Beautiful Languages

[Merci Alizée]

I was reading a discussion over languages on some other forum and one poster pointed out that Italian is considered as one of the most beautiful language. Why?

I have noticed same with some other languages. Urdu and Telugu are considered more melodic and beautiful than other languages in this part of the world.

German is probably considered anti-beautiful? Germans (read Jenny) please don't kill me for this.

So, what's the reason behind adoring a language more than other? Is it just stereotype? Is it because art and literature flourished more in one language than other ones?

[Fall]

Originally Posted by Merci Alizée

Is it just stereotype? Is it because art and literature flourished more in one language than other ones?

I don't know if it's because of literature and art, but that sounds like a good reason. I personally like the sound of Portuguese, but I don't know any art or literature in that language, just a song or two, one of which I will link below. Just from hearing people speak it, I like the sound of it. Especially girls It sounds a little bit like Spanish and French put together with an extra something, it's quite nice in my opinon


This is a song from the 70s by Roberto Carlos, a famous Brazilian singer. It's a song about a very loyal friend. I believe it's called Amigo

[Karin]

Originally Posted by Merci Alizée

German is probably considered anti-beautiful? Germans (read Jenny) please don't kill me for this.

cause its hard like a swine

[Jenny_HRO87]

oh that's an interesting topic

Originally Posted by Merci Alizée

German is probably considered anti-beautiful? Germans (read Jenny) please don't kill me for this.

nah I would never kill you. I know A LOT of people say that.

Originally Posted by lefty12357

I hear a lot of people say that French is the most beautiful language. I think this concept of "beautiful language" has a lot to do with the way a language sounds when properly pronounced rather than just the words of the language itself. That's why many English speakers like the sound of a person speaking English with a French accent, or for that matter, with an Italian accent. They can almost make English sound beautiful. Personally, I enjoy hearing English spoken in many different accents.

I guess you nailed it.

Originally Posted by Karin

cause its hard like a swine

maybe. But I think Russian is much worse... nothing against Russians ofc... but if I hear a Russian talking it sounds kinda scary xD And much "harder" than German... in my point of view.

I agree, German isn't the nicest-sounding language (and some dialects are terrible... but you have terrible dialects in every language) at all I mean it's pretty harsh or better it sounds harsh to people who doesn't know it very well... or perhaps also to people who learn it... but it's also a beautiful language, I'm convinced every language has its own beauty and I think the German-is-a-terrible-language attitude maybe has also something to do with the sometimes negative views on Germany in general... considering all the things that happened in the last century.... I just mean I highly doubt that German has the reputation of a harsh language when it comes to Goethe and Schiller... oh well I'm talking all kind of rubbish ignore that...

I think French really is one of the most beautiful languages, I don't really know how to find the right words why... it's just a language that "flows" that you are listening to and it sounds beautiful and every word seems to match with the one before in a totally perfect melodic way... I hope you know what I mean.

But I also think English is a beautiful language and it maybe sounds nicer than German too (ok, I have to be honest I have a weakness for some accents from the UK ^^)...

But I guess your opinion what language is beautiful has also something to do what kind of languages you are used too... by the way... so many people say French is the most beautiful language... I wonder what the French would pick if you would answer them this question... what language they would think is the most beautiful (apart from their mother tongue)...

[Karin]

Originally Posted by Jenny_HRO87

But I think Russian is much worse... nothing against Russians ofc... but if I hear a Russian talking it sounds kinda scary xD And much "harder" than German... in my point of view.

for us slavic people no, it sound very similar

[Jenny_HRO87]

Originally Posted by Karin

for us slavic people no, it sound very similar

and that's exactly my point

Whether a language sounds nice or beautiful to someone or not also depends on what you are used too... so there might be even people (talking about non-native speakers of course) who think that German is highly beautiful

[lefty12357]

I hear a lot of people say that French is the most beautiful language. I think this concept of "beautiful language" has a lot to do with the way a language sounds when properly pronounced rather than just the words of the language itself. That's why many English speakers like the sound of a person speaking English with a French accent, or for that matter, with an Italian accent. They can almost make English sound beautiful. Personally, I enjoy hearing English spoken in many different accents.

[awkward Turtle]

I think a beautiful language is all just up to personal preference. I actually think German can be quite beautiful with the right voice and intonations.

On the other hand, I find Italian to be quite an ugly language. That might be because I speak Spanish and think Italian sounds like Spanish, just with random hard and jarring sounds thrown in which ruins the entire ascetic of the language. Then again, it is all just opinions, and I am sure many people will disagree with mine here.

[lapinschous]

Originally Posted by awkward Turtle

I think a beautiful language is all just up to personal preference. I actually think German can be quite beautiful with the right voice and intonations.

Must agree! I remember when I was 8 I had my first german class and they gave us audio cassettes and the voice of the girl sounded so pure and smooth when she was saying "I liebe dich" for the pronuntiation practice that I kept replaying the same sentence for days! ^^



As to french langugage, it may be difficult to say being myself a frenchman , but i think that french is pleasant to hear but it REEALLY depends on the person, and the accent. I honeslty don't like the southern accents, Marseille, Montpellier or Corsican accents lack smoothness and the intonations can sometimes sound rude or unelegant... that's why Alizée got rid of the ajaccian accent. But I don't like the slangish suburban accent of Paris, it just sounds too nonchalant and the people who have it generally do not articulate much ... (Jérémy Chatelain is a good example) .


My favorite french accent is... well I can't choose between the North Western accent of Bretagne (Nolwenn Leroy) and the true french (oxfordian) accent from Lyon (Coralie Clément)

[Marka]

Originally Posted by lapinschous

I honeslty don't like the southern accents, Marseille, Montpellier or Corsican accents lack smoothness and the intonations can sometimes sound rude or unelegant... that's why Alizée got rid of the ajaccian accent.

If Alizée ever got rid of the Corsican accent just because the way it sounds, then damn her. Its where she comes from, its parth of her childhood, and I am sure that she still speaks it when she is at home. One part of my family speaks a dialect with Hungarian influences, other part the dialect with Turkish influences, both can sound rude and funny at the same time, I know them both and in my real life I speak in my own way, while adapting to the way people around me speak.
But I would never say that one dialect sounds bad or that it is worthless, as they are all unique and beautiful in their own way, and every new one you learn, the more you gain in terms of your personality.

Anyway, I don't really hear the difference, but I love the way she spoke back in 2000-2003.