Best way to Learn British English?

Sander   Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:17 pm GMT
Travis,

Have you ever heard the term 'netherlandic/netherlandish' to refer to Dutch?
Travis   Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:20 pm GMT
>>So you could be in Austria and have Dutch as your mother tongue?<<

Using the modern definition of the term "Dutch", if you were of Dutch-speaking parents, yes, even though Dutch is not generally natively spoken at all in Austria. However, historically the term "Dutch" did not refer to what we view as a single language today, but rather refered collectively to all the non-Anglo-Frisian West Germanic dialects and their speakers, that is, Dutch, Low Saxon, and the High German dialects, ranging from Middle German dialects like standard Hochdeutsch to Upper German dialects like Upper Allemanic (including Swiss German) and Austro-Bavarian. Hence, with this historical use of the term Dutch, one really cannot refer to *the* "Dutch" language specifically in the modern sense of such.
Travis   Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:23 pm GMT
>>Have you ever heard the term 'netherlandic/netherlandish' to refer to Dutch?<<

I have seen the term "Netherlandic" on occasion, but in practice in English-language texts and speech the term "Dutch" seems *far* more common in the term "Netherlandic". I almost prefer the use of the term "nederlands" in English, as it sounds nicer, and is analogous to things like the use of the terms "Deutsch", "français", "castellano"/"español", and so on in otherwise English texts.
Rolls   Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:20 pm GMT
Very interesting...
Sander   Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:25 pm GMT
=>Very interesting...<=

... really
Rolls   Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:37 pm GMT
I have been very enlightened regarding Dutch and German dialects. I was not aware of the mother-tongue factor. Besides learning British English all the way, German and French are next on the list.
Damian in EH12   Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:39 pm GMT
FACT: Anne Boleyn (Bullen): her family home was at Hever Castle, near Sevenoaks, in Kent, England. That 15th century castle is extremely well preserved and open to the public. Sevenoaks was so named bacuse of the seven ancient oak trees all in a row in parkland there..they had been there for over 1,100 years. On the night of 15/16 October 1987 a hurricane swept over SE England and six of those oak trees were blown down. Sevenoaks became Oneoak overnight.

Anne Boleyn had six digits on one hand.

She is supposed to haunt the Bloody Tower.....over the centuries people have said they saw her spectre carrying her head under her arm. It's just a wee bit strange that these sightings have all occurred when the inns/taverns and pubs have closed up for the night.

Of course British English is used in the Times of London. London happens to be in Britain (ok ok there are other Londons scattered about the world)....I mean the original Londoninium. Some people call it the Times of London just to distinguish it from other world newspapers called by the same name...eg the Times of India. There is alkso the Financial Times.....which is pink but nothing to do with the gay community. I have to scan the boogers every day.
Rolls   Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:40 pm GMT
So where exact do the Russian languages and dialects come from and what is there influence, does it have anything to do with the same influences of the English language?

I knew Polish mates, and they said German and Polish are related and that Russian was also related some way.

I am not sure on the Russian element though...
Rolls   Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:43 pm GMT
Damian, Hello mate, I have been brushing up on my jollly good English skills, having some China, while being all merry about it all. I had the Times in the Hilton but a copper was eyeing me due to my ragged jacket... Perhaps my iron was broke...
Damian in Edinburgh   Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:57 pm GMT
A mate of mine was a wee bit pissed off with me for saying what I did about the people of London being very unfriendly, impersonal and callous. It was unfair as London is such a huge city and in cities it's not like being in small places where people know each other and have more time for each other. It's true that you can live next door to people and not have a clue who they are except by sight and sometimes not even then. It's the same in parts of Edinburgh especially those areas where people are more transient. In the suburban road where I live I only know the people who live on either side and maybe one or two more nearby but not that much. My mates live all about the area but neighbours don't mean much to me.

But even in London when some big event happens, such as the terrorist attacks recently, that's when people really unite together and help each other and when neighbours who may never have met or spoken together before go out of their way to help out if they see the need.

If you read up about WW2 and the blitz bombings in London and other cities everybody helped each other no matter what. I think that basically most people have a real sense of humanity towards each other.
Travis   Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:59 pm GMT
Rolls, Russian is one of the East Slavic languages, along with Ukrainian, Belarusian, and the two different languages/dialect groups known as Rusyn. It is related to Polish in that both are Slavic languages, even though Polish is a Lechitic West Slavic language rather than an East Slavic language. As for German and Polish, they are only related any more than simply both being Indo-European languages in that the Germanic languages are possibly closer to the Slavic languages and the Baltic languages than to the rest of the Indo-European languages and that Polish has historically borrowed words from High West Germanic dialects.
Damian in Alba   Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:01 pm GMT
**Perhaps my iron was broke... **

Then why didn't you send your butler out to get a new one Rolls?

btw....in proper Queen's English I think she would have used the word "broken" my good china plate chum. :-)
Rolls   Thu Sep 22, 2005 2:30 am GMT
Ahhh...Yes indeed, great point Damian. I wish to learn the Queen's English for the most part so that is noted.

Question Damian - I know you were joking before, but honestly, how is Scotland, rough and tumble or just a balanced European environment?

Braveheart would surely scare the geezers, eh?

And do "all" people in Scotland get heavily drunk and fall over?

Is London the same, surely not as I see images of businessmen and women in suits very composed...

Lastly this is for all my chums - do any of the UK posters here know where I can get a Rolls Royce, Bentley, Range Rover or UK based car for cheap...

Just thought I'd throw it out there for my mates.

And what if I want an English girlfriend, how does that work out, US women bore me...HAHAHAHA - US users please don't bash me for that one...

I'm out for now, back tommorrow - this is an amazing forum to post great thoughts on the English language and I find almost all of you to be very intelligent and enlightening, thanks much mates!
Candy   Thu Sep 22, 2005 5:35 am GMT
<< On the night of 15/16 October 1987 a hurricane swept over SE England and six of those oak trees were blown down. Sevenoaks became Oneoak overnight. >>
Do you remember Michael Fish saying 'there will be no hurricane', Damian?? Oops! And did you know that at Leeds Castle in Kent, you can see a pair of her shoes?
I'm off to Ulverston (in about 30 mins) for a holiday, so see you in October! ;)
Candy   Thu Sep 22, 2005 5:44 am GMT
Above: 'her shoes' refers to Anne Boleyn, not Michael Fish. Duh!! I haven't woken up yet!