We were a few minutes behind schedule, a minor infraction in most places, but in Switzerland, it felt like a major cultural misstep.
“I will invite you to follow me with a nice speedy leg,” our guide announced.
To an American ear, the phrase was comically odd, conjuring images of a literal “speedy leg” rather than simply suggesting we pick up the pace. However, to the diverse group on the Lausanne city tour – a Spaniard, an Italian, a Belgian, a Russian, two Germans, and Swiss individuals fluent in both French and German – the meaning was perfectly clear. They readily increased their walking speed, while I, a writer intrigued by linguistic nuances, quickly scribbled the phrase into my notebook.
This tour, part of a gathering of journalists from eight nations, highlighted the fascinating linguistic dynamics of Europe. In Lausanne, French is the dominant language, yet English served as the lingua franca for our international group, despite few of us being native English speakers.
The Swiss, like Scandinavians, are renowned for their multilingual abilities. This proficiency, however, isn’t universally shared across Europe. Often, linguistic diversity, instead of fostering multilingualism, leads to communication hurdles, sometimes rooted in historical and cultural complexities.
The solution? Euro-English. This unique linguistic phenomenon, much like Yiddish in its historical context, is an intriguing blend of languages.
Essentially, speakers often utilize English vocabulary while unconsciously structuring sentences and applying grammatical frameworks from their native tongues. This creates a form of communication that, while using English words, resonates deeply with fellow Europeans because the underlying syntax and cognates often share more similarities across European languages than with standard English itself.
In Lugano, seeking directions, a Swiss woman told me, “You go always straight.” In Euro-English, this translates directly to “It’s straight ahead.”
But language, like a winding path, is rarely straightforward. The intricate dance of multilingual individuals choosing which language to employ remains a captivating puzzle.
Many of my Spanish-speaking friends in Arizona are also fluent in English. Yet, when we gather, Spanish naturally becomes our chosen language. It seems Spanish carries inherent nuances that effortlessly convey warmth and camaraderie.
While my Mexican-born friends converse with me in Spanish, their children invariably address me in English. Even though they speak Spanish amongst themselves and with their parents, English is their default with me. Therefore, when a younger person uses Spanglish with me, another linguistic hybrid, it signifies a gesture of trust and acceptance.
Language, fluid and adaptable, seeks the path of least resistance, guided by comfort and linguistic competence. If your English surpasses my Italian, English will likely be our mode of communication.
I have a journalist acquaintance in Lausanne who frequently visits Phoenix. His English is proficient, and my French is passable. However, due to his Uruguayan heritage, Spanish is his second language. Consequently, Spanish becomes our preferred language, as we both navigate Spanish more comfortably than my French or his English.
Ego, however, can sometimes muddy the linguistic waters. In Lausanne, a casual remark in Italian to an Italian journalist was met with an immediate pronunciation correction before she even asked my name. My offer to reciprocate with her demonstrably weaker English was met with offense.
Later that week, in Lugano, my Italian was met with no such criticism and flowed smoothly. Yet, a day spent with a guide of Italian-Argentine descent unfolded primarily in Spanish, simply because my Spanish was more fluent than her English or my Italian. Cultural nuances can also be easily lost in translation. One evening in Montreux, an Englishman, a Scottish woman, and I were musing on the variations within our shared language, noting how regional dialects, particularly removed from formal education, can become less comprehensible to outsiders. A Russian woman, overhearing our conversation, mistakenly assumed we were discussing politics and excused herself, citing instructions from her superiors to avoid political discussions at all costs.
One wonders how such a nuanced observation might be articulated in Euro-English.
Our native languages are deeply ingrained, making second languages sometimes feel like foreign programs running on a familiar operating system – a phenomenon linguists term “language interference.”
Many Euro-English sentences begin with phrases like “It is possible to…” or “It is necessary to…” mirroring sentence structures common in French, Spanish, and Italian. Standard English often favors “either/or” constructions for options, but Euro-English, echoing many European languages, leans towards “or/or,” as in, “Or you go this way, or you go that way.”
In Euro-English, the word “typical” often surfaces, seemingly meaning “locally common,” and “roman-teek” appears with some frequency, though its reference to a specific period or mood remains elusive.
And be wary of conflating a strong sense of time with grammatical tense.
“Charlie Chaplin has been living a long time in Vevey, Switzerland,” I was informed, despite the iconic figure having passed away decades ago. This phrasing, however, aligns perfectly with French or Italian speakers who utilize the present perfect tense to convey past actions.
Once in Italy, I overheard someone explain that cypress trees originated from “actual Lebanon,” where “actual,” in many languages, denotes “present-day” rather than “real” – a common nuance in Euro-English usage.
And in Euro-English, the phrase “This metro is very particular, because it has wooden wheels,” encountered in Lausanne, signifies that the metro is “unique,” not “choosy” or “specific.”
What should one make of a person described as “world-known” in Lausanne? And how does one reconcile a town whose “downtown” is notably uphill?
Uptown/downtown?
Perhaps this linguistic exploration could form the basis of a compelling series exploring the fascinating world of Euro-English, and how even within the sphere of English Or Spanish Euro conversations, these unique linguistic adaptations shape cross-cultural communication.
