On 3/24/2002 4:37 PM, Phillip M. Jones, C.E.T. apparently wrote exactly
the following:
> Your correct!
>
> Like I said I've forgotten the the spelling.
>
> Basically, it was supposed to say "I don't speak German", or don't speak
> German, or "can't speak German" something the neighborhood.
Ich spreche kein Deutsch - I don't speak any German
Ich spreche nicht Deutsch (slightly awkward!) - I don't speak German
Ich kann kein Deutsch - I don't do any German
Ich kann kein Deutsch sprechen - I can't speak any German
> Doesn't the two words together (sprechen deutsche) above mean something
> like : DO you Speak German?
"Deutsch sprechen" - (to) speak German
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? (formal / polite) or
Sprichst Du Deutsch? - Do you speak German?
> My friend wife notes there are two versions (dialects) of German,
> regular German, and High German. That, there some words in each version,
> that are not in the other. And that pronounciation can be different. And
> that Austria tend to use one version while, Germany tends to use the
> other, although they both know each version and can speak them as needed.
Hmm... in 1904, Konrad Duden, a German High School teacher, invented the
"Deutsche Rechtschreibung", kind of a list of general spelling
guidelines. Before that, every one spelled stuff in the way he or she
wanted to, which made it sometimes difficult to understand each other
when reading / writing letters. Mr. Duden founded the "Duden Verlag",
who is nowadays still publishing both the official spelling standard
books and several lexica (sp? ;-) ) too.
There are a lot of dialects all over Germany, Switzerland and Austria,
which we consider quite natural. Generally, in North Germany, the spoken
language is a lot closer to the "High German" than the language spoken
in South Germany and Switzerland and Austria.
--
Regards,
Sören Kuklau ('Chucker')
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
