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From: gurr@west44.UUCP (Dave Gurr)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Who speaks the King's English??
Message-ID: <293@west44.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Aug-84 06:29:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: west44.293
Posted: Mon Aug 13 06:29:42 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 9-Aug-84 04:48:46 EDT
References: <370@iheds.UUCP>
Organization: Comp. Unit, Westfield College, London
Lines: 47

< force of habit ... >

> It irks me to be informed that we Americans do not speak the "King's
> English", while the British do.

	Who said this? Certainly not me (I started this discussion, and
it seems that I am being indirectly referred to here).

> After all, American colonists were relatively isolated from other
> cultures 

	Don't forget that the American colonists consisted of Irish, German,
French, Dutch, Italian and many other nationalities. They may have been
isolated externally, but within America, they were confronted by a veritable
plethora of accents, and (I should imagine) colloquialisms and idioms, with
everyone (except the Irish and English) trying to learn a new language.

>                    Meanwhile, back in England, extensive contact
> between the European countries must have caused British English to
> continue to evolve, in pronunciation, idiomatic usage, and spelling,
> towards the other European languages.

	The direct contact between your average Joe Bloggs and your average
Jacques Oignons, Fritz Kugelscreiber, Antonio di Capo and Manuel ( sorry, I
can't think of a suitabel Spanish surname!) is zilch. Zero. A big fat nothing.
This can hardly have been the same in the early days of America.
	If British English is changing in any particular direction, then it is
towards American English. In recent years, mainly I'm sure due to the screening
of American TV programmes, American accents, slang, idioms and (shock horror!)
spellings have crept into British English.

	I'm sorry if some people thought that I was suggesting that I spoke
the ** Q U E E N ' S ** English and that you guys (sic) over the pond spoke
something entirely different. I was merely trying to raise discussion on what
I consider to be an interesting and relevant point. Languages must and will
evolve, and it is ridiculous to try and halt or change this (the French
Language committee being a perfect example of this).

	Anyway, keep those articles coming - it's all good stuff !

	                    		 mcvax
	"Hello shoes! I'm sorry    	      \
	but I'm going to have to  		ukc!west44!gurr
	stand on you again!"		      /
					vax135

	Dave Gurr, Westfield College, Univ. of London, England.