srah blah blah

I got an email

I got an email from a French John Hannah fan (yes, they exist!) today so I replied in French. She just wrote me back, saying that if I hadn't said I was American, she would have thought I was just a mis-typing French person. Things like that make me feel warm and sunny.

Why is American both an adjective and a noun, but you can't say "a French" or "a Chinese" or "an English"? In French, the adjective and noun are always the same. It's easier. I don't like having to add "person". Weird - you can say "the French" but not "a French". A German is German, a Canadian is Canadian, a Bulgarian is Bulgarian, a Chilean is Chilean. And a person from Sweden is not a Swedish or a Swedish person (usually) but a Swede! I think a person from Iceland is an Icelander.

There is really no rule or way to remember these things. English, you are cracked out like a villain. I'm glad I don't have to learn you as a foreign language.

srah - Saturday, 1 December 2001 - 5:24 PM
Tags: english, french, john hannah, language

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