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This kind of thing happens with language too. Areas which historically had a lot of immigration sometimes end up with immigrant communities that still speak "th
by resonious 3y ago
This kind of thing happens with language too. Areas which historically had a lot of immigration sometimes end up with immigrant communities that still speak "the old way". I know some Brazilians of Japanese descent who've moved "back to" Japan. They take Japanese language lessons and the instructors always know to tell these folks "don't talk like your parents/grandparents", since the lingo on the mainland has shifted significantly.
I've also heard the rumor that this is why the US and UK speak differently, and that the US is actually how Britain used to sound, but I've also seen people say it's BS.
- BerislavLopac 3y agoIt's not a rumour, it's a linguistic fact. It's not exactly the same, as the American English shifted as well -- but many obvious differences, like rhoticism, used to be a norm in the UK as well. In fact, they are still very present in some British accents (just remember the stereotypical Scottish accent), but have changed in "official" accents like RP.
- OfSanguineFire 3y agoThe rumor the OP mentions that often gets dismissed as bullshit, might be the one that “in a valley in West Virginia/on an island off the Eastern seaboard, people still speak Elizabethan English!”. And that irks people who are knowledgeable because, as you state, American English is a mix of some archaisms along with boatloads of innovations of its own.
- resonious 3y agoWhat's the evidence? I've seen people go back and forth about it, but never seen any actual convincing arguments.
- BerislavLopac 3y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoticity_in_English https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoticity_in_English