floor 'ground'

[David Daniel]

Lusophones speaking English often say floor for ground, as Portuguese "chão"
is both.
DAD

Sent: Friday, September 26, 2014 10:33 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: floor 'ground'
Poster:       W Brewer <brewerwa at GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: floor 'ground'
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WB:  Confusion of English _ground_ ~ _floor_ is common among Chinese
EFL speakers. Because, for the pertinent English meanings:
English _ground_ is Mandarin _di-4_ (ground, land, soil, the earth).
English _floor_ is Mandarin _di-4 ban-3_ (lit. ground-board, -plank).
My English-Mandarin bilingual kids make confuse the English; I think
it is that _floor_ is used in either meaning. I now find myself doing
it, too, sometimes.

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