"Inglish"
Consider a language that uses the same vocabulary as English but in which each word has a completely different meaning. The word sextant, for example, means, “a shaped covering for the head,” while clay, “a building for human habitation,” river, “umbrella,” and mirror, “eclipse.” Let us call the imaginary language "Inglish" and allow for a second improbable coincidence: Though semantically dissimilar, the two languages are grammatically identical; that is, everything said in English is in perfect Inglish syntax and visa versa. The man sitting next to me be doing a crossword puzzle. He touches me on the arm and asks, “What is the capital of Argentina?” He has spoken six words of Inglish but perhaps, because every Inglish word has its English homophone, I hear the following six words, “Which emperor appointed his horse proconsul?” and I answer, “Caligula.” I do not know that I have just said the Inglish word for Buenos Aires. The man thanks me, and pencils it in. Imagine two conversing at length, neither aware that they are speaking at total cross-purposes; neither aware that, despite the apparent reciprocity of their conversation, it is developing along entirely different lines in the mind of each discussant: They are not hearing what is being said nor saying what is being heard. How could you know if someone were speaking Inglish? Is this is an Inglish text excerpted from a treatise on the Courts of Assizes or the birds of South Gloucestershire? Is it possible you alone do not understand it? |