This is really getting off topic, but it's fun, and we're all rather
chatty today. So I'll keep going.
I wasn't trying to prove that languages can be ordered in a PC way,
which they clearly can't. What I was trying to point out is that it
is possible to educate people not to mind this sort of details, and to
feel pride, rather then jealousy, at the sight of linguistic variety.
All it took in Western Europe has been half a century of intense
pro-European propaganda. (You don't believe this? Next time you're
in France, have a look at the fifth channel's news programme at half
past seven.)
Last time I went down to the supermarket (here in France), I noticed
an interesting looking jar labelled ``Delikatess Gewuertzgurken.'' As
I don't read German, I had to turn the jar around, search the squint
print for French (the various languages were in a completely random
order) to work out that these are in fact ``cornichons aigres-doux.''
I failed to see the angry mobs of beretted and baguetted Frenchmen
smashing the alien jars to bits.
(Great stuff, by the way, those German gherkins. I'm out of vodka
now.)
Regards,
Juliusz Chroboczek
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