Re: Most challenging features of languages?

Chris Bates <chris.maths_student@...> eskrivùt:

>The answer is simple: complex irregular morphology. Things that work in
>a systematic way, no matter how outlandish they seem to English
>speakers, aren't so difficult, but when you get screwy complicated
>changes depending on the shape of the root and the surrounding affixes
>(eg many polysynthetic Amerind languages or Georgian) then it gets
>difficult.
>
>>I'm curious to know which feature of a language (nat-, con-, or aux-) that
>>individuals here found the most difficult to understand and/or master.
>>Thanks.
>>
>>
Actually, I'd go for either tonal systems (I understand the theory, but the
practical outworking is very difficult to get my tongue round) or something
like the trigger system of Tagalog- cool, very exotic, but very, very hard
to fully grasp.

Geoff