Do you speak any other language other than English?

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Charlie Bernstein

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It does seem odd. It might make sense if English is not the person's first language. For instance, if you're talking to another Brazilian, you might say (in Portuguese):

"Do you speak any other languages?"
"Yes, I also speak English."
"Oh! And do you speak any other foreign languages, other than English?"
 

emsr2d2

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Is the sentence above right? Isn't the double use of "other" redundant in this case?

Using "other" twice isn't just redundant; it makes the sentence grammatically incorrect.
 

beachboy

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It does seem odd. It might make sense if English is not the person's first language. For instance, if you're talking to another Brazilian, you might say (in Portuguese):

"Do you speak any other languages?"
"Yes, I also speak English."
"Oh! And do you speak any other foreign languages, other than English?"

Charlie, as for your third sentence, is it also right to ask Do you speak any other foreigh language (singular), other than English?
 

TheParser

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Isn't the double use of "other" reduntand in this case?


NOT A TEACHER



I think that it is redundant, too.

If I understand my favorite grammarian, your sentence is apparently a shorter way of saying: "Do you speak any language [which is] other than English?"



Source: George Oliver Curme, A Grammar of the English Language (1931), Volume II, page 533.
 
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