Terms for armies

[Raider4]

I tried...... Oh how I tried to read one of his books a few years ago......and just gave up......I couldn't cope with it.
I think I read about twenty pages before giving up....It was TRIPE

Exactly my experience.

[mmcv]

Just guessing here.
Germans, Italians (add in Indians and another example) are distinct plurals, ass opposed to English, Scots, Dutch, Chinese.

Could the plurals be because the geographic description existed before the areas became unitiary states?

Just guessing here, and I'll freely admit it's more likely to be an inconsistency inherent in any Frankenlanguage that's a mash-up of Old German, Norman French, with a high proportion of international loan words form our colonial past.

It's quite possible, or to do with contemporary existence with the Romans for the Latin origins. E.g. Germania was the geographical designation for that area so the inhabitants became known by that name, but the Franks came into Gaul and gave their name to the geographical area instead. Then other countries followed similar patterns... though I'm sure there's numerous exceptions. I'm sure someone somewhere has studied this.

[Techno]

Was it being read by Glenda Jackson or Ian McKellan or Jeremy Irons? Some voices could read a telephone directory and sound interesting.

I THINK the reader's name was Jeff Hardin or Harding, Alexander.

I'm pretty sure I've borrowed a number of 'tomes' from the traveling library van, with him as the narrator.
He's a damn sight better than some I've listened to. Tho' he might go for a somewhat exaggerated style.

A few of the readers (in other stories) have sounded like they've only just learned to read, and are using a finger to trace the words. 

"He.....walk...ed down the.... corridor....look..ing from left....to right"......Gimme strength..... (I'm not joking.)......Those were painful to listen to.

Cheers - Phil

[FierceKitty]

It's hard to believe some people go into acting. I remember a Juliet I was on stage with once; looked the part, more or less, but had no idea what the words meant, and did it ever show....