Is American English lazy English?

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Anonymous

#365261 Tue, 15 May 07 04:09 PM

Smile [:)]

Elena wrote:
But what kind of erosion?
Languages are changing continually, they are an alive thing. If you knew how many words there are in a Spanish Dictionary that we never use and will never use..and each new revision made by The Royal Academy is including new ones.

I can't say about American English but we have something similar.
Spanish of America is as correct as Spanish of Spain, it was developed in different way.
And what do you think?

Anonymous

Anonymous

#403726 Sun, 12 Aug 07 10:46 PM

say what you want, let ego get in the way to succeed..

if a language doesnt change it's dead...

American English is currently the dominant influence on "World English" to the once British colony's.

Population: U.S. vs. U.K. (SAE/SBE ca 70% vs. 17% of all native English

Wealth of the U.S. economy vs. the U.K., & influences

Magnitude of higher education in America vs. the U.K.

Magnitude of the publishing industry in America

Magnitude of global mass media and media technology influence

Appeal of American popular culture on language and habits

International political and economic position of the U.S

American English has grown steadily in international significance since World War II, parallel to the growth of U.S. political, economic, technological and cultural influence worldwide. American English is currently the dominant influence on "World English"

Anonymous

Anonymous

#443422 Sat, 17 Nov 07 12:45 AM

Noah Webster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah_Webster) had a huge influence on american english. He is responsible for many of the differences in spelling. Also, after the revolutionary war in 1776, many americans were only too happy to differentiate themselves from Britain by using different spellings, pronunciation, and grammar. Lastly, as someone already pointed out, many in the colonies retained certain ways of speaking that were later dropped in Britain.

Don't forget different regions of the United States may have very different pronunciations and usages of common words. For example, a native of Charleston South Carolina may sound quite different from a native of Boston Massachusetts. They will have little problem understanding one another, however.

Anonymous

Grammar, American English, Lazy English, Pronunciation, Spelling

Sadeem

#448625 Sat, 01 Dec 07 08:41 PM

i think the original English language is British !!

but my question :

why there is no Arabic language in the list here ????????

Sadeem

Joined on Thu, Jun 29 2006

KSA

Full Member (174)

"I am bigger than anything that can happen to me. All these things, sorrow, misfortune, and suffering, are outside my door. I am in the house, and I have the key." ~Charles Lummis

American English, Lazy English

Mike in Japan

#448736 Sun, 02 Dec 07 06:49 AM

Which list, Sadeem?

Mike in Japan

Joined on Tue, Aug 19 2003

Hazzard County, Japan

Rank NA (4,292)

Boogie, boogie, boogie

American English, Lazy English

Anonymous

#453764 Sun, 16 Dec 07 04:02 PM

"I much prefer the attitude of the British. They have enough respect for the language to use correct spelling, clear enunciation and to observe the correct use of prepositions and general grammar. On the other hand, some Americans seem to like reinventing the language as they go."

To use a British word, bollocks! Americans at least pronounce all the syllables in words like "territory" and "secretary". Most of them also pronounce the letter "r" in all positions, where standart British English no longer does. They speak at a slower pace than British English, and as a British English teacher, I am told by my foreign students invariably that they find American English easier to understand. Their pronunciation is closer to the London pronunciation of the early 17th century than modern British RP.

I do not understand what you mean by correct. Do you mean your personal use of English, and do you measure other people's English against this? You seem to me to be one of those, who has never studied linguistics or phonology, let alone grammar, but thinks they can sound off about language in some sort of authoritative way.

Anonymous

Grammar, British English, American English, Lazy English, Pronunciation, Prepositions, Spelling, Correct spelling

K-M

#453880 Mon, 17 Dec 07 12:10 AM

British English is the superior in my opinion, simply because it is the original English language. Obviously me being English, im going to be biased, but if i were foreign then i would still choose British English over American English. To call American English the dominant English language is ridiculous when you consider the size of the 2 countries. The American continent prefers the American English and Europe and Asia tend to learn British English.

K-M

Joined on Tue, Mar 6 2007

England

Junior Member (60)

British English, American English, Lazy English

Mike in Japan

#456159 Sat, 22 Dec 07 11:49 PM

I agree. Furthermore, in any game, is it not important to follow the rules?
It is one thing to improve a language by adding to it, it is quite another to erode it by misunderstanding the meanings of words and then to propogate those misunderstandings. Then to take pride in such misunderstanding is the height of stupidity! We all do it in one way or another, but to pretend that it is improving the language is crap!
Add to the language, by all means, after all that is how English has become such an accurate language, but dumbing it down should be seen for what it is; stupid.

Mike in Japan

American English, Lazy English

Kooyeen

#456356 Sun, 23 Dec 07 04:18 PM

>>>British English is the superior in my opinion, simply because it is the original English language. Obviously me being English, im going to be biased, but if i were foreign then i would still choose British English over American English. To call American English the dominant English language is ridiculous when you consider the size of the 2 countries. The American continent prefers the American English and Europe and Asia tend to learn British English.<<<

Mike In Japan wrote:
I agree. Furthermore, in any game, is it not important to follow the rules?
It is one thing to improve a language by adding to it, it is quite another to erode it by misunderstanding the meanings of words and then to propogate those misunderstandings. Then to take pride in such misunderstanding is the height of stupidity! We all do it in one way or another, but to pretend that it is improving the language is crap!
Add to the language, by all means, after all that is how English has become such an accurate language, but dumbing it down should be seen for what it is; stupid.

Hi Mike,
you were kidding, right? I know you were... I hope you were, LOL.