Humans may speak a universal language, say scientists

TelegraphUK ^ | Sarah Knapton

[reed13k]

Well, that is true, but a lot of that is also dependent upon how well you know the person. If your working with them on a more frequent basis then they will start to use a more “normal” or familiar communication style. It is true in English as well - though the last 20-30 years have definitely seen a fast transition toward a much less formal style.

[old-ager]

http://biblehub.com/esv/genesis/11.htm

” ... the whole earth had one language and the same words ...”

[wbarmy]

???

Did you not read his tagline???

[Dr. Sivana]

Indeed, that is the language spoken by Adam and Eve.

Or whatever it turned into by the time of Noah.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Interesting and likely right.

“Ni” is you in chinese and I do tend to hear it a fair amount when I’m in Shanghai/Beijing, but typically only in questions and not in directives/comments

NI!

[reed13k]

LOL

[Hawthorn]

>> If your working with them on a more frequent basis then they will start to use a more “normal” or familiar communication style <<

You're certainly correct about some environments, but I know from personal experience that in cases where we would use the second-person pronoun, family members in both China and Thailand tend to call one another older brother, little sister, etc. rather than you.

Ditto for friends. For example, my Oriental wife usually addresses her compatriot female buddies in the native language as older sister or younger sister.

(And by the way, the latter practice normally makes it necessary for brand-new friends to inquire about one anothers' ages -- a custom that many American women seem to find awkward!)

[Hawthorn]

>> of course they wrote in English since they were English themselves with names like John, Mark, Luke and Matthew. <<

An absolutely brilliant observation!

(Why didn’t I think of it?)

[Hawthorn]

>> Actually in Chinese they use the pronouns for “you” all the time <<

Of course, but just not as often as we use it in English. For example, when my Oriental wife speaks to me in English, she always calls me you. But when she speaks to me in her native lingo, she often calls me older brother.

>> they have two forms, one of which is more respectful, like the French vous. <<

Yep, although when I lived in Taiwan, I almost never heard nin even though I had learned that form from the textbooks. I have the impression that nin is much more common in Peking and the rest of northern China than in the South. Maybe more so among the older generation?

>> I don’t know anything about Thai. <<

They can and do make a "T-V" distinction, usually more than do the Chinese. Specifically, they have a second-person pronoun for family members and close friends. But for a stranger or casual acquaintance, they will use the gender neutral word for Mr./Mrs./Miss, which is khun -- and they use this word either alone, or with your given name (Khun John, Khun Mary, etc.)

[SparkyBass]

Dang. I could have sworn the universal language was “arm-fart”.
Now, what to do with all this research money...

[Hawthorn]

>> That hand sign means different things in different cultures <<

Do you mean like, A-OK in English, F-U in Portuguese?

[reed13k]

agreed and my japanese wife and her family do the same, but outside the family once familiarity is established is what I was attempting to refer to. In japanese there is a unique situation for “anata” for spouses it is considered a term of affection.

Whereas for family and inlays it is always oneesan, oniisan, ottoto, etc - similar to didi, etc in chinese. That typically never changes even with age and in fact with familiarity and/or marriage in-laws are adopted to the same customs.

[mikeIII]

If we didn’t watch out, it could well be Arabic.