A new book I love
This morning I was woken by the doorbell - it was the postman, bringing a parcel for me, containing a book which I had wanted for a long time: 'English as She is Spoke: Being a comprehensive phrasebook of the English language, written by men to whom English was entirely unknown.'
Basically, in the middle of the 19th century, this Portuguese guy decided to write an English phrasebook, but he didn't speak English and didn't own a Portuguese-English dictionary. The result is a baffling trainwreck of... I don't know. Is this Engrish? Maybe.
Just a taster, I promise all spelling and grammar are quoted exactly:
'Here is a horse who have a bad looks. Give mi another; i will not that. He not sall know to march, he is pursy, he is foundered. Don't you are ashamed to give me a jade as like? he is undshoed, he is with nails up; it want to lead to the farrier.'
Read it. It's classic.
Basically, in the middle of the 19th century, this Portuguese guy decided to write an English phrasebook, but he didn't speak English and didn't own a Portuguese-English dictionary. The result is a baffling trainwreck of... I don't know. Is this Engrish? Maybe.
Just a taster, I promise all spelling and grammar are quoted exactly:
'Here is a horse who have a bad looks. Give mi another; i will not that. He not sall know to march, he is pursy, he is foundered. Don't you are ashamed to give me a jade as like? he is undshoed, he is with nails up; it want to lead to the farrier.'
Read it. It's classic.