How much do you know about European languages? (Quiz)

[DCBassman]

6...

 

[Dogtrousers]

7

I didn't get the final (Spanish) one. And the one about islands where French is spoken was a lucky guess.

 

[Reynard]

The islands question is more a general knowledge thing. One is a member of the Commonwealth, whereas two are not.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

6 for me. Got 5 & 7 wrong. Considering our lass says I don't speak proper English, I though I did alright.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

A former colleague of mine reckoned he could say "two beers, please, my friend will pay" in about 20 languages.

In Yorkshire it is. "Two pints, his round"

 

[Dogtrousers]

However, 7 out of 8 for the BBC, because, although common practice in the UK is to call the people of the Low Countries and their language Dutch, it really ought to be The Netherlands where they speak, surprisingly enough, Nederlands. (…whilst we are on the subject, Holland is a region of The Netherlands — compare its use by the British with the annoying habit of some Europeans who call the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish English.)

Interestingly (or not) up until the 19th century "Dutch" was the English term for Germanic European languages in general. What we refer to as standard German these days was called "High Dutch" (from hochdeutsch). This is the origin of "Pennsylvania Dutch" in the US. They are actually from Germany, and not the Low Countries or anywhere we would now identify as "Dutch", but the German language that they spoke was called "Dutch" in English at the time.

 

[Jenkins]

6 out of 8 - got the islands one wrong and the compound word question (number 2). I saw the length of the word and the first dozen or so letters which appeared to be in German then skimmed over the rest - missing the 'oo' and 'aa' combinations characteristic to the Dutch.

 

[BigSid]

5. But then I do think all foreign languages are just like English but slower and louder.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

4/8, hangs head in shame. Having said that, when we go back up to Brum to see family, from the West Country, I do have to translate for my wife (born in Reading and lived 'ere in West Zummerzet for 35 years).

 

[BrumJim]

6/8. Geography let me down.

 

[gavroche]

7/8

 

[Gwylan]

7 didn't read the question properly.

 

[Gwylan]

6 out of 8: Caribbean islands and Spanish are not my strong points. However, 7 out of 8 for the BBC, because, although common practice in the UK is to call the people of the Low Countries and their language Dutch, it really ought to be The Netherlands where they speak, surprisingly enough, Nederlands. (…whilst we are on the subject, Holland is a region of The Netherlands — compare its use by the British with the annoying habit of some Europeans who call the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish English.)

Well done for pointing that out.

 

[Alex H]

8/8 where's that smug emoticon?

 

[yello]

7/8 for me. 🥳

I got #6 wrong.

Ditto and ditto.