Criticism constructive or otherwise

"Old french" has been recorded as far back as the 8th century.

Yeap! I 'did' it at university:)! The linguistic aspect of this thread is becoming very entertaining!
 
I'm not saying French didn't exist as a language, but the French have a shaky relationship with an 'official' language.


Then I got that wrong, sorry.

We learn, in school, the literary French… admirable.
As Québécois, we can only laugh the first time we
engage in a conversation with the France French and
hear the way they use their language.

We have kept, over the centuries, many "old French"
words, formulation, tonalities and pronunciations but
with our own evolution.

And you're right, our language is closer to their "Académie
Française" than theirs! :)
 
God help us if Little Owls are ever discovered down at "The Marsh"
 
See above.
I see the point you are making. Does anyone here know what is the official language of England (UK may be different)?. I suspect, though I don't know, that we do not have an official language unless maybe it is Norman French which is still used in Parliament, e.g. for giving Royal assent to Bills.
 
I see the point you are making. Does anyone here know what is the official language of England (UK may be different)?. I suspect, though I don't know, that we do not have an official language unless maybe it is Norman French which is still used in Parliament, e.g. for giving Royal assent to Bills.
You're about right, we don't - in law, though it'd be interesting to read the Welsh language act in light of the fact it's not an alternative to an official language.
 



I have a theory that says that French is the most beautiful
language in the world. And now I can prove it:

No one has ever heard of a British or German kiss, have you? :D
 



I have a theory that says that French is the most beautiful
language in the world. And now I can prove it:

No one has ever heard of a British or German kiss, have you? :D
You're on shaky ground there - what about a Glasgow kiss for example. Clue: rather less fun for one party than the French kind.
 
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You're about right, we don't - in law, though it'd be interesting to read the Welsh language act in light of the fact it's not an alternative to an official language.
Yes, that's the reason I chose "England" as I thought maybe both English and Welsh might be defined as official languages for Wales and therefore in some sense official languages within the UK.
 
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Cheers Charles…
I'll join you with my third whiskey!

I was going to stay dry tonight but at least I have not finished the wine from last night but I got some of the local "water of fire" instead :-)
 
I'm less an idiot than yesterday!
Not an "idiot". In English it has a stronger meaning than what you are probably trying to say about yourself (unless in French it has as strong a meaning). You probably know two more completely unnecessary things today that you did not know yesterday.
 
Not an "idiot"


In French, an idiot can also be an ignorant!

So, I may go to bed… knowing I'm less an ignorant than yesterday! :)


Good night gentlemen!
 
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Too many acronyms


None of the said DRL, WB, XYZ. ABC is. They are abbreviations.

When an abbreviation can be not spelled but said — like a word —
then it becomes an acronym. Ex,: NASA
 
To be fair, anyone that can take the time to reply in English, when it's not their first language, should be praised. Ok sometimes things get lost in translation, but I've rarely not understood what @Kodiak Qc is trying to say. For example *rendition * should be quite self explanatory to any English speaker. :)
 
To be fair, anyone that can take the time to reply in English, when it's not their first language, should be praised. Ok sometimes things get lost in translation, but I've rarely not understood what @Kodiak Qc is trying to say. For example *rendition * should be quite self explanatory to any English speaker. :)

There are standard terms used in photography and post processing ...... and if you are familiar with Adobe, Lightroom and Photoshop and their tutorials, they use such terms

Daniel can use terms which are his own ....... and which are not familiar, particularly to newcomers to the forum

Daniel comments a lot on posted images, he has a kind of "standard posting/presentation" which he uses regularly - his comments can be repetitive and sometimes difficult to understand by some - - I am not saying if he is right or wrong in what he says, but his comments can be categoric and not to everyones taste or agreement

When Daniel was new to the forum I think that I pointed out to him that he may be misunderstood ......... not particularly because he is a non-native speaker of English ......

Daniel also earns a living from "photography" (teaching and shooting) and is therefore maybe used to presenting his comments in a standard way

My comments relate to what I have seen in the "Bird Section" of the Forum .... he was originally a "novice" birder but he has become "an expert" ....... but many of his shots are "at The Marsh" were the lighting can be very different to anything that I have experienced

IMHO
 
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There are standard terms used in photography and post processing ...... and if you are familiar with Adobe, Lightroom and Photoshop and their tutorials, they use such terms

Daniel can use terms which are his own ....... and which are not familiar, particularly to newcomers to the forum

Daniel comments a lot on posted images, he has a kind of "standard posting/presentation" which he uses time and time again - his comments can be repetitive and sometimes difficult to understand by some - - I am not saying if he is right or wrong in what he says, but his comments can be categoric and not to everyones taste or agreement

When Daniel was new to the forum I think that I pointed out to him that he may be misunderstood .........

My comments relate to what I have seen in the "Bird Section" of the Forum

IMHO
I understand what you are saying and my comment wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, just a general observation (so I you don't think I was singling you out).
We all have our own way of replying to posts and some are more forthright than others (even if they don't indend to come across that way).
English is my first language, but I'm no wordsmith and even worse at typing long drawn out replies :).
 
I understand what you are saying and my comment wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, just a general observation (so I you don't think I was singling you out).
We all have our own way of replying to posts and some are more forthright than others (even if they don't indend to come across that way).
English is my first language, but I'm no wordsmith and even worse at typing long drawn out replies :).

Hi Dominic ... I did not think that your posting was towards me

I have "known" Daniel since he joined the Forum ... I was just trying to explain the situation as I have come to see it

"We" were regularly reminded by the Mods to be careful how "we" comment and Critique ........ so I have been there before several times - generally I only post my comments these days on the images posted by 3 or 4 "regulars"
 
None of the said DRL, WB, XYZ. ABC is. They are abbreviations.

When an abbreviation can be not spelled but said — like a word —
then it becomes an acronym. Ex,: NASA
Priceless. You are totally correct of course. And it's so beautifully ironic, after all the discussion about native and non-native speakers of the English language.
 
initialisms


Correct… that's the word I was looking for yesterday! Thanks Ben!

An abréviation (abr.) is when only some letters of a word are used
and a point (.) is added to identify it as such.
 
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None of the said DRL, WB, XYZ. ABC is. They are abbreviations.

When an abbreviation can be not spelled but said — like a word —
then it becomes an acronym. Ex,: NASA

Actually, they're initialisms.

Edit: All acronyms are initialisms, but not all abbreviations are initialisms.

Now, I may go to bed tonight… knowing
I'm less an idi.. ignorant than yesterday! :) :D
 
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Google is your friend in this instance . But as we are on French kissing what about French letters?

French letters and the French disease are known to the French as Capots Anglais (I forget whether or not there's an e on the Anglais and can't find the o with a cap on on this machine!) and the English disease. IIRC.
 
French letters and the French disease are known to the French as Capots Anglais (I forget whether or not there's an e on the Anglais and can't find the o with a cap on on this machine!) and the English disease. IIRC.
The problem is I only remember, in my youth, "the English disease" meaning homosexuality. I looke it up on Wiktionary and it says:
the English disease

  1. Football (soccer) hooliganism
  2. Depression (especially suicidal)
  3. Hypochondria
  4. Sweating sickness
  5. Gout
  6. Rickets
  7. Syphilis
  8. Bronchitis
  9. Tuberculosis
  10. Laziness, low motivation
  11. Poor industrial relations, and the resulting economic weakness
  12. Masochism, especially a fondness for flagellation
  13. Gambling
  14. Haemophilia
  15. Homosexuality _________ So there's quite a few to choose from :-(
 
he was originally a "novice" birder but he has become "an expert"


There are 2 things I do almost every day: take pictures
(professional and personal projects) and ask many tons
of questions to the right people about wildlife in general
and birds too… I'm a good listener and a fast learner.
I'm still not a birder but a photographer.

Some university teachers coming to visit the marsh, and
students as well, gave me lots of answers that help me
so much in foreseeing the next moves of given animals,
increasing the necessary quality and my keepers ratio.

In May, I was invited to the university to present pictures I
did at the marsh. The enterprise was very successful that
a one year contract was
negotiated and signed in June.

The only thing missing then was the presence of my sons.
 
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There are 2 things I do almost every day: take pictures
(professional and personal projects) and ask many tons
of questions to the right people about wildlife in general
and birds too… I'm a good listener and a fast learner.
I'm still not a birder but a photographer.

Some university teachers coming to visit the marsh, and
students as well, gave me lots of answers that help me
so much in foreseeing the next moves of given animals,
increasing the necessary quality and my keepers ratio.

In May, I was invited to the university to present pictures I
did at the marsh. The enterprise was very successful that
a one year contract was
negotiated and signed in June.

The only thing missing then was the presence of my sons.

I have seen a very significant improvement in the images that you have posted in the Bird Section over the last few months ............. not only in the way that they have been processed , but also regarding the sharpness of the images ........

You also have picked up more knowledge about different species, albeit restricted in number as the vast majority of your shots are taken at "The Marsh"

originally I felt that your images we not good and I think that I said IMHO these are not "Bird images"

I have never quite understood the lighting conditions that are displayed in the images that you have taken at "The Marsh"
 
albeit restricted in number as the vast majority of your shots are taken at "The Marsh"

I'd say 99.5% of the birds, indeed.
My bad left knee does not permit me much more, after
the shootings of the day — or before — than the easy
access to my shooting position. The times where I was
running the woods, climbing hills and mountain, exploring
new spaces is over for me. I am restricted in movement
but not in quality.
I think that I said IMHO these are not "Bird images"
…and they will never be as that's not my aim.
I have never quite understood the lighting conditions that are displayed in the images that you have taken at "The Marsh"
Because you view birds as a birder should… possibly.
 
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