# I pit those who think stereotype/generalize foreign languages in a negative way **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 24, 2014, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469 "2014-11-24T08:34:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ILikeForeignLanguages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc8723/32.png) [@ILikeForeignLanguages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ILikeForeignLanguages)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/1 "2014-11-24T08:34:49Z")
Have you ever heard someone say German is a Nazi language? How about “Arabic is a terrorist language” or “Afrikaans is racist?” Well, languages cannot be evil. Only people and policies and behaviors can be evil. Besides, it’s really hypocritical for English speakers to put other languages into negative categories because of their associations with racism, etc. Look at the history of what English speakers have done to speakers of other languages, and how many languages have been wiped out or almost wiped out in favor English-onlyism: 1. Brythonic languages 2. Goidelic languages 3. Native American languages 4. Native Australian languages 5. Cajun French So, with a record like that, in addition to a record of British colonialism, slavery, genocide, etc. we don’t have any room to talk about how evil other languages are. Besides, as my username indicates, I _like_ foreign languages. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/2 "2014-11-24T09:02:58Z")
I’m just saying, there weren’t many Nazis who spoke Tagalog, is all. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/3 "2014-11-24T10:16:57Z")
And I’m just sayin’ that I bet I’m not the only person who’s never heard the words Brythonic or Goidelic before. I would have guessed that a brython is one of those weird particles in quantum physics. And Goidelic sounds like it should be a mathematical term. I don’t hang out here in the Pit very often, because I’m such a polite, gentle soul. So I suppose it’s appropriate that on my rare visit here, I learn something new. Hey, it’s better than insulting people. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/4 "2014-11-24T10:28:59Z")
> [@ILikeForeignLanguages](#): > > Have you ever heard someone say German is a Nazi language? How about “Arabic is a terrorist language” or “Afrikaans is racist?” No. No. No. Which rather makes the rest of your post redundant. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/5 "2014-11-24T10:31:20Z")
I have never come across the claim that a language - any language - is evil. ETA: Yeah, what **Sage Rat** said. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/6 "2014-11-24T11:13:26Z")
Never heard anyone say anything like that either. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/7 "2014-11-24T11:16:04Z")
All people who speak Math are nerds. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/8 "2014-11-24T11:20:02Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > All people who speak Math are nerds. :mad: What does that say about those who speak Klingon? Nazi nerds? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/9 "2014-11-24T11:38:12Z")
How controversial! Seriously I have never heard anyone, ever, claim or imply a language is, in anyway evil. So, how’s about an example? If it’s a thing, I want to know about it, and if it’s a thing it should be demonstrable, I should think. So where? Show us where this is being done, by whom, how often, etc. Show us an example in print, in media, …something. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/10 "2014-11-24T11:50:05Z")
> [@ILikeForeignLanguages](#): > > Have you ever heard someone say German is a Nazi language? How about “Arabic is a terrorist language” or “Afrikaans is racist?” I have not. Have you? What were the circumstances? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/11 "2014-11-24T12:59:48Z")
I’m considering a pitting of Joseph Mengele, care to give me some pointers? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/12 "2014-11-24T13:55:51Z")
¿Que¿ ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/13 "2014-11-24T13:59:56Z")
I have heard that British English is effete, which is sort of evil. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/14 "2014-11-24T14:27:03Z")
> [@ILikeForeignLanguages](#): > > Have you ever heard someone say German is a Nazi language? How about “Arabic is a terrorist language” or “Afrikaans is racist?” Nope. > [@](#): > > Well, languages cannot be evil. I had a French teacher who was definitely evil. > [@](#): > > I _like_ foreign languages. Well I don’t. They sound funny. And I can never be sure those people aren’t saying unflattering things about me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/15 "2014-11-24T14:36:39Z")
I think the OP is spot on. He’s just 100 years too late. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/16 "2014-11-24T16:26:09Z")
Persian is larcenous. Serbo-Croatian is lazy. Xhosa always takes the last cup of coffee and never makes a new pot. Catalan costs too much unless you get it on sale. Coptic killed my pa. Haitian Creole thinks it’s all that. Hindi is only fit for ordering fast food. Hawaiian ate my _aina kakahiaka_. Cree wants to boogie woogie all night long. Khmer? Don’t even talk to me about Khmer! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/17 "2014-11-24T16:38:14Z")
We now have the ultimate Canadian TV sportfest, Hockey Night In Canada, broadcast in Punjabi, where I live. Multiculturalism has no shame! And y’know what it’s kinda nice when you’re tired of the colour commentary crap, makes a nice change! ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/18 "2014-11-24T16:45:25Z")
Well, I don’t know about evil, but there’s certainly plenty of people who will wonder how anyone could say “I love you” in german because everything sounds so angry, or will ardently explain to you that spanish speakers lack personal responsibility because “la ventana se rompió” translates literally into english as “the window broke itself”. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/19 "2014-11-24T16:50:00Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > We now have the ultimate Canadian TV sportfest, Hockey Night In Canada, broadcast in Punjabi, where I live. > > Multiculturalism has no shame! > > And y’know what it’s kinda nice when you’re tired of the colour commentary crap, makes a nice change! I’ve seen that. It’s kinda fun to watch. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469/20 "2014-11-24T17:24:55Z")
This is a rather feeble Pitting for feeble cause. To get soundly Pitted by orthodox linguists, try suggesting that some languages are less efficacious for human discourse than others! :eek: The suggestion that German is harsh or militaristic compared with French the language of love reminded me of [this scene from the greatest movie ever made](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTsg9i6lvqU&t=12). But how many Dopers were aware of what the following words mean? [QUOTE=La Marseillaise] Marchons … Qu’un sang impur abreuve nos sillons ! [/QUOTE] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-think-stereotype-generalize-foreign-languages-in-a-negative-way/705469.md?page=2)