International border crossings

[Verso]

Originally Posted by vitacit

we have a lot of germant and hungarian words in the language. bratislava had been quite germanised city for centuries, germant colonisation in the 12th and 15th century has resulted in large scale to the architecture, habits, there are still regions in slovakia where people speak dialects of german (northern and central slovakia). and the same with hungarian.

Of course, that happens everywhere, but other than that, all three languages are clearly different from each other. I understand a lot of Slovak since it's a Slavic language, but almost nothing Hungarian (and German is also very different).

[SeanT]

The german, slovak, and hungarian languages are coming from 3 differrent "families", but still: Political-Geography and history play a roll as well!

[Surel]

Being flashed at the Dutch border on the A3 between Meppen and Emmen.

[diablo234]

Some photos of the El Florido border crossing which is located on the border of Guatemala and Honduras just outside of Copan Ruinas:

image hosted on flickr

Civilised border by eusouumator, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Honduran border by eusouumator, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Honduran Border by eusouumator, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Guatemala - Honduras border by eusouumator, on Flickr

[alserrod]

In the first photo they say on the bottom... "If you are a foreing, as an officer to know your benefits".

Why? I do not understand them. It seems confusing, even after reading the rest of the pannel.

[Corvinus]

For me, it seems rather clear, "Si eres visitante en la región, acércate a un funcionário de migración para conocer tus beneficios", "If you are a visitor in the region, proceed to a migration officer to learn about your benefits" ==> seems to be an info for tourists, to ask officers about their possibilities and rights (and obligations).

What is strange is the use of informal "tú", "eres" instead of formal language!
Would be impossible in the German-speaking area ...

[x-type]

it should be "usted"?

[alserrod]

Originally Posted by Corvinus

For me, it seems rather clear, "Si eres visitante en la región, acércate a un funcionário de migración para conocer tus beneficios", "If you are a visitor in the region, proceed to a migration officer to learn about your benefits" ==> seems to be an info for tourists, to ask officers about their possibilities and rights (and obligations).

What is strange is the use of informal "tú", "eres" instead of formal language!
Would be impossible in the German-speaking area ...

For me, Spanish speaker, it is very confusing the information...
they talk about citizens of countries (not only them but also in the area), they talk about foreing citizens but residence in the area and they talk about foreing citizens not residents.

But very confusing.

Originally Posted by x-type

it should be "usted"?

Making a comparation with French.

Tu = Tu
Usted = Vous

In Spain a normal conversation would use Tu but an official pannel would use Usted

In South America they will use always Usted (sometimes they get confused to me)

In Central America, upside down. Usted is not often used.


The language is not wrong at all. Only being formal or unformal way to talk.

[Sunfuns]

Originally Posted by italystf

And between Baltic republics?

Estonian is a non-Indoeuropean language so no chance there unless you have studied it. Lithuanian and Latvian are the closest languages to each other, but I (born in Riga) find it difficult to understand more than a word or two of spoken language. Little bit better with a written one, but not much. I've heard from Lithuanians that the other way around is easier.

Certain Slavic languages are much closer to each other - I can read Bulgarian and Serbian with my not that perfect knowledge of Russian.

[Cicerón]

Originally Posted by Corvinus

What is strange is the use of informal "tú", "eres" instead of formal language!
Would be impossible in the German-speaking area ...

AFAIK in some areas of Central America they use "vos" instead of "tú" as the informal pronoun. But I think "usted" is the most formal in every Spanish speaking country anyway.

[erxgli]

Originally Posted by x-type

it should be "usted"?

"VOS" is used in some central american countries and Argentina, "USTED" is widely used in Colombia, while in Mexico "TU" and "USTED" are used depending on who you are talking with, I mean if you are talking with a friend, brother, cousin or someone in an informal conversation, you use "TU"; but if it's a formal conversation, for example, with your boss, teacher or older people you have to use "USTED".

[Attus]

Originally Posted by Sunfuns

Estonian is a non-Indoeuropean language

Estonian is very similar to Finnish - and quite different from any other Europen language. In the Soviet age Finnish television could be received in whole Estonia and local people (except for Russian immigrants of course) understood it pretty well.

[LMB]

Originally Posted by Attus

Estonian is very similar to Finnish

Please cut this off-topic conversation. Here's some short info on languages:

* Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian and Basque are not Indo-European, so nobody will understand them without studying them (other than the Finnish/Estonian pair)

* Some Slavic languages are very close to one another, much more than any other group

The rest (French/Italian, Danish/Swedish etc.) you perhaps know.

[pobre diablo]

Originally Posted by alserrod

Tu = Tu
Usted = Vous

In Spain a normal conversation would use Tu but an official pannel would use Usted

In Spain they use TU even when speaking to strangers. I hate it, it's so disrespectful Same in Argentina

[riiga]

Originally Posted by pobre diablo

In Spain they use TU even when speaking to strangers. I hate it, it's so disrespectful Same in Argentina

Is it really? I find it more respectful to address all people by the same pronoun. Maybe it's because in Swedish we rarely use titles or more formal ways of addressing people, at least not since the mid-60s. Some info here.

[Penn's Woods]

In English, we don't have that problem....

[Verso]

Originally Posted by Penn's Woods

In English, we don't have that problem....

Actually you can hear some difference when someone says "you" formally or informally. "You" formally is more "nicely" pronounced, like the whole conversation. You wouldn't say "ya" instead of "you" to a queen. This whole page is totally OT though.

[pobre diablo]

Originally Posted by riiga

Is it really? I find it more respectful to address all people by the same pronoun. Maybe it's because in Swedish we rarely use titles or more formal ways of addressing people, at least not since the mid-60s. Some info here.

To me it is. I like to keep my distance

[g.spinoza]

Originally Posted by pobre diablo

To me it is. I like to keep my distance

So do I. Every time I called my teacher "tu" instead of "lei", he used to say: "I'm not Jesus Christ, but I'm not your brother either".

[riiga]

Originally Posted by g.spinoza

So do I. Every time I called my teacher "tu" instead of "lei", he used to say: "I'm not Jesus Christ, but I'm not your brother either".

I guess we're the odd one out since teachers usually are called by their first name.