....compared to most other languages.
I wrote:
.....comparée à la majorité D'autres langues.
Why is it DES autres langues?
Also
........so my mother tongue would have prepared me.....
I wrote:
.....que ma langue maternelle m'aurait préparéE
I thought an extra 'e' was required because of la langue?
Bonjour G,
Here is a link to supplement on Chris’s excellent first point (m'aurait préparé): special-cases-when-the-past-participle-agrees-in-number-and-gender-when-used-with-avoir-in-le-passe-compose-conversational-past
With regards to ‘la majorité des autres’:
la majorité des autres langues = the majority of the other languages / most other languages → all of the other ones / specific
la plupart des autres = the majority of the other people / most people → all of the other ones / specific
In French, when using ‘la majorité de / la plupart de’ (= most), you always have this pattern: ‘la majorité de / la plupart de’+ [article] + [noun]
La majorité des gens = most people
La plupart du temps = most of the time
La majorité des langues étrangères = most foreign languages
Attention: as Alan explained, ‘j’ai des autres livres’ isn’t possible in French.
J’ai d’autres livres = I have other books (some books – unspecific)
J’ai les autres livres = I have the other books (this set of books - a specific set)
Please see the following two links :
how-to-express-others-dautres-versus-des-autres-indefinite-adjectives
how-to-say-the-others-ones-lautre-les-autres-indefinite-pronouns
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !
...que ma langue maternelle m'aurait préparé.
The masculine version of the participle is needed because me is the COD and, coming in front of the participle, determines its gender.
Regarding your other question, let me give you an example:
J'ai d'autres livres. -- I have other books.
J'ai des autres livres. -- I have the other books.
The first sentence refers to a general and indeterminate set of other books, whereas the second one speaks of a particular group, known to the speaker.
des autres langues -- of the other languages (a countable set)
d'autres langues -- of other languages (an indeterminate number)
I agree that "des autres langues" must mean "de" + "les autres langues", but I think in this case, "les autres langues" means not a specific set, but the class of all other languages - i.e. other languages in general.
"Je parle d'autres langues" = I speak other languages. (obviously some, not all)
"J'aime les autres langues" = I like other languages. (in general, i.e. all of them)
By the way, Chris, you can't say "j'ai des autres livres", it would have to be "j'ai les autres livres". You're probably thinking of "j'ai besoin des autres livres".
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