Comparison With Other Germanic Languages
Many English modals have cognates in other Germanic languages, albeit with different meanings in some cases. Unlike the English modals, however, these verbs are not generally defective; they can inflect, and have forms such as infinitives, participles and future tenses (for example using the auxiliary werden in German). Examples of such cognates include:
- in German: müssen ("to have to"), können ("to be able to"), sollen, cognates of must, can and shall respectively.
- in Dutch: mogen, moeten, kunnen, zouden, cognates of may, must, can and should.
- in Danish: måtte, kunne, ville, skulle, cognates of may/must, can, will, shall.
Read more about this topic: English Modal Verbs
Famous quotes containing the words comparison with, comparison and/or languages:
“Certainly there is not the fight recorded in Concord history, at least, if in the history of America, that will bear a moment’s comparison with this, whether for the numbers engaged in it, or for the patriotism and heroism displayed.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Envy and jealousy are the private parts of the human soul. Perhaps the comparison can be extended.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“The trouble with foreign languages is, you have to think before your speak.”
—Swedish proverb, trans. by Verne Moberg.