Mayday

Wheels is correct. English is a Germanic language with a mix of Romance There are allot of cognates, making German fairly easy to translate when written, but the pronunciations when spoken are something else completely. I guess the same can be said about most languages. I deal with Spanish speakers every day, and some I can understand every word. Others, not a single word. I have not been able to find out what part of Mexico the people come from that I can not understand, because, most of them speak no English at all.
What we have here, is a failure to communicate
De je vous all over again

[CaptainK]

Do ya sprakle ze Dutch?

[OldYachtie]

America and Britain are two countries divided by a common language - attributed by some to Oscar Wilde, and by others to G.B Shaw.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

If you saw the photo of the Girl and guy eating the Rock Oysters in the link I gave in another post, They are both German. Stefan comes fromt he Black Forrestarea. Alex comes from somewhere else, I am not sure. But they often had aas much trouble trying to understand each other as they did us.

I reckon that's a gender problem not a regional problem - LOL

I spent 30 minutes in a French class in HS before staging a mutiny with my guidance counselor. French is ridiculous. Instead I took 3 years of HS German. Maybe it's just reputation but it appeared way more orderly than French. Of course HS language training disapears as soon as you enter the work force.

Japanese was fun to learn, albeit it is fast fading as well...

[seafox]

I have problems reading Wheels written words Bloody South Island education. None of them can spell.

[Alan Wheeler]

Hey, yous pokin fun at the way I waz brung up??

[seafox]

Getting better

[Lancerbye]

You think you have problems. As a Canadian with out the accent we have a hard time understanding the Ozzies, the Kiwis, the Brits, the Scots, the Irish, the Americans, and in Canada no one understands the Newfies.Eh. Are we all speaking english? OK I'll go back to my corner.

[GordMay]

“Mayaday” In German is “Mayday”

“MAYDAY” means the caller is threatened by grave and, imminent danger, and requests immediate assistance.

A “Mayday” distress message is sent by radio voice on VHF channel 16 (156.8 MHz) or HF on 2182 kHz, or by sending the Morse code group SOS, or use “other” suitable means of communication.

The Mayday signal is said to have originated (in 1923 ?) by Frederick Stanley "Big Johnson" Mockford. Whilst senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, Mockford was asked to think of a word that would indicate distress and would easily be understood by all pilots and ground staff in an emergency. Since much of the traffic at the time was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, he proposed the word "Mayday" from the French “venez m'aider” (come to help me).

A literal translation of “come (to) help me” to German would be “kommen Sie (o) helfen mir”.

[charley]

Originally Posted by CaptainK

I hear that German is a easy language to learn. Cause it's very close to the English langauge?

At least that's what I heard!!

It is true!! When i was in Frankfurt reading bus signs and train scheudles it was very close to English so I faired okay. However my most used phrase was "Tun Sie sprechen Englisch"

There was a restaurant (more a converted house boat) on the Rhine river in Frankfurt, called Das Boot!!