Brief Linguistic Excursus: Trouble with "l" annd "r"
Engrish for Boys and Girls(Yes, I know this isn't Korean.)
I've gotten used to it now, but when I first taught in Korea ten years ago, students' remarks often mystified me.
I recall one student informing me that teaching was a hard profession because one has to "collect" essays.
"What?" I said.
"Teaching is hard because teachers have to collect essays," my student repeated.
"Why is that hard?" I asked, baffled.
"It takes much time," the student explained.
"Collecting essays takes a lot of time?" I asked.
"Yes," the student confirmed.
"Collecting essays?"
"Yes."
"But," I objected, "that takes hardly any time at all."
Now, the student looked baffled, but with good Confucian courtesy showed proper respect for his teacher's view, bowed his head and said, "Prease, I am solly. You are light."
I stared at him for a moment, taking this in. Then, the light flickered on in this teacher's dim mind, and I understood. "Oh," I said, "you mean that correcting essays is hard."
Thus did I learn of the Korean tendency to confuse the letters "l" and "r."
Which leads me to wonder -- now that I think about it -- what, precisely, my little half-Korean En-Uk meant by saying "You'd have to pray for fourteen nights."
posted by Horace Jeffery Hodges @ 3:58 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Hey, you're back! Good to hear from you again. As for the number 14, I've also been puzzling on this.
I suppose that I could ask En-Uk ... but I'm a bit fearful of doing so. Who knows what I'd uncover!
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
This is a delightful little series you are doing, Jeffery!
Nathan, unless something humorous again escapes En-Uk's lips, this little series will stop today, unfortunately.
Steph, I took the risk and posed the question. En-Uk's story is that he was talking about having 14 babies -- 9 boys and 5 girls. But I'm not sure if that was his original idea or if he came up with it as a 'plausible' explanation.
And I'm glad that you enjoyed your time in merry old England.
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
I agree with Nathan B. This is delightful.
Thanks, KM.
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
Good story! When my wife & I lived in Daejeon, the hot bar to go was called the Zoo. Because, in Konglish, Z = J (or DJ), the bar became the Jew. The teachers would tell us that there is only one Jew in Daejeon, and I would always think, "Of course there is. My wife!"
Down the street from the Zoo is the Fuzzy Duck. Because, in Konglish, F = P, the bar became the Pudgy Duck.
Finally, one day our boss was telling us how much he loved to fish. He held his hands out in front of him as if he were holding out in front of him a long pole secured against his hips. He declared proudly, "I enjoy pishing!"
Brendan, your tales are better than mine.
Jeffery Hodges
Hey...what delightful guys you are!
I meant Jeffery and Brendan too. Living in India...i hear no such words..
Post a Comment
<< Home