NationStates

Bombadil wrote:Saying British English is like saying Chinese food in China. It's just food.

There's different dishes of course but it's just food.

To distinguish from English then, sure, add American or Australian or shortern to Singlish.
.

-Astoria wrote:Is this even a question?

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British English, on the grounds that more people use it than the American system.

thanks Commonwealth

Allegedly, a Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following: Lufthansa (in German): “Ground, what is our start clearance time?” Ground (in English): “If you want an answer you must speak in English.” Lufthansa (in English): “I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany. Why must I speak English?” Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): “Because you lost the bloody war.”

Bombadil wrote:

New haven america wrote:Yes. Mexican Spanish is the most spoken form but is almost unintelligible to Europeans, Argentinian and Chilean Spanish borrow a lot from Italian and German, Dominicans speak at 10,000 words a second, etc..

Sure but when I view language options I might see American English vs British English but I don't remember seeing, say, Mexican Spanish.. so I'm wondering if it's a thing rather than wondering if there's differences in the languages.

Auze wrote:

Bombadil wrote:Saying British English is like saying Chinese food in China. It's just food.

There's different dishes of course but it's just food.

To distinguish from English then, sure, add American or Australian or shortern to Singlish.
.

Not really the same, especially since it has been proven that American English is more conservative than British English in some ways.

Bombadil wrote:

Auze wrote:Not really the same, especially since it has been proven that American English is more conservative than British English in some ways.

It can be lazier and crap as well, for example the way Americans say 'I could care less', which means the opposite of what they're trying to convey. As for conservatism, Johnson's dictionary was only published in 1755 and I don't think spelling was really standardised til later so I'm not sure one can claim any variation is more conservative or not.

My mother teaches, or taught, essentially the evolution of languages. We've had long debates over the need for correct spelling and grammar - I say it's really not important given letters and words are just symbols and it's the meaning that's important, as long as it's understood then fine, but she's a real stickler especially for grammar.

Having said that Americans are generally far easier for me to understand than, say, a Glaswegian or someone from Newcastle.

Liriena wrote:I prefer British English on an aesthetic level, but almost a decade of reading and writing stuff almost exclusively in American English has left me a bit out of practice.

Farnhamia wrote:

Bombadil wrote:
It can be lazier and crap as well, for example the way Americans say 'I could care less', which means the opposite of what they're trying to convey. As for conservatism, Johnson's dictionary was only published in 1755 and I don't think spelling was really standardised til later so I'm not sure one can claim any variation is more conservative or not.

My mother teaches, or taught, essentially the evolution of languages. We've had long debates over the need for correct spelling and grammar - I say it's really not important given letters and words are just symbols and it's the meaning that's important, as long as it's understood then fine, but she's a real stickler especially for grammar.

Having said that Americans are generally far easier for me to understand than, say, a Glaswegian or someone from Newcastle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8zhp699FXg

Bombadil wrote:

Farnhamia wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8zhp699FXg

“Lara walked along the tracks following a path worn by pilgrims and then turned into the fields. Here she stopped and, closing her eyes, took a deep breath of the flower-scented air of the broad expanse around her. It was dearer to her than her kin, better than a lover, wiser than a book. For a moment she rediscovered the purpose of her life. She was here on earth to grasp the meaning of its wild enchantment and to call each thing by its right name, or, if this were not within her power, to give birth out of love for life to successors who would do it in her place.”

If there is anything on the planet that she is not interested in it is not in my list. There are animals that I am indifferent to, but it is not so with her. She has no discrimination, she takes to all of them, she thinks they are all treasures, every new one is welcome.

When the mighty brontosaurus came striding into camp, she regarded it as an acquisition, I considered it a calamity; that is a good sample of the lack of harmony that prevails in our views of things. She wanted to domesticate it, I wanted to make it a present of the homestead and move out. She believed it could be tamed by kind treatment and would be a good pet; I said a pet twenty-one feet high and eight-four feet long would be no proper thing to have about the place, because, even with the best intentions and without meaning any harm, it could sit down on the house and mash it, for any one could see by the look of its eye that it was absent-minded.

Menorica wrote:

Aeritai wrote:Decided to make a interesting topic about the two Englishes now before you say "Both Englishes are the same" they are not since American English and British English spell their words differently.

Here are some examples from both Englishes.

British Examples: Aeroplane, aluminium, chips, and colour.

American Examples: Airplane, aluminum, french fries and color.

With these differences in mind I ask you which one is better to use for writing and grammar? If you say British then should Americans learn it as well?

In my opinion I think both are great I mean there is no reason to hate both Englishes. I think the only reason why we have two Englishes is because of culture when America gained its independence I think they wanted their own identity and be different than the British like with the words Aeroplane and chips. But I do think Americans should learn how to spell British words like colour and aluminium since the British were the ones that set up the English language.

What do you say NSG? Do you prefer American or British English? And should Americans use British spelling in their writing?

What about Canadian English or Scottish English? Canada's English sounds just like America's, And the Scottish English is hardly understandable to Americans.

Kombinita Socialisma Demokratio wrote:

Menorica wrote:
What about Canadian English or Scottish English? Canada's English sounds just like America's, And the Scottish English is hardly understandable to Americans.

I actually find Scottish English as easy or easier to understand than Appalachian dialects or Cajun dialects. However, people with those accents (or even similar dialects) have asked me if I was British or Australian before.

I suppose that I use an odd mix of British/American English (along with some peculiarities (presumably from German) learned from my grandparents), with the former being used more often the more formal the situation is. I use colour, the serial coma, grey, aeroplane, tap, aluminum, truck, hood, ...
For some reason rural people (who grew up within thirty minutes from me) ask me where I am from, and I have been told that I sound somewhat like Siri...

Farnhamia wrote:Serial comas? Man, that must be awful.

Kombinita Socialisma Demokratio wrote:

Menorica wrote:
What about Canadian English or Scottish English? Canada's English sounds just like America's, And the Scottish English is hardly understandable to Americans.

I actually find Scottish English as easy or easier to understand than Appalachian dialects or Cajun dialects. However, people with those accents (or even similar dialects) have asked me if I was British or Australian before.

I suppose that I use an odd mix of British/American English (along with some peculiarities (presumably from German) learned from my grandparents), with the former being used more often the more formal the situation is. I use colour, the serial coma, grey, aeroplane, tap, aluminum, truck, hood, ...
For some reason rural people (who grew up within thirty minutes from me) ask me where I am from, and I have been told that I sound somewhat like Siri...

Bombadil wrote:

Kombinita Socialisma Demokratio wrote:I actually find Scottish English as easy or easier to understand than Appalachian dialects or Cajun dialects. However, people with those accents (or even similar dialects) have asked me if I was British or Australian before.

I suppose that I use an odd mix of British/American English (along with some peculiarities (presumably from German) learned from my grandparents), with the former being used more often the more formal the situation is. I use colour, the serial coma, grey, aeroplane, tap, aluminum, truck, hood, ...
For some reason rural people (who grew up within thirty minutes from me) ask me where I am from, and I have been told that I sound somewhat like Siri...

Even Scots are wildly variable in their accent, the difference between a Glaswegian, unintelligible, and someone from Edinburgh, a delightful tone, is pretty wide.

There is a video somewhere of some person with a theory that pigeons have regional accents as well.

Hmm.. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-env ... scientists

I don't know if a pitch difference given environment counts, the original video has a guy really saying Yorkshire pigeons have, like, a Yorkshire accent.

Like this bird.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k034lTC0aVM

Farnhamia wrote:

Bombadil wrote:
Even Scots are wildly variable in their accent, the difference between a Glaswegian, unintelligible, and someone from Edinburgh, a delightful tone, is pretty wide.

There is a video somewhere of some person with a theory that pigeons have regional accents as well.

Hmm.. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-env ... scientists

I don't know if a pitch difference given environment counts, the original video has a guy really saying Yorkshire pigeons have, like, a Yorkshire accent.

Like this bird.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k034lTC0aVM

So ... Yorkshire pigeons sound like they're extras in All Creatures Great and Small?

Farnhamia wrote:Serial comas? Man, that must be awful.

Risottia wrote:

Farnhamia wrote:Serial comas? Man, that must be awful.

It's what happens normally when you strRRRoll thRRRough EdinbRRRah WaveRRRley and pRRRomoteRRRs hand you a can of cucumbeRRR-flavouRRRed SpRRRite, whispeRRRing "it's peRRRfect with JEN!" - and then you follow the advice, again, and again, and again.

Farnhamia wrote:

Aeritai wrote:Decided to make a interesting topic about the two Englishes now before you say "Both Englishes are the same" they are not since American English and British English spell their words differently.

Here are some examples from both Englishes.

British Examples: Aeroplane, aluminium, chips, and colour.

American Examples: Airplane, aluminum, french fries and color.

With these differences in mind I ask you which one is better to use for writing and grammar? If you say British then should Americans learn it as well?

In my opinion I think both are great I mean there is no reason to hate both Englishes. I think the only reason why we have two Englishes is because of culture when America gained its independence I think they wanted their own identity and be different than the British like with the words Aeroplane and chips. But I do think Americans should learn how to spell British words like colour and aluminium since the British were the ones that set up the English language.

What do you say NSG? Do you prefer American or British English? And should Americans use British spelling in their writing?

What people do not understand is that part of the Lend-Lease program during WW2 was a clause that transferred custody of the "common language" to the United States. Under the agreement, should the United States Department of State decide that Great Britain has committed a linguistic offense, the United States is entitled to take military action to arrest the person or persons committing said offense, and to remove extraneous U's from words like "honor" or "color."

Bombadil wrote:

Auze wrote:Not really the same, especially since it has been proven that American English is more conservative than British English in some ways.

It can be lazier and crap as well, for example the way Americans say 'I could care less', which means the opposite of what they're trying to convey. As for conservatism, Johnson's dictionary was only published in 1755 and I don't think spelling was really standardised til later so I'm not sure one can claim any variation is more conservative or not.

Risottia wrote:

Bombadil wrote:Having said that do people say Mexican Spanish, or Colombian Spanish or do they simply speak Spanish with variations.

The various South-American Spanish dialects are almost unintelligible to my ears, which are more used to actual Castellano.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_d ... f_variants