Re: A question

On Fri, 13 Aug 1999, Ed Heil wrote:

> Pat,
>
> I can't answer your question, cause I don't know, but I do have an
> idea.  Why not assume that due to massive cross-emigration, English
> gets into an areal group with some very different language(s) such as
> Japanese, and there's lots of cross-influence?  Maybe the features of
> each language which are most difficult to the others get wiped out --
> such as extensive conjugations, or English's baroque syllable
> structures (CCCCVCC or what have you, compared to Japanese's which is
> closer to CV(N)).  A lot of the vocabulary stays the same, given the
> new limitations, but a certain amount is borrowed.  It'd be a lot
> easier if you had a built-in direction for change to proceed in than
> if you had to do it by mere extrapolation of existing tendencies.
>
> Imagine that the Japanese play William the Conqueror to the American
> Saxons, I guess I'm saying.  But not exactly. :)
>
> Just an idea.
That had occurred to me, and with that very language!  One other question
on that score: since English lacks a 2nd personal plural pronoun, is it
likely to borrow one from another language or modify the existing pronoun?
What's more common?  Juzgaiz?  Jal?  Or something Japanese?