Tracing the Origins of a Distinctive Grammar Error
Chapter 8
‘The steady addition of a constant of amount of new coins”. This phrase contains a distinctive grammatical error that likely results from direct translation from another language. The error specifically lies in the construction “constant of amount of,” which is unnatural in English and suggests literal translation from a source language.
8.1. Germanic Language Possibility
The most likely source appears to be German or another Germanic language. The construction closely mirrors German syntax patterns:
German: “Die stetige Zugabe einer konstanten Menge neuer Münzen”
– “konstanten Menge” (constant amount) could be literally translated as “constant of amount”
– The genitive construction in German often translates to English using “of”
– This could lead to overcorrection when translating to English
Similar patterns exist in other Germanic languages:
– Dutch: “De gestage toevoeging van een constante hoeveelheid nieuwe munten”
– Swedish: “Det stadiga tillägget av en konstant mängd nya mynt”
This grammatical error provides strong evidence for Germanic language influence, particularly German. The specific nature of the error – the double use of “of” in a genitive construction – is highly characteristic of Germanic language speakers writing in English. This aligns with other evidence suggesting the author has a Germanic language background or received significant education in a Germanic language environment.
The error stands out precisely because the rest of the document shows such high English proficiency, suggesting it slipped through during a moment of direct translation from the author’s native or primary academic language.
Robert Nogacki – licensed legal counsel (radca prawny, WA-9026), Founder of Kancelaria Prawna Skarbiec.
There are lawyers who practice law. And there are those who deal with problems for which the law has no ready answer. For over twenty years, Kancelaria Skarbiec has worked at the intersection of tax law, corporate structures, and the deeply human reluctance to give the state more than the state is owed. We advise entrepreneurs from over a dozen countries – from those on the Forbes list to those whose bank account was just seized by the tax authority and who do not know what to do tomorrow morning.
One of the most frequently cited experts on tax law in Polish media – he writes for Rzeczpospolita, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, and Parkiet not because it looks good on a résumé, but because certain things cannot be explained in a court filing and someone needs to say them out loud. Author of AI Decoding Satoshi Nakamoto: Artificial Intelligence on the Trail of Bitcoin’s Creator. Co-author of the award-winning book Bezpieczeństwo współczesnej firmy (Security of a Modern Company).
Kancelaria Skarbiec holds top positions in the tax law firm rankings of Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Four-time winner of the European Medal, recipient of the title International Tax Planning Law Firm of the Year in Poland.
He specializes in tax disputes with fiscal authorities, international tax planning, crypto-asset regulation, and asset protection. Since 2006, he has led the WGI case – one of the longest-running criminal proceedings in the history of the Polish financial market – because there are things you do not leave half-done, even if they take two decades. He believes the law is too serious to be treated only seriously – and that the best legal advice is the kind that ensures the client never has to stand before a court.
