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Dear Americans: A lesson in proper English.

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posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:28 PM
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reply to post by stumason
 





TextFYI, there is no such thing as a "British" accent, in so far as there is no such thing as an "American" accent. Even in regions or towns only a few miles apart, very different accents are prevalent.


So you saying that even in Britain there are different accents in whatever the language is there, but in the usa there is no such thing as a British accent....Interesting.




You'll love the real reason even more... To put into context, the suffix -ingham means "place of" in Anglo Saxon. Orignally, the first Anglo Saxon Chieftain of the area was called Snot, hence Snotingham and it has morphed into Nottingham...

Actually that sounds about right on how such a thing would come about....We even have many dependents of snot around today. And even the spanky's as well, # even stankos are around today. And definitely the wackos have spreed there genome around the globe.
You know not only the millers roofers and masons have been fruitful and multiplied.





Not sure if your being ironic or don't get it, but if you don't like something but then say "I could care less", surely that then means you do care about the very thing your trying to say you don't care about. It's a logical fallacy.


I see now that some people really do need charts, graphs, and pictures to explain that....But fortunately I care less so wont be doing it, or linking to any explanations. And I will continue to care less, because I can and want to care less. You however are not allowed to care less, just like your not allowed to sit down at the queens little parties or when she passes by.



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:37 PM
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posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:43 PM
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posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:47 PM
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reply to post by Sherlock Holmes
 


what a pathetic response, LOL.

Apparently you people are stuck in a 250 year old rut of grudge and snobbery.





also discovered that British English is evolving at a faster rate than its transatlantic counterpart, meaning that in many instances it is the American speakers who are sticking to more ‘traditional’ speech patterns.

In fact, in some cases it is the other way around. British English, for whatever reason, is innovating and changing while American English remains very conservative and traditional in its speech patterns

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...



In the early days, British travelers in the American colonies often commented on the ‘purity’ of the English spoken in the new world. It wasn’t until the American impertinence of 1776 that Americans seem to have begun ruining English

The differences between American and British are not due to Americans changing from a British standard. American is not corrupt British plus barbarisms. Rather, both American and British evolved in different ways from a common sixteenth-century ancestral standard. Present-day British is no closer to that earlier form than present-day American is. Indeed, in some ways present-day American is more conservative, that is, closer to the common original standard than is present-day British.

Some examples of American conservatives versus British innovation are these: Americans generally retain the r-sound in words like more and mother, whereas the British have lost it. Americans generally retain the ‘flat a’ of cat in path, calf, class,whereas the British have replaced it with the ‘broad a’ of father. Americans retain a secondary stress on the second syllable from the end of words like secretary and dictionary, whereas the British have lost both the stress and often the vowel, reducing the words to three syllables, ‘secret’ry’


On the other hand, the British are more conservative than Americans in other ways. Thus, they continue to distinguish atom (with a t-sound) and Adam (with a d-sound), whereas Americans typically pronounce the two words alike, with a flap sound that is more d- than t-like. Similarly, in standard British callous and Alice do not rhyme, whereas they usually do in standard American, both having a schwa. So too, the British have different stressed vowels in father and fodder, whereas Americans pronounce those words with the same first vowel.

pbs.org



Instead of the "two streams" or two separate languages that Mencken originally envisaged British and American English to be, it would be more accurate to consider Modern British English to be one result of that period of linguistic transition, and American English to be another.


linky



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:58 PM
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Originally posted by galadofwarthethird
So you saying that even in Britain there are different accents in whatever the language is there, but in the usa there is no such thing as a British accent....Interesting.


Erm, no. What I said was there is no "British" accent in so far that there is not an over riding one that is dominant. What you guys believe to be a British accent is just the pronounced "Queens English" accent, which you'll only find a small minority using. Just the same as in America, there is no over riding American accent as you have regional variations.




You'll love the real reason even more... To put into context, the suffix -ingham means "place of" in Anglo Saxon. Orignally, the first Anglo Saxon Chieftain of the area was called Snot, hence Snotingham and it has morphed into Nottingham...

Actually that sounds about right on how such a thing would come about....We even have many dependents of snot around today. And even the spanky's as well, # even stankos are around today. And definitely the wackos have spreed there genome around the globe.
You know not only the millers roofers and masons have been fruitful and multiplied.




Originally posted by galadofwarthethird
I see now that some people really do need charts, graphs, and pictures to explain that....But fortunately I care less so wont be doing it, or linking to any explanations. And I will continue to care less, because I can and want to care less. You however are not allowed to care less, just like your not allowed to sit down at the queens little parties or when she passes by.


I think you're missing the point, I understand exactly what you're saying, but it makes no sense.

If you could care less about something, then what you're saying is that you do care and there is further to fall in your caring. If you say you couldn't care less about something, then there is no lower one can go in your caring, hence it is not cared about at all....

You might as well say "I like Chips" to mean "I don't like Chips".

Oh, I can sit when the Queen is present. If I wanted to, I could even be naked and do a little dance, there is no law preventing me from stripping down to my birthday suit in the middle of town and wandering about. The age of serfdom died out around 500 years ago. I do not have to show any respect to the Queen, I don't have to bow, stand, or kiss her arse, it is merely protocol that one does so, but not forced.

Exactly the same as with your President (or any other dignitary from around the world), there will be protocols on how to behave and address him, but I would be surprised if there was a law forcing the issue.

If you really wanted, I am sure you could stand on your hands and call him a dozy plank without any worries, aside from everyone thinking you were mad!



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:59 PM
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reply to post by galadofwarthethird
 


Interestingly enough, there are some linguist heavens along the east coast of the US that have very traditional accents, because they settled there, and hardly saw anybody.

Unfortunately, the influx of tourists is now changing that.


The tiny island community has attracted the attention of linguists because its people speak a unique English Restoration era dialect of American English. Each of the original inhabitants' surnames, many of which are still found on the island, originated in the United Kingdom.

Many of the inhabitants still have the surname Crockett. Pruitt, Thomas, Marshall, Charnock, Dise, and Parks are other common surnames on the island


Tangier Island, Virginia


The most notable feature of the island is the local dialect which is like the dialect of the West Country of England. The dialect contains some relict features indicative of its origins but is not, as is often claimed, a surviving pocket of Shakespearean-era English.[5] This dialect is like the Ocracoke Brogue,[6] sometimes referred to as the Outer Banks Brogue.[7][8]


Smith Island, Md



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:07 PM
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posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:11 PM
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reply to post by eightfold
 


The brits could use a lesson in oral hygiene.

And all of the Amerikans broke out into insane laughter because I used the word "oral."

I am an equal opportunity hater.



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:19 PM
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Originally posted by Chamberf=6
I never understood why the British pronounce "aluminum" as "aluminium".
There is no second "i" in the word...


edit on 11/25/2011 by Chamberf=6 because: (no reason given)



Thats exactly how it's spelt here.
Aluminium.



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:24 PM
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Originally posted by galadofwarthethird
And by the way I could care less and I will care less. What is so hard to understand about that phrase. What do you all need pictorials and graphs to understand that simple fact? Does somebody really need to draw you all a picture.


So, let me get this straight.........if you really DO NOT care about something, why do you continually use the phrase "I could care less"?
It sounds particularly stupid.......e.g. A bad guy in a movie threatens an american and they reply "I could care less" - which implies that they care, at least, something.........just stupid!!!

No, by the way, it doesn't come across as sarcasm!!! Just stupid!!! Why not just reply that you couldn't care less?



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:40 PM
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Originally posted by randyvs

Hugo Weaving, american or british born ?




Nigeria. To English parents but grew up in Australia.



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:45 PM
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Originally posted by randyvs
reply to post by steveknows
 


I mean the guys teeth would be perfect for an ad- vertise - ment from the sergeon general.
Did he just chew R.J. Reynolds out of business or what ? No doubt everything he eats turns to crap.
Whether he swallows or not.


It must as everything he spits out is crap.



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:48 PM
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posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:50 PM
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reply to post by eightfold
 


"I could care less."



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:54 PM
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Originally posted by Sherlock Holmes

Originally posted by steveknows
Oh you've "watched" it have you? Never been brave enough to play it?


''Brave enough'' ? Behave yourself !

I have no wish to play Aussie Rules. It's a really, really gay sport.

I'll stick to rugby union. At least I'm safer in the showers.



edit on 25-11-2011 by Sherlock Holmes because: (no reason given)


Well there you go. I think of rugby and I think of a footy being kicked around and passed back. You think of rugby and you think of a group of men in the showers. I can see why you'd be scared of any footy game. You soft guy you.



posted on Nov, 26 2011 @ 12:03 AM
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Originally posted by stumason

Originally posted by steveknows
Oh goody a troll. But not just any troll. This is one who is jealous because his ancesters didn't leave england and now he's stuck with low living standards and bad teeth.


I think you're taking him to seriously. If you've seen Sherlock post before, then you'd know that a lot of what he says takes it to an ironic extreme, take it all with a pinch of salt, he's having a laugh not being serious.

Following on from that, do we really need to trot out the old bad teeth remarks and the "low living standards" thing is such a low blow, considering we don't have low living standards that your taking an ironic, tongue in cheek bit of banter and replying with something that is actually quite offensive.

Can't we just maintain the friendly banter without making it personal?


So saying that Aussie rules in gay and stolen is a joke because it came form a Brit but an Aussie reponding with the age old shot of the low living standard and bad teeth of a Brit is being anti social? So A brit can give it out as it's friendy but if a Brit has to take it back then that Brit is under attack? Hmm Interesting. I was actually joking but you've just made the real english attitude shine right on through.



posted on Nov, 26 2011 @ 12:06 AM
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Originally posted by studio500
I appreciate English & US English both by way of spelling and pronunciation.

I do wonder however how these changes came about.

Could it have been due to early perhaps slightly illiterate settlers or could it have been the result of influence from other languages?

I'm facinated by language but in the end I think the US way just adds a little idividuality which I think is cool.


I would not say the reason was because settlers were any more or less literate, but a combination of the general diversity of where most American's originally came from; someplace else. And while there is no doubt what I call an American persona, a dominant national culture, there are very distinct regional differences. And for those of you (you know who you are) who love to deride my country, and use such worn-out lines as the only American "culture" can be found in a lab petri dish, let me ask this; Regardless of if you wear blue jeans or drink coca-cola, I assure you most people on Earth not living in a cave all their life KNOW WHAT THEY ARE! THAT is the culture that has conquered the world. Not our military, or god knows our politic's, but Starbucks. For me I prefer if we do anything that is "imperial," I much prefer it not be "take over, but take-out".

Most Americans until well into the 20th century came from England, Ireland, and Germany&Italy. In that order. Keeping in mind dialects morph for a lot of reasons, our country was much larger and had many more isolated areas then say the UK. In fact in Minnesota you could hear people speak German, along of course with English, in the far western Minneapolis metro area, (say 50 miles west) and many rural areas well into the 1960s. Also Americans are just that because, we adapt to our culture by contributing to it's linguistic diversity. How and why do you think we "invent" so many new words in "our English" every year? Because we make up new words when we need to, or in socio-linguistic's the spirit "move's us". New technology and change's in society dictate what we need to do, and being creative people we just do it. And that also means regional diversity, though because our communications has become more real time, hence certain aspect's of our national-social mosaic is more amorphous then say 30 years ago it's still considerable, and typical.

Also from my point of view, and I have more living relatives in the UK and Germany then I do at home, I find it interesting there is still such a preoccupation on class, almost akin to a caste system in England as compared to the US. I noticed the same as much in New Zealand, though not as much in Australia when I lived down there for several years. (By the way I learned in my view more about my own country when I lived overseas then I ever would have imagined. I'm glad I took two years to study in Australia when given the chance. I learned not just about that country but a lot about that was an eye opener, and a gift unto itself) Needless to say the "variation" of English in Australia was, well Australian. And though spelling down under is in effect "British English" the fact that the spelling has not changed for the most part is Australia never broke from England forcibly. But just try suggesting there is no-such-thing as an Australian culture. Where ever you come from, it'll be a long swim home, if you survive long enough to try. Perhaps the reason Americans spell words more phonetically, the way they "sound". Perhaps because of the influence of so many different different language's from immigrants, and the fact we both commandeer and invent words as we feel like it, is a good sign.

Language evolves because evolution is as much a part of linguistics as bacteria, or anything Darwin was honest and smart enough to recognize, and brave enough to talk about. One thing is unmistakable. A diverse and evolving organism or society is a much more robust, and stronger, capable, compared to so-called "pure" entities.
edit on 26/11/11 by arbiture because: word-fart. Hey, it's late and I'm tired, OK?



posted on Nov, 26 2011 @ 12:19 AM
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reply to post by SavannahCat
 


I have that problem, too. So does my brother. Did you read a lot of British literature as a kid? We suspect that. The British books didn't read like they were written for a cement block with ears.

My biggest linguistic sin is "Do you want I should...." when asking someone if they want me to do something.
Don't know where the hell That came from.



posted on Nov, 26 2011 @ 12:19 AM
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lmao this is funny.. it sounds funny when ppl use "differnt words"



posted on Nov, 26 2011 @ 12:24 AM
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reply to post by steveknows
 


I never criticised Ozzy rules or anything else, nor did I defend Sherlock, just pointed out he usually adopts a rather dry, ironic style of posting which seems to have provoked a similiar response.

Never the less, what your saying is "but he started it first!" and retaliate against a whole group rather than the person, rather than just rising above it. You obviously got offended by his comments, but felt it okay to stoop to the same level and rail against others who have no beef with Oz. I like Oz!



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