Language List.

Here's a list of languages I know, and can speak, and others that I've learnt, even to just a basic level :

• English : Pretty much my first language. Specifically speaking, Midland/Midwestern American English (the variety in and around Cincinnati OH) with generalized Americanisms. Also Indian English, to a lesser extent (Madras English).
• Sourashtra : My native language/mother tongue. Can speak it fluently, but it's not a very established language by itself and lacks a lot of nouns which I usually use English ones in place of. I have a Sourashtra dictionary, and the formal language seems pretty Sanskritized, which is fine. But I've never really had any occasion to use anything other than the conversational language. Maybe if I tried writing in it.
• Tamil : Can read the script with some difficulty. Am comfortably conversational, though I have a thick accent while speaking it and can mess it up badly while nervous. Can get the gist of formal speech using more Sanskritized vocabulary. Cannot understand 'Pure Tamil' at all (Using mostly Dravidian roots, ie). Can't really understand poetry/lyrics in it.
• Hindi : Can read the script easier than Tamil, but not to the extent of English. Indic scripts are extremely logical and have few ambiguities, arguably, Devanagri has the least. Can understand conversational Hindi and the gist of stuff spoken in formal Sanskritized Hindi. Can't really understand poetry/lyrics in it, or more Perso - Arabic vocabularies and usages. Learnt it in school, but forgot most of what I learnt, except for the Sanskritized vocab. Phonology is like a simplified version of Sourashtra's, so no problem there.
• Spanish : The first language I've actually attempted learning properly, with classes and the like. I can read it well (thanks mostly to the alphabet). I have no problems with pronouncing any of the phonemes, though now and then I stumble on the 'rr's while speaking fast. Can speak it without much accent, and I can approximate different regional accents, too. Vocabulary wise, still need work. Weak with prepositions. Semi fluent, but making lots of progress thanks to classes. Will be writing the DELE A2 exam in November. Can understand song lyrics but poetry, not so much.
• Portuguese : I attempted Portuguese after Spanish, when I started getting into Bossa Nova and Brazilian music in general. Later, I got deeper into it. My background in Spanish helped. Speaking, can do with some thinking. Not fluent at all, but probably could get around in Brazil with a phrasebook for reference. Thanks to music, can understand a decent amount. Studying Spanish helps, because the two languages have many things in common, first off, a Romance structure and general form, as opposed to English's Germanic, common vocabularies, similar conjugations (Though definitely not the same - just similar). Can understand lyrics and poetry with a dictionary to help (The flow of Portuguese is naturally very lyrical, and has more in common with lyrical English than lyrical Spanish for some reason, maybe the French influence on English and Portuguese is to blame?). Lovely phonology, challenging, yet worth it! I can make most of the sounds, I think!
• Japanese : The only East Asian language I've tried. I can read Hiragana. Don't know Katakana. I know the meaning of around 200 - 300 individual kana. Cannot speak or understand much, except for some words and phrases. I've forgotten most of the tiny bit I learnt, years ago. Phonology is dead easy. Has some of the most melancholy poetry in the world - like Portuguese!
• French : I learnt this in school. Never could get it right back then. After I got into languages after finishing school,  I learnt some basic French in college, though I promptly forgot it soon after. Cannot really understand spoken French, or speak it myself (except for very basic sentences, probably). Phonemes don't seem too hard - All the phonemes that exist in Parisian French, seem to exist in either British English or Brazilian Portuguese, as far as I know. Or at least it feels like that. Can understand written French to a good extent relative to my basic knowledge of the language. For some reason, I don't really see the appeal of this language. Probably because it was a lingua franca rather than a practical language outside of Francophone regions, and now English has taken its place. You think it's classy? Watch  Un prophète. It can be as gritty or street as Cockney.
• Russian : I can read and write Cyrillic but I am slow at it. I have no knowledge of Russian except for a few words I learnt on Rosetta Stone, and some more from Soviet rock (Yes, that was a thing!). The only reason I put it up here is because of the alphabet. Phonology seems intimidating but probably won't be after some study.
• Urdu : I can read the Perso Arabic Nastaliq script with some difficulty. (The native Urdu script, different from Arabic and Persian's). Can understand certain Perso Arabic words. Can write it. The conversational form of the language is the same as Hindi. Only the lyrical and formal registers differ. Though all in all, I don't get the point of Urdu.  I mean, either go for pure full blown, ACTUAL Persian, or Sansrkitized Hindi. Why bastardize either? That's just my POV as an anal ousider though. Persianate words don't sound as good with an Indian grammar/rhythm to me, IHMO. Or maybe I'm just a purist.  And other than being a Sufi language, I don't get the point of Urdu. As an atheist/agnostic/apatheist, the whole sufism stuff doesn't really appeal because GOD KHUDA GOD. No disrespect to the language though, just my views. Phonology same as Hindi's. (Because same language, in a way).
• Persian : Has a substantially easier form of  Perso Arabic script than Urdu. Makes it way easier to read and write. The language is actually extremely easy except for grammar. Especially for Indians. Phonology is like a simplified Hindi phonology, with like a very few exotic sounds thrown in. (I think no more than 3). Has some of the most beautiful poetry in the world. But to understand it, would probably need to know Persian REALLY well. Persian words, terms, suffixes pop up a lot in Medieval Indian sites that Sultanates and the Mughals built, their cities, and their cultural stuff. I don't really have much of an idea of spoken Perisan, it's more of the cultural Persian.
• Arabic : The script is even easier than Persian's. It's got a wide reach, and was one of the most influential languages of Asia and Africa in it's classical form. I can understand some words, and lots of toponyms (place names) and people's names. Also, Arabic words pop up a lot in Medieval Indian sites that Sultanates and the Mughals built. And place names here, too. Like Persian. Has a crazy phonology that is totally alien to me. I don't really have much knowledge of spoken Arabic, but I have an idea of cultural Arabic.
• Swedish : I tried to learn it, and I stopped after a while. It's a very harsh, grinding language. It didn't appeal to me much. Turns out, most Swedes are fluent in English (I think stats are 90 + %!), and there's not much point in learning the language. In fact, some of the best metal lyrics I've heard were by Swedes! (Opeth, Pain of Salvation!)

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