Words of the world can constantly change, but not always appreciated !

[Ranald]

Another interesting subject on the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/14130942

With her time in the UK, a comment by Joan could be interesting.

Ranald

[Alastair]

Re: Words of the world can constantly change, but not always appreciated !

Actually this is already an issue on the web site where in our Help section I have an article on spelling. I used to get many emails saying the spelling on the site was terrible. I got up a standard reply which went something like this...

While we don't defend our spelling and will freely admit to errors we would appreciate it is you could highlight the words or phrases and provide the page address so we can correct it. We would however point out that we use both British English, American English and the old Scots language on our site. So if you could consider this before getting back to us we'd appreciate it.

To date I've yet to get a reply to that <grin>

Alastair

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Words of the world can constantly change, but not always appreciated !

Ranald, being that I myself am HALF Brit, although which half, I don't know!!??!! Also have cousins in Aberdeen, & near Southampton. Anyway, having lived in East Suffolk for 3 years, I reveled in the differences in our two languages. I am mainly "on top of" spelling of all different kinds, both American, & English. By the by, in high school & college, I got great higher grades in the English courses.

I'm not always happy, as have probably stated before, about the way our younger people are speaking nowadays. I recently put an ad in our town paper, saying For Sale or Barter, & I could tell that most folks didn't know what the word barter meant. Not sure how I could have written it any simpler. At any rate, I sit here at the computer, & can see the picture of my maternal grand-dad's entire family of origin, from near Brighton, in Sussex, of nine children & 2 parents, kind of looking over my shoulder, so to speak, and yes, I agree that American slangy stuff has found its way across the pond to GB.

Not very happy with the bastardization of what I learned in my younger schooling, such as NO courtesy shown, especially to their elders, & using words that are offensive to my ears. I know I've have voiced this previously, but I think if a person thanks one, one should say, "You're welcome!" But the kids say, "No problem." What does that actually mean? I cannot understand half of what younger people say, but feel stupid to keep saying, "What!?!" My own teen grand-daughter, I can understand, but she's considered a genius, & also can understand her slightly younger brother, who's nearly there himself. But I feel that even our American language is screwy. What initially came into my mind when you challenged me to speak, was that our huge country is a melting pot of many different nationalities, & our language kind of reflects that. However, I do feel that the younger generation has in a way, overall, slurred that English. Before leaving GB in 1961, I observed many different emigrants coming in, & likely wouldn't be able to recognize the whole place now. This is all my own opinion! Joan

[Glesgalass]

Re: Words of the world can constantly change, but not always appreciated !

When I first came to Australia, in 1971, it made me laugh to hear them use words which went out of fashion in the UK in the late 50's, early 60's. For example, they still called a 'dress' a 'frock' and an underskirt was still a 'petticoat'. It's different now with the ease of global communications, particularly the internet.

Elda

[miolchu]

Re: Words of the world can constantly change, but not always appreciated !

While we can bemoan the abuse of language by a new generation of speakers trying to assert their own identity, some of us will remember that many of our parents went through the same thing when we were coming of age. This is often an affectation but sometimes the coining of vernacular is part and parcel to the evolution of the Language. English is such a confusing language because of the contributions of unrelated languages, the decision in the past to organize it with a Latin grammar.

I am ambivalent about many of the changes creeping in to the language. I have to balance with the notion that I would be mute if I had to speak the language in its earlier form when I am congested... "wēox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þāh, ..."
(scrap in Old English from the Old English poem 'Beowulf')