Terms for armies

Started by FierceKitty, 13 September 2019, 07:40:57 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

FierceKitty

Philology more than tactics, but it's interesting that some national adjectives can be used as plural nouns (Down with the French! or Death to the English! or The Spanish are determined but undisciplined allies), but others can't. Here come the German! sounds absurd, and The Australian have no beer left may be tragic, but doesn't sound grammatical.
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

Techno

Oh....

I thought you were having a go at me.  ;)

Cheers - Phil

fsn

An old Engish teacher of mine (Mr Brick, Hawarden High School, long time ago) used to say "complete the sentence".  Down with the French army! or Death to the English army! or The Spanish forces are determined but undisciplined allies). Here come the German forces!, and The Australian forces have no beer left.

Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

FierceKitty

But the nouns he uses are completely interchangeable in those examples.
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

Lord Kermit of Birkenhead

Quote from: Techno on 13 September 2019, 07:47:56 AM
Oh....

I thought you were having a go at me.  ;)

Cheers - Phil

Paranoia again Phil ?? :D :D
FOG IN CHANNEL - EUROPE CUT OFF
Lord Kermit of Birkenhead
Muppet of the year 2019, 2020 and 2021

Leman

Inca works as a singular or plural - we defeated the Inca army, we defeated the Inca. Doesn't work with Aztecs though.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

Raider4

English is not a logically structured language. Who'd 'ave  thunk it, eh?

FierceKitty

I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

John Cook

Australianorum consumpserat cervisia.  Just saying.

Raider4

Australians spent ale? (according to an online latin-->english translator)

I fear this could degenerate to a Monty Python sketch

Leman

Quote from: John Cook on 13 September 2019, 01:40:52 PM
Australianorum consumpserat cervisia.  Just saying.

Nope - just showing off your Boris Johnson style education.

Quote from Boris Johnson: I did Latin and Greek for 20 years and now I'm running the country.

Quote from me: And what a total pig's scrotum you're making of it!
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

Norm

Quote from: Leman on 13 September 2019, 02:28:29 PM
Nope - just showing off your Boris Johnson style education.

Quote from Boris Johnson: I did Latin and Greek for 20 years and now I'm running the country.

Quote from me: And what a total pig's scrotum you're making of it!

I don't think any of that does this forum a service.

John Cook

Quote from: Raider4 on 13 September 2019, 02:08:19 PM
Australians spent ale? (according to an online latin-->english translator)

I fear this could degenerate to a Monty Python sketch

Ah well, context is everything when a language has no definite articles ;)

Leman

To be frank I am:
a) depreseed as f*** by the state this stupid bloody country has got itself in, and
b) depressed as f*** by those who wish to blithely ignore it.

Clearly time for me to really get my coat

DELETE

The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

Norm

13 September 2019, 05:48:57 PM #14 Last Edit: 13 September 2019, 05:51:31 PM by Norm
Quote from: Leman on 13 September 2019, 05:36:10 PM
To be frank I am:
a) depreseed as f*** by the state this stupid bloody country has got itself in, and
b) depressed as f*** by those who wish to blithely ignore it.

Clearly time for me to really get my coat

DELETE


To be frank,
a) I come here to live in a small bubble and just talk about toy soldiers
b)I wait until the Six 'O Clock news comes on to do my ranting.

I think you should stay and post some more pictures of your nice tables.