Not logged in. · Lost password · Register
Forum: Customising UNB › Translations RSS
English Errors
a thread to help perfect the English of board
Page:  1  2  next ›
Avatar
Reply · Quote Keith 2007-03-03, 03:03 #1
User title: 漢字おたく
Member since Feb 2007 · 60 posts · Location: Japan
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Subject: English Errors
I wanted to start a thread for reports of needed corrections to the board's English.
I hope this is a good subforum to do it in.

I found the following when registering:
The password is required to login to the board. You should keep it safe and not tell it anybody.


The following would be correct:
You should keep it safe and not tell it to anybody.


However, I would recommend rewriting it like this:
You should keep it safe and not share it with anyone.
Avatar
Reply · Quote Yves (Administrator) 2007-03-03, 12:29 #2
User title: UNB developer & webmaster
Member since Jan 2004 · 3740 posts · Location: Erlangen, Germany
Group memberships: Administrators, Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Thank you. Sounds good. And I'm happy about any help with this as I'm not a native English speaker. :) (Or is it an English native speaker? :huh:)
♪ ...nanananah, all in all we’re just brilliant thieves, nanananah... ♪♬
Avatar
Reply · Quote Saxtus 2007-03-27, 14:51 #3
Member since Jan 2007 · 84 posts · Location: Athens, Greece
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Subject: Forum(s)
Another error is the plural form of word "forum".
It is "fora" and not "forums" although everybody use it this way now... :(
(like the plural form of "datum" is "data" and not "datums")

And no, my native language isn't Engish.
Maybe I must start translating UNB to my language...
Hm...
The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything = 42
Reply · Quote jense 2007-03-27, 15:06 #4
Member since Nov 2006 · 327 posts · Location: Dortmund
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Quote by Saxtus:
It is "fora" and not "forums" although everybody use it this way now... :(
(like the plural form of "datum" is "data" and not "datums")
Are you sure?  Historically, i.e. in Latin about 2000 years ago, this is correct.  However, 'forums' is named first at least in M-W (for 'datum' it seems to be quite complicated)...
Alala, Alala, Gimme three wishes - CSS
Avatar
Reply · Quote Saxtus 2007-03-27, 15:07 #5
Member since Jan 2007 · 84 posts · Location: Athens, Greece
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
You can always check wikipedia :D
The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything = 42
Avatar
Reply · Quote Yves (Administrator) 2007-03-27, 15:21 #6
User title: UNB developer & webmaster
Member since Jan 2004 · 3740 posts · Location: Erlangen, Germany
Group memberships: Administrators, Members
Show profile · Link to this post
en.wikipedia.org says:
Forum, (Latin, plural "fora" or "forums")

en.wiktionary.org says:
forum (plural forums or fora)

dict.leo.org accepts both forms equally.
♪ ...nanananah, all in all we’re just brilliant thieves, nanananah... ♪♬
This post was edited on 2007-03-27, 15:22 by Yves.
Avatar
Reply · Quote Saxtus 2007-03-27, 15:24 #7
Member since Jan 2007 · 84 posts · Location: Athens, Greece
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
The usual problem with dead languages...
In that case "data" was lucky to preserver, "fora" was unlucky!
I have no problem with what you use, you're the man!!!

Now I am start translating the fora software :D
The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything = 42
Reply · Quote jense 2007-03-27, 15:25 #8
Member since Nov 2006 · 327 posts · Location: Dortmund
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
In reply to post #5
Quote by Saxtus:
You can always check wikipedia :D
I just did (even though, you've been kidding) and found:
[*] plural "fora" or "forums" [see forum]
[*] fora (the Latin plural) or simply forums [see internet forum]
Can you state any serious source? :->
Alala, Alala, Gimme three wishes - CSS
Reply · Quote jense 2007-03-27, 15:38 #9
Member since Nov 2006 · 327 posts · Location: Dortmund
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
In reply to post #7
Quote by Saxtus:
The usual problem with dead languages...
Hm, the usual advantage of living languages: really integrate foreign languages (just wondering how they looked like if they were not)...

in that case "data" was lucky to preserver, "fora" was unlucky!
Even for 'datum' it depends on the actual meaning/use, see http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/datum
Alala, Alala, Gimme three wishes - CSS
Avatar
Reply · Quote Saxtus 2007-03-27, 15:48 #10
Member since Jan 2007 · 84 posts · Location: Athens, Greece
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
In reply to post #8
Subject: I am offtopic, this thread talk about English errors, that word isn't English!
Quote by jense:
Can you state any serious source? :->
Sorry, I can't find a latin dictionary online.
Like datum, the word forum isn't an English word but Latin.
Now I can't really understand why data preserved until today and fora was... lost in translation.

Of course probably I am question this because my native language isn't English and I have different point of view from someone that think that the word forum is English.
Maybe if we find and use the translation of that word to your language, it would be better. Or something similar, like let's say board. :)
The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything = 42
Reply · Quote jense 2007-03-27, 16:16 #11
Member since Nov 2006 · 327 posts · Location: Dortmund
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Quote by Saxtus:
Like datum, the word forum isn't an English word but Latin.
Well, it is used in the English language for more than 300 years (see http://www.etymonline.com/?search=forum)... In this way, one might argue that almost any word is not an English word...
Maybe if we find and use the translation of that word to your language, it would be better. Or something similar, like let's say board. :)
I would use 'Forum' in German with the germanized plural 'Foren' :-) - imho, 'board' does not imply the possibility to respond to news/messages.
Alala, Alala, Gimme three wishes - CSS
Avatar
Reply · Quote Saxtus 2007-03-27, 16:19 #12
Member since Jan 2007 · 84 posts · Location: Athens, Greece
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Oh, look what you've done now. You... you... debate killer! :'(
If you use foren then I don't see why forums can be wrong... :-p
The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything = 42
Reply · Quote jense 2007-03-27, 16:29 #13
Member since Nov 2006 · 327 posts · Location: Dortmund
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Then... let's start a new one: je débâte - debate is not an English but a French word ;-)
Alala, Alala, Gimme three wishes - CSS
Avatar
Reply · Quote Keith 2007-05-13, 04:09 #14
User title: 漢字おたく
Member since Feb 2007 · 60 posts · Location: Japan
Group memberships: Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Subject: Request New Password
After requesting a new password, the following is displayed:

You received the link for requesting a new password via e-mail.

While grammatically correct, the future tense would be used in this situation.
However, I think the following statement would be the expected statement.

A link for requesting a new password has been sent to your e-mail.

And then after I clicked on the link in the email, the next email has two errors.
The first one is that the sentence does not begin with a capital letter.

you have requested a new password for your user account.

The second one is the spelling of "immediately."

The new password is “aoCeGnv53f” (without quotes) and is valid immetiately.

I hope I am being helpful.
Thank you so much for all your hard work Yves.
Avatar
Reply · Quote Yves (Administrator) 2007-05-13, 11:51 #15
User title: UNB developer & webmaster
Member since Jan 2004 · 3740 posts · Location: Erlangen, Germany
Group memberships: Administrators, Members
Show profile · Link to this post
Quote by Keith:
A link for requesting a new password has been sent to your e-mail.

You understand "e-mail" as all messages in my inbox, I understand it as a single message. Which is correct?

The first one is that the sentence does not begin with a capital letter.

That's not the beginning of the sentence.

The second one is the spelling of "immediately."

Fixed.
♪ ...nanananah, all in all we’re just brilliant thieves, nanananah... ♪♬
Close Smaller – Larger + Reply to this post:
Verification code: VeriCode Please note the verification code from the picture into the text field next to it.
Smileys: :-) ;-) :-D :-p :blush: :cool: :rolleyes: :huh: :-/ <_< :-( :'( :#: :scared: 8-( :nuts: :-O
Special characters:
Page:  1  2  next ›

Go to forum
This board is powered by the Unclassified NewsBoard software, 20100516-dev, © 2003-10 by Yves Goergen
Page created in 380 ms (332 ms) · 134 database queries in 248 ms
Current time: 2010-07-30, 10:45:03 (UTC +02:00)