Please do not reply saying the the American language is nearer to the old tradition English language when colonisation took place. It has evolved for both nations since then. This question is regarding modern usage of the language for both nations.
2006-10-30 22:48:15 · 26 answers · asked by The_Boat_of_Questions 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Using the medium of Q&A has certainly opened my eyes as to how the English Language is being distorted by the Americanisation of a language that evolved from the influences other languages such as Norman, French, Viking, Celtic etc,. etc!
Personally, I feel that not much can be done to prevent this happening. You only have to look at how us Brits are adapting it for mobil phone speel and that is unfortunately spilling over into our everyday useage.
How can it be prevented? Is the Islam Language being distorted or French.. Spanish...No! I think that Amercia has an awful lot to answer for regarding the dissemination of the greatest language on Earth.
2006-10-30 23:01:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that they are trying to simplify their version of English so that it loses its subtlety. For example, they only have three tenses -- past, present and future -- and use the present tense as much as they can get away with. They have more or less eliminated adverbs -- "good" , for example, has replaced "well". I had an illuminating discussion with a North American who claimed to be an English graduate about this. "Just give me some examples of adverbs," she said, "and I'll tell you whether we have them or not!" They sometimes use exaggeratedly complicated expressions when there are simple ones readily available -- eg. "at this point of time" instead of "now". Many English words used in the United States have totally changed their meaning, but this is natural evolution. I honestly think that but for the advent of films and TV, we would already be at the stage where the American language would not be readily understood by English speakers. Who, for example, would immediately understand "alternate rout" as meaning "alternative route"?
I am so tired of having to hear this distorted form of English around me that I look with grim satisfaction at the way in which the Spanish language is again coming into its own in that part of the Americas. The time is ripe for them to mangle somebody else's language. Or fuse the two together. En el futuro, vamos a hablar Spangled English.
2006-10-31 21:50:19 · answer #2 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am British born and bred and also visit the states a few times a year, the American (English) is not at all like ours .
Also each country has it own why of pronunciation of words and how they use the words to define how and what they are saying.
I think if you were to speak with someone English you could hear the difference, also the American why of spelling a lot of words are different as is the grammar.
Plus you have to remember the states has a huge population of people from other nations who all add to the way you speak and sound.
2006-10-30 23:09:34 · answer #3 · answered by LMH 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is a natural change in dialect over time which happens all over the world in every country over time. Try looking at the bigger picture in history. The English language, for example, was founded from a mixture of germanic tribes and the angles and the saxons. This spurred the stare of Old English, which gave way to Middle English, which gave way to Modern English. Modern English(the language of the motherland) has been around 500 years, and it is time for a change.
2006-10-30 22:59:10 · answer #4 · answered by Dj Kevin G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The language has evolved and will continue to evolve with new words like Internet, on line, or with new phrases like my bad. It isn't a distortion it is an evolution.
Then there is Ebonics which describes a new inter urban language and street slang which is a derivative of the English language but should not be confused with English language proper. It is characterized by using the letter "K" in place or "C" and "Z" in place of "S"
2006-10-30 22:57:49 · answer #5 · answered by quarterton2001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nobody is trying to distort anything intentionally. The English language develops into regional variations based on the varying conditions and influences in the two countries. There are differences also from country to county and form US state to US state. The more American movies we watch though, the closer the two variations will stay.
2006-10-30 23:03:19 · answer #6 · answered by Eve 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's their language as much as ours, and they are entitled to do with it as they wish, just as we are.
Don't forget we are all far more mixed now, no longer are the US, the UK and Australia the only multicultural societies, and their language development reflects this. It was only after I started studying Spanaish that I realised how much that language has influenced US English - the spelling of honor and color are two simple examples, but what we think of as "American English" is often simply a syntax transposition from Spanish.
This is not "distortion" it's the natural evolution of language. There are things the US should be ashamed of, but their language is not one of them
2006-10-30 23:04:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
All languages in daily use are "living" they change over time. There are many different versions of english including the american one but also a number of different versions in the UK in different areas as you will find if youi go to Durham, Cornwall, Liverpool or the Midlands. The Americans are not "distorting" english it is just changing as they use it.
2006-10-30 22:55:24 · answer #8 · answered by Maid Angela 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A question that gets asked about twice a week.
As above. Language evolves. Look at the difference between how scousers speak compared to cockneys and the distance between the two places is minimal compared to how far we are away from America.
I doubt that there is a campaign on either side to purposely change it just to wind each other up. Although sometimes when I listen to hip hop... I wonder.
2006-10-30 22:53:28 · answer #9 · answered by Martin G 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think the American language will sound anything like English in a few decades if they don't look after it. There are so many Spanish speaking people there now (not to mention all the other nationalities) who never learn English and in some areas you can't find English speaking staff in restaurants and shops.
I think they are rapidly moving towards Spanglish, a mix of Spanish and English.
2006-10-30 22:52:12 · answer #10 · answered by IC 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋