am/are/is" på Dansk (og Norsk og Íslenska) - I have occasionally confused one for the other (mostly the first two) while translating. Why, it's the reason I missed a whole question on that Transparent Language Dutch test! >_<
Anyway, you have probably studied and/or intuitively learned the following, but I have recently discovered that it is the rule rather than the exception for a Germanic language to have one literal, catch-all phrase encompassing the meaning "there is/are" (save German itself, which I'll rave about shortly):
English: there is/are
Dutch: er is/zijn
Danish/Norwegian: der er
Swedish: där är (Er, is that correct, Walker?)
I don't know enough Icelandic to comment on that language, and likewise for Afrikaans (help, Andre!), but I'd wager that both adhere to the same principle.
Die schöne deutsche Sprache, on the other hand, employs "it gives", to the uninitiated learner. But literal or figurative, "es" is not the only way to say "there": you've got "da", "dort", and probably several other words beyond my familiarity. What's interesting, though, is how constructions such as "es ist" und "es sind" exist that denote a sharper, more precise meaning than just "es gibt". Crazy Germans, needlessly complicating matters! XD |
I'm not Swede. But I can tell you for sure because I've begun learning Swedish for many years and I often speak with a native speaker. Translation of "Er is/zijn" is in Swedish "det finns".
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