7 ms·
Misleading title, author equates "English" to "British English".
by Fej 9y ago
Misleading title, author equates "English" to "British English".
- melling 9y agoAnyways, irregardless, that was understood. We are “killing it”.
- elthran 9y agoNot a misleading title - necessary for the last sentence in the first paragraph. And should the non-clarified form of the language not automatically be assumed to be the original form of it? Compare Spanish Spanish vs Mexican Spanish, it feels an unnecessary clarification
- skywhopper 9y agoThere is no "original form" still spoken today. Why would the version that happens to be currently socially accepted as "correct" by most native speakers in England be the "original" form? The vast majority of English speakers don't speak British English.
- krzyk 9y agoI don't have any good argument why, besides the one that in non-English speaking countries, English == British English. Same for Spanish, when I'm talking about that language it doesn't even cross my mind that someone might think Mexican Spanish. But English is not my first language so it may be different e.g. for Americans.
- clort 9y agoWell ok, but British English is composed at least of Scottish English, Yuppie English, Townie English, Farmers English, Northern English, Black Country English, The Queens English and also I'm not sure about Newcastle-upon-Tyne if thats related or a completely separate language.
- Walf 9y agoInternational English. Supposably, Americans could care less that other English-speaking countries are closer to en-GB than en-US, despite the relentless onslaught of inconsiderate software defaults.
- yesenadam 9y agoHehe.. I set my wordpress site to Australian English, but one look at my new edit page with its permanent "G'day" made me change it immediately back to GB-English.
- clort 9y agoI always think that the way that is written, is irrelevant to the way that it is spoken. I don't want to read it like it is spoken (Irvine Welsh I dislike your books though have no problem with the films), I want to read the words that communicate the concept.
- petepete 9y ago> Americans could care less So they do care?
- Walf 9y agoOnly the ones that care about English, generally.
- bigal67 9y agosupposedly ;) Sorry... being slightly facetious :)
- petepete 9y agoI think supposably is a valid word and makes sense in this context. The meaning overlaps a lot with supposedly, which is much more-commonly used, so it sounds a bit odd.
- rando444 9y agoWhy would you expect the BBC to refer to "English" as "British English"? To assuage American readers? That's a rather condescending attitude, don't you think?
- yesenadam 9y agoIt's something I'm getting used to on here. That attitude. Doesn't surprise me your comment was downvoted. The very word "American" is presumptuous. Imagine if the Chinese referred to themselves as "Asians" and their country as "Asia". I've taken to using estadounidense until something better comes along in English. ..or Spanish becomes the main language in the US :-) Australian English has/had the rather pungent seppo - rhyming slang for septic tank = Yank. But estadounidense is at least accurate.
- mattnewport 9y agoUnqualified, it is not unreasonable for 'English' to refer to the language spoken in England by the English people while 'American English' refers to the variant spoken in the United States of America by the American people, just as Canadian English refers to the variant spoken elsewhere in North America in Canada by the Canadian people. It is especially reasonable when used this way by an English writer writing for a British publication.