Thank you Gine for giving us a master`s demonstration on how to Troll.
BrE or AmE in your country??
<<No, North American English glottalizes the T in what (as in "What!", or it becomes an alveolar flap if a vowel follows it: as in "what are you doing?" --> "whud are you doing?". >>
What we really need is a new (artificial?) form of English like RP that combines the best features of North American English and UK English:
1) Real flat a's in all their traditional places and also "real" o's like you find in other languages
2) R's (rhoticity, or whatever), like GAE and other dialects
3) Real t's in words like "butter" and lots of other places (like UK English)
4) Use of distinguishing words likke "gotten" and "got". BTW -- is there a difference in the UK between "while" and "whilst"? If so, we need to keep both. I suppose the US use of subjunctive should be kept ( darned if I know what good it does, though).
What we really need is a new (artificial?) form of English like RP that combines the best features of North American English and UK English:
1) Real flat a's in all their traditional places and also "real" o's like you find in other languages
2) R's (rhoticity, or whatever), like GAE and other dialects
3) Real t's in words like "butter" and lots of other places (like UK English)
4) Use of distinguishing words likke "gotten" and "got". BTW -- is there a difference in the UK between "while" and "whilst"? If so, we need to keep both. I suppose the US use of subjunctive should be kept ( darned if I know what good it does, though).
I think BRITISH-English is taught in Europe, while AMERICAN-English is in Asia and Latinamerica
I like more British-English than American-English but Maybe because I am European.
I like more British-English than American-English but Maybe because I am European.
American English is gaining much ground in England itself, both verbally and written. Maybe the dictionaries spell words the British way but this is not reflective of an increasing number of people's Americanised spelling habits.
So I ask that if in Britain American English is gaining a foothold then what variety of English do you think is now the most widely used?? Just go onto any forum and observe the English used. Europeans are far more likely to use the American variety.
British English has been so Americanised now, certainly in the everyday language used that the question should be asked "what is BrE"??
Most people really wouldn't be able to diiferentiate between many instances of what would normally be traditional British useage to what is American. I remember when, if someone used the terms "guy" &/or "guys" it would bring out fits of laughter and a whole crescendo of American impressions. It has all but now replaced "bloke", "lads" & "chap/s" as well as rapidly (in the last 4-5 years) become the word of choice when referring to mixed sex groups. Guy is just an everyday word now that is not even blinkered at when used. "Ass", when referring to a person's 'posterior' is being banded about almost as much as arse and will eventually surpass it and then eventually replace it (maybe) in time. Incredibly, I hear people punctuate their spoken sentences with "period" now - yet they have no idea that period is the American term for our own "full-stop"!!!! People say that America has virtually no impact on British English but that last example proves how wrong (in my opinion) this view clearly is. Indeed, BrE has absorbed so much of American useage and over such a long period of time that the lines are increasing less defined than they once were.
America owns the language at the moment and so it follows that American English is the most widely spoken and used in the greatest number of nations. However, the day will come when the English baton will pass to India and China and they will exert the greatest influence on the language of mother Earth. English.
So I ask that if in Britain American English is gaining a foothold then what variety of English do you think is now the most widely used?? Just go onto any forum and observe the English used. Europeans are far more likely to use the American variety.
British English has been so Americanised now, certainly in the everyday language used that the question should be asked "what is BrE"??
Most people really wouldn't be able to diiferentiate between many instances of what would normally be traditional British useage to what is American. I remember when, if someone used the terms "guy" &/or "guys" it would bring out fits of laughter and a whole crescendo of American impressions. It has all but now replaced "bloke", "lads" & "chap/s" as well as rapidly (in the last 4-5 years) become the word of choice when referring to mixed sex groups. Guy is just an everyday word now that is not even blinkered at when used. "Ass", when referring to a person's 'posterior' is being banded about almost as much as arse and will eventually surpass it and then eventually replace it (maybe) in time. Incredibly, I hear people punctuate their spoken sentences with "period" now - yet they have no idea that period is the American term for our own "full-stop"!!!! People say that America has virtually no impact on British English but that last example proves how wrong (in my opinion) this view clearly is. Indeed, BrE has absorbed so much of American useage and over such a long period of time that the lines are increasing less defined than they once were.
America owns the language at the moment and so it follows that American English is the most widely spoken and used in the greatest number of nations. However, the day will come when the English baton will pass to India and China and they will exert the greatest influence on the language of mother Earth. English.
>>America owns the language at the moment and so it follows that American English is the most widely spoken and used in the greatest number of nations. However, the day will come when the English baton will pass to India and China and they will exert the greatest influence on the language of mother Earth. English.<<
The matter is that North America north of Mexico is firmly natively English-speaking outside of Quebec today, while English in India and China is a language learned non-natively and often imperfectly, and predominately by the educated upper and middle classes rather than by the general population. Furthermore, it is extremely unlikely that English will displace the roles of Hindi in India and Mandarin in China and actually come to ever be natively spoken there.
The matter is that North America north of Mexico is firmly natively English-speaking outside of Quebec today, while English in India and China is a language learned non-natively and often imperfectly, and predominately by the educated upper and middle classes rather than by the general population. Furthermore, it is extremely unlikely that English will displace the roles of Hindi in India and Mandarin in China and actually come to ever be natively spoken there.
That is a fair point Travis. But with continued globilisation and the need to communicate internationally keeps increasing a common language will be essential. Of course, that common language has been established and although in this day and age English may not completely whitewash a countries native tongue, English will become much more widely used in these lands. You say that English is predominantly used by the upper classes but this is changing, Working classes are increasingly needing to become more proficient in the language - the rise and rise of Western companies setting up call centres in India and thereby employing such person's is a perfect example of this.
It will take time but I think in due corse the Indians and Chinese will possibly exert the greatest influence on English. I may be wrong but personally I think it will happen (and then the Americans will be bitching and moaning about the corruption of their language as much as I do now!!:)).
It will take time but I think in due corse the Indians and Chinese will possibly exert the greatest influence on English. I may be wrong but personally I think it will happen (and then the Americans will be bitching and moaning about the corruption of their language as much as I do now!!:)).
<< 2) R's (rhoticity, or whatever), like GAE and other dialects >>
American R's are the single ugliest part of the American accent.
American R's are the single ugliest part of the American accent.
Most Irish, Scottish, Western English, Southern Kiwi and all Canadian accents are rhotic too.
The Scottish R is fine. If the Americans would adopt it, their accent would be far less ugly.
As for the Canadian accent, it's the same as the American accent, Canadians are Americans after all.
As for the Canadian accent, it's the same as the American accent, Canadians are Americans after all.
Some NAE East Coast accents are non-rhotic: think Boston, etc. How do you like them?
-Some NAE East Coast accents are non-rhotic: think Boston, etc.-
Recent studies have shown non-rhoticity is considered low-class and/or sloppy in Boston area.
Recent studies have shown non-rhoticity is considered low-class and/or sloppy in Boston area.
"Of course, everyone outside the British Isles who is intent on learning English has every right to choose whatever form of English s/he wishes to follow and adopt, and I imagine that varies from one part of the world to another."
No. It doesn't vary. It's always American, American, and American! British English is a speech defect. ☺
"Americans seem to love the letter zed....sorry, guys - I mean "zee" - realize, socialize, fraternize......"
No they just love, if that's an appropriate word, more logical way of spelling. The z in realize is pronounced as /z/, not like /s/.
No. It doesn't vary. It's always American, American, and American! British English is a speech defect. ☺
"Americans seem to love the letter zed....sorry, guys - I mean "zee" - realize, socialize, fraternize......"
No they just love, if that's an appropriate word, more logical way of spelling. The z in realize is pronounced as /z/, not like /s/.
I would not say that American spelling is all too much more "logical" than British spelling, but then, as I have stated before, there are very good reasons why one might want English spelling to *not* be "logical" (such as in being non-"logical" it is more dialect-neutral than if it were "logical")...