This is really interesting and insightful. The moment you cleared the misconception around Shakespeare's English and old English, that was a moment of revelation.
As a native German speaker, we don’t pronounce „Wasser“ with a „V“. Instead we pronounce it with a „W“. Hera the different sounding between „Vater“ and „Water“. Kind regards.
Your W sounds like a V to English ears. (My first language was German, but I don't really speak it anymore -- however, I still can make the sounds, and some of my sounds are produced more like a German than and English person.) Your V in Vater sounds like an F to English ears.
And not only in English, but in other languages as well. In Romance languages, it's exactly as you described. When I first learned German, I didn't understand why they switched F, V and W. I mean, why have F and V when they sound almost the same? Only to add W to rescue the role of V :)
This is really interesting and insightful. The moment you cleared the misconception around Shakespeare's English and old English, that was a moment of revelation.
As a native German speaker, we don’t pronounce „Wasser“ with a „V“. Instead we pronounce it with a „W“. Hera the different sounding between „Vater“ and „Water“. Kind regards.
Your W sounds like a V to English ears. (My first language was German, but I don't really speak it anymore -- however, I still can make the sounds, and some of my sounds are produced more like a German than and English person.) Your V in Vater sounds like an F to English ears.
And not only in English, but in other languages as well. In Romance languages, it's exactly as you described. When I first learned German, I didn't understand why they switched F, V and W. I mean, why have F and V when they sound almost the same? Only to add W to rescue the role of V :)
This is so interesting! Especially the “ye!” Who knew?! Now I need to look more into Old English!
There is actually someone on Substack who is not a feminist Trump-hating leftard? Wow!