Linguistics & Culture: Do you believe some languages are "strange" or "rude" or "odd"?

[ahmet]

what do you think/believe on this issue?

[John Cuthber]

No, but I believe some languages (and accents) may be perceived as odd or rude.

[joigus]

I think it's in the eyes of the beholder.

Or, in this case, in the ears of the listener. Rudeness is relative, because language is relative.

The ultimate reason being that language's main purpose is to relate.

And it is no coincidence that "to relate" means both "to interact" and "to tell."

[dimreepr]

1 hour ago, joigus said:

I think it's in the eyes of the beholder.

Indeed, culture is anywhere between a village and a nation (or globally in the case of an alien invasion); who knows what will set them off... 🤔

[Phi for All]

The correct word is "different". In the US, it's the custom for people shopping for clothes to take them from the rack into a dressing room to try them on. We don't have to ask first because in the US, "the customer is always right". In France, it's considered polite to ask the shop keeper first, because it's their store and they're the expert. Different societies (with different languages) have different conventions for behavior.

Some languages can sound harsh to foreign ears. People speaking German often sound angry to me, while people speaking Arabic or Cantonese often sound excited. I think that's just me trying to make someone else's speech patterns fit my American English sensibilities. 

How we deal with accents is cultural as well. I grew up watching movies where the villains spoke English with German or Russian accents, so folks who speak like that can be intimidating. The posh British accent is almost branded in the US as "intellectual". 

[ahmet]

18 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

Some languages can sound harsh to foreign ears. People speaking German often sound angry to me, while people speaking Arabic or Cantonese often sound excited. 

   way interesting to hear.

because I know or come across many people stating arabic was a rude language,at least many turkishes. 

a notation: the opinion appearing above does not belong to me. 

meanwhile, my arabic level is B1

Edited September 27, 2020 by ahmet

[Phi for All]

4 minutes ago, ahmet said:

   way interesting to hear.

because I know or come across many people stating arabic was a rude language,at least many turkishes. 

We may have different definitions of "rude". A language I don't understand has almost no chance of seeming "rude" to me. 

[ahmet]

15 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

We may have different definitions of "rude".

I understand. 

(with reminding a notation: that opinion definitely does not belong to me)

also, I do not  approach any language as "rude" or "strange" or "odd", but I almost commonly come across with people stating their opinion also with their mimics or acts.

thanks for sharing your idea.

Edited September 27, 2020 by ahmet

[dimreepr]

23 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

The correct word is "different".

Okay, in which culture???

[Phi for All]

40 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

Okay, in which culture???

All but your own.

[dimreepr]

2 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

All but your own.

Imagine that...