On Mon, 09 Aug 2004 17:42:29 -0600, Hatunen wrote:

On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 20:38:42 +0000 (UTC), "Alan Harrison"
wrote:


"Alan (in Brussels)" wrote in message
news
Passport control on Tube
By Luke David, Evening Standard
9 August 2004

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/a...source=Evening

Immigration officer Emma Cromack said: "If you hear someone speaking a
language that's not European we approach them and ask 'do you mind if I
ask
you what nationality you are?"

Hmm, how would they know that a language is "not European"? On the
Piccadilly Line on Saturday (Hounslow West to Hammersmith) I was sitting
opposite a father and daughter who were speaking a language I didn't
recognise. As both were fair-skinned and the little girl was blonde, I
assume that they were European and speaking a European language (unless they
were testing their knowledge of Swahili). What about Turkish (or Russian)
where speakers may be European or Asian?

Finn, Estonian and Hungaian don't sound a bit "European"

Well they do. Just define than as sounding like a language that's spoken in
Europe.
Actually, when spoken in a group I think Finnish sounds like Italian, but
without and words that I can recognise.
--
Tim C.