who owns english?

Question

are american owns english? are british owns it?

Answer 1

Well, certainly not you.

Answer 2

Brits have British English as a base! Americans have American English. Nobody owns anything!

Answer 3

In the ninth century English was born out of an old Flemish-German language by some of them who left for the island, today known as England. I am Flemish and I see that even today many words have the same meaning but with another pronunciation. I am an English teacher and see that the English language in the states is falling into a degeneration. Who owns English? The one who can handle English in the right way!

Answer 4

While England may be the starting place of the language, it has branched and developed far enough into several distinctly different styles, British, American, Australian, to name a few.

My personal feeling is, it is moot to argue, which one is the most correct form.

What I am not sure is, if Ebonics and purposely distorted version of a proper American English (ie. ghetto speak, and gang language) are indeed language, or incorrect version of the master language. I guess only the time will tell.

In foreign land, many places teach English. When they do, they make some distinctions between British and American version - that tells me they are both recognized as "correct" form of the language.

Answer 5

English is a language; no one "owns" it. We can learn it, adopt it, and even modify it; but no specific society or country "owns" English.

If you are referring to the history of the English language, the English language dates back to Celtic and some what Germanic roots. Over centuries, culture and society has modified the language to what we know it as today.

If you are wondering how America gained the knowledge of English, that is the result of the first colonists to North America.

Nonetheless, we can tell that you do not own the language as a person that knew it would have been able to formulate the question better.

Answer 6

English is a means of communication so..., unless we need a lisence or there is some copy rights out there (which there isn't), The English language..., if owned by any group would be the Germans..., they took over England way way back in the day... All the "true" English people (people from England) are Scotts and Irish... This would explain why Germany, America and England is always trying to take over the world...., it's in their blood...

Answer 7

There comes a point for all intellectual property where it is so common that it is worthless yet necessary at the same time. I'm sure the guy who invented English thought he was sitting on a goldmine, but in the case of languages, this is sort of the goal.

*edit: No, English wasn't "invented" by "some guy." It took hundreds of years to evolve from German, Greek and Latin.

Answer 8

Well, it originated here (England, as indicated by its name), but I don't think we own it.

I think the Americans have corrupted it, with verbs such as 'burglarize', amoung numerous gramatical differences, but oh well, worse things happen at sea.

Besides, while so man people use it we get much more varied TV programmes, and we can go to numerous places without having to learn a new language.

Answer 9

I think you need to learn to write it.

England is the home of it obviously, but the "use" of English around the world has evolved different versions, all similar and all correct in their own context.

Answer 10

Noone 'owns' english. It's a language.

Answer 11

Nobody can own a language.Obviously it started in England.Look up the word own.