Lingusitics Can You Understand This? Try Writing Response in Your Native Language

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The discussion revolves around a text intentionally written in a phonetic style resembling Croatian but using English words, aimed at testing readers' comprehension. Participants express their ability to understand the text and share their native languages, which include Croatian, Dutch, Norwegian, Hindi, Tagalog, and Cantonese. The conversation highlights the cognitive aspects of language processing, noting that readers can often decipher jumbled letters as long as the first and last letters of words remain intact. Some participants comment on the similarities between Slavic languages and their own, while others reflect on the challenges of translating sounds that do not exist in their native languages, such as the "th" sound in English. The thread emphasizes the interplay between language familiarity and cognitive processing in reading comprehension.
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The text below is written in English, but in a way that is not trivial to understand. I want to see how many readers can understand it:

Aj rajt dis tekst es it vud bi ritn in Kroejšn lengviđ baj samvan hu ken spik ingliš, bat kennot rajt ingliš. Aj vondr hau meni of ju ken andrstend it. If ju ken andrstend it, aj vud olso lajk tu nou vot iz jour nejtiv lengviđ. If ju ken andrstend it, rajt jour rispons in a similar vej.
 
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>>I write this text as it would be written in Croatian language but someone who can speak English, but cannot write English. I wonder how many of you can understand it. If you can understand it, I would also like to know what is your native language. If you understand it, write you response in a similar way.[/color]<<

Idz pridy tuf.
 
Neutrino, vot iz jour nejtiv lengviđ?
 
Idz Tamizh! You will mostly end-up pronouncing that name the wrong way irrespective of the language I write it in. :biggrin:
 
The mind works in interesting ways. No doubt everyone on this forum has received at least at one point that email quoting a passage used in a study to illustrate that the mind uses identifying characters in words - we can jumble the letters up but as long as the first and last letters remain the same, we can read without problem. neat.
 
Aj ken andrstend it, maj nejtiv lengviđ is dutss :smile: vat is te pojnt ov tis vret?
 
I give my answer in Norwegian:

For noe fordømt vås.
 
Ha!?

Demystifier said:
Aj rajt dis tekst es it vud bi ritn in Kroejšn lengviđ baj samvan hu ken spik ingliš, bat kennot rajt ingliš...

Ovaj ^^ anglosaksonac vjerojatno pojma nema kako hrvati mogu reagirati na ovaj primjer...
Nije baš i neka uvreda ,ali mi smo dosta primitivna plemena koji često potežu čakiju i za manje stvari.
Nadajmo se samo da na ovom forumu ipak nema primitivnih pripadnika mojih sunarodnjaka.:devil: :smile: o:)

Demystifier:about foreign and native languages you may want to see thread here
 
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I can read it, but it took me a bit to realize you were using your 'j' as a 'y'[/color]. My native language is English.
 
  • #10
arildno said:
I give my answer in Norwegian:

For noe fordømt vås.

Translation: not a damn thing?

Just trying to compare Norwegian to German. :smile:

Monique said:
Aj ken andrstend it, maj nejtiv lengviđ is dutss :smile: vat is te pojnt ov tis vret?

vret = thread? If so, then a) vret = fred. ; b) I ask the same question. :-p

tehno said:
Ovaj ^^ anglosaksonac vjerojatno pojma nema kako hrvati mogu reagirati na ovaj primjer...
Nije baš i neka uvreda ,ali mi smo dosta primitivna plemena koji često potežu čakiju i za manje stvari.
Nadajmo se samo da na ovom forumu ipak nema primitivnih pripadnika mojih sunarodnjaka.:devil: :smile: o:)

Demystifier:about foreign and native languages you may want to see thread here

Ma čini mi se da smo mi jedini Rvati na ovom forumu. Ts, imaju sreće. :approve:
 
  • #11
Was Quatsch is, I believe, a fairly accurate translation of what I wrote in Norwegian.
 
  • #12
arildno said:
Was Quatsch is, I believe, a fairly accurate translation of what I wrote in Norwegian.

Welch Quatsch, you mean. :smile:
 
  • #13
Rachel??
I'm not sure..
 
  • #14
Demystifier said:
The text below is written in English, but in a way that is not trivial to understand. I want to see how many readers can understand it:

Aj rajt dis tekst es it vud bi ritn in Kroejšn lengviđ baj samvan hu ken spik ingliš, bat kennot rajt ingliš. Aj vondr hau meni of ju ken andrstend it. If ju ken andrstend it, aj vud olso lajk tu nou vot iz jour nejtiv lengviđ. If ju ken andrstend it, rajt jour rispons in a similar vej.
I write this text as it would be written in ?? by someone that can speak english, but cannot write english. I wonder how many of can understand it. If you can understand it, I would also like to know what is your native language. ((English)) If you can understand it, write your response in a similar way.Hey, I can read it. But I can't write it.

(chuckle)
 
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  • #15
I write this text as it would be written in Crotian language by someone who can speak English, but cannot write English. I wonder how many of you can understand it. If you can understand it, I would also like to know what is your native language. If you can understand it, write your response in a similar way.

Maj nejtiv lengviđ es hindi, bat Aj rili onli no ingliš.
 
  • #16
I can read it, I speak a little bit of German.
 
  • #17
Tehno i radou, bas mi je drago da ima jos rvata ovdeka. Oklen ste?
I neznam zasto ste mislili da sam anglosaksonac. :smile:
 
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  • #18
Looks like Dutch :wink:
 
  • #19
Demystifier said:
Tehno i radou, bas mi je drago da ima jos rvata ovdeka. Oklen ste?
I neznam zasto ste mislili da sam anglosaksonac. :smile:
Ja čak i pretpostavio da si sa balkana al' htjeh da zahebavam malo jer u niku imaš "y" (u ovim krajevima imena s tim slovom nisu baš česta :-p ).
Moje pleme je iz Zg (to ti jedno "selo" ispred medvjeđe špilje zvane Medvednica).
BTW,odakle ti ovaj tekst?
 
  • #20
tehno said:
BTW,odakle ti ovaj tekst?
Iz glave. Uvijek me zanimalo zasto englezi ne pisu "po Vuku", te sam se pitao jel bi pisanje onako kako je nama logicno bilo logicno samo slavenima, ili i drugima. Posebno me zanimalo koliko bi to bio logicno onima kojima je engleski materinji.
 
  • #21
Funny, that sentence got easier to read the further I got. It's cool how the mind adjusts to new pronounciations :D
 
  • #22
Govorim malo hrvatski. Laku noch. Drage gushe moje. Čarape su najbolje kvalitete. On je bio u večernjem odijelu. That's about it.
 
  • #23
mekrob said:
Govorim malo hrvatski. Laku noch. Drage gushe moje. Čarape su najbolje kvalitete. On je bio u večernjem odijelu. That's about it.

Još Hrvata? Pa mi ćemo preplavit cijeli ovaj forum, čini se. :-p

[Another Croat? Looks like we're going to flood this forum. :-p ]
 
  • #24
Eoljs ya! Aj ken andrstend it! Maj nejtiv lengviđ is Ingliš!
 
  • #25
Vel, it sims aj ken rid olov dis olzog maj nejtiv lengvaj izint inglis. Mejb aj ken rajt ina similar vej, bat ajm not chur ju ken andrstend it...
 
  • #26
A Plan for the Improvement of English Spelling
by Mark Twain

For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and Iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all.
Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with Iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and Iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x" -- bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez -- tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivli.
Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.
 
  • #27
jimmysnyder said:
A Plan for the Improvement of English Spelling
by Mark Twain

For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and Iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all.
Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with Iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and Iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x" -- bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez -- tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivli.
Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.

LOL! Brilliant
 
  • #28
Had no problem reading it. Native language - american english.
 
  • #29
Mes nejtiv lengviđ es ingliš en urdu .o:)
 
  • #30
Aai raait dis tekst az it woed bie ritten in de dutsh langgwitsh baai somwan hoe kan spiek inglish, beut kannot raait it. Aai wonder hauw menni ov joe kan eundersteint it. If joe kan eundersteint it, aai woed oalso laik to nouw wat joar netif langgwitsh iz. If joe eundersteint it, rait joar respons in e simeler wej.
 
  • #31
Ai æm fråm nårvei ænd ai ønderstæn dverri vel vott ju ar seijing. :smile::
 
  • #32
Demystifier said:
The text below is written in English, but in a way that is not trivial to understand. I want to see how many readers can understand it:

Aj rajt dis tekst es it vud bi ritn in Kroejšn lengviđ baj samvan hu ken spik ingliš, bat kennot rajt ingliš. Aj vondr hau meni of ju ken andrstend it. If ju ken andrstend it, aj vud olso lajk tu nou vot iz jour nejtiv lengviđ. If ju ken andrstend it, rajt jour rispons in a similar vej.

I write this text as it would be written in Korean language but someone who can speak english, but cannot write english. I wonder how many of you can understand it. If you can understand it, I would also like to vote is your native language. If you can understand it, write your response in a similar way.

Is it correct or not...?
 
  • #33
arildno said:
Ai æm fråm nårvei ænd ai ønderstæn dverri vel vott ju ar seijing. :smile::

I am from narvei and i understand very well you are saying

^^... hehe
 
  • #34
dontdisturbmycircles said:
I can read it, I speak a little bit of German.

write it in correct english
 
  • #35
stripes said:
Eoljs ya! Aj ken andrstend it! Maj nejtiv lengviđ is Ingliš!

English yeah! I can understand it! My native language is english
 
  • #36
Ephratah7 said:
narvei
Is that near svedein and feinlind?
 
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  • #37
Ephratah7 said:
I write this text as it would be written in Korean language but someone who can speak english, but cannot write english. I wonder how many of you can understand it. If you can understand it, I would also like to vote is your native language. If you can understand it, write your response in a similar way.

Croation, by, know what
 
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  • #38
Ephratah7 said:
English yeah! I can understand it! My native language is english
I can't figure out what Eoljs is, but I doubt it means "English".
 
  • #39
jimmysnyder said:
I can't figure out what Eoljs is, but I doubt it means "English".

No, My native language is Tagalog, but i speak Pangasinense... ^^
 
  • #40
jimmysnyder said:
Is that near svedein and feinlind?

...I don't know...I only translated what he said... ^^
 
  • #41
Ephratah7 said:
...I don't know...I only translated what he said... ^^
nårvei is Norway. I apologize for flipness in my responses. I hadn't considered that you were not a native speaker of English. You did much better at interpreting misspelled English, than I would at misspelled Tagalog.
 
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  • #42
jimmysnyder said:
I can't figure out what Eoljs is, but I doubt it means "English".

yes, that is english.
 
  • #43
jimmysnyder said:
nårvei is Norway. I apologize for flipness in my responses. I hadn't considered that you were not a native speaker of English. You did much better at interpreting misspelled English, than I would at misspelled Tagalog.

It's ok, Thanks..
 
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  • #44
maj nejtiv lengviđ es kentunis(cantonese) xD
 
  • #45
lol i don't quite know how to write enlish in irish speek.

ni thuigim {irish for i don't understand pronounced "knee hig um"}

i untherstaind perfeicdli bhuell. but it thuic mi a bhueil tu get it. chan u treanslate eirish intu inglish or bheuil it bi tu dificuilt fomhair u. bichos in eirish der ar no k's j's. q's v's w's x's y's or z's
 
  • #46
phlegmy said:
lol i don't quite know how to write enlish in irish speek.

ni thuigim {irish for i don't understand pronounced "knee hig um"}

i untherstaind perfeicdli bhuell. but it thuic mi a bhueil tu get it. chan u treanslate eirish intu inglish or bheuil it bi tu dificuilt fomhair u. bichos in eirish der ar no k's j's. q's v's w's x's y's or z's
There are now.
Translation: I understand perfectly well, but it takes me a while to get it. Can you translate Irish into English or will it be to difficult for you. Because in Irish there are no k's, j's q's, v's, w's, x's, y's, or z's.
[/color]
eom
 
  • #47
Dere is no problem łis anderstending dis tekst if ju spik polisz as jour ferst lengłidż. Most lajkli bikoz polisz and kroejszian ar not dat diferent in prononsjejszyn, dey ar bot slawik lengłidżys after al.

Main problem here is with "th" - there is no similar sound in Polish. Thus it is not possible to write something that will even closely resemble (in sound) "this" or "both".

Ease fo reading these txts must be at least partially connected to the way language is stored and analyzed in our brains. We don't store letters. Cf Liberman & Mattingly, The motor theory of speech perception.
 

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