British children 'turn to American English'

[Ealdwita]

Languages are living things and are prone to evolve through the ages. Many factors affect the way we speak and write, especially now in the days of the Web. Modern English has evolved over the centuries from the 'pre-English' (200BC-600AD), through Old English (Anglo-Saxon) - to 1066, and Middle English (to 1500) and then to Modern English. Within these divisions are further sub-divisions and regional dialects. (And I've had to have at least a working knowledge of whole damned lot over the years!) I doubt I'll need to be well-informed on the minutæ of 'textspeak' though. (Or should it be 'txtspk'?)

[questionmark]

Languages are living things and are prone to evolve through the ages. Many factors affect the way we speak and write, especially now in the days of the Web. Modern English has evolved over the centuries from the 'pre-English' (200BC-600AD), through Old English (Anglo-Saxon) - to 1066, and Middle English (to 1500) and then to Modern English. Within these divisions are further sub-divisions and regional dialects. (And I've had to have at least a working knowledge of whole damned lot over the years!) I doubt I'll need to be well-informed on the minutæ of 'textspeak' though. (Or should it be 'txtspk'?)

There is nothing wrong with that, what is pretty awkward though is that there is a town called Munising and people say "Moonsing", or a metal called Aluminium and people say Aluminum, and as soon as enough people say it wrong the dictionary gets changed. That leads to txtspk at the end. Or to how 5000 years ago writing started, all consonants and no vowels. And by using single syllable grunts is how speaking started, we are devolving into all that again. That is not evolution that is dumbing down.

[F3SS]

There's an "i" before the "um". No other time with "ium" words is the "i" silent.

That link also said they eventually settled on "aluminium".

Although, arguably, we're all saying it wrong as it's a deritiative of "alum" so we should be putting more emphasis on the "m" rather then the "al" because in "alum" it's a hard m sound not a soft one while it's a soft "l" in alum but a hard one in aluminium.

Or we could just call it "tin" like we virtually do here on Oz anyway. Totally wrong, but impossible to mispronounce

No it isnt! ISO properly determines the element as Aluminium (with the "I). Check with any periodic Table. This spelling also conforms with all other "iums" in the periodic table.

I think the reason for our lazy pronunciation of that word is because it's such a commonly used, known and spoken element. If it were less common and spoken mostly scientifically it would have remained in its original form.

Now are yinz gonna stop arguing about this?

Yinz- Pittsburgh slang for 'you guys'

More originals from the 'Burgh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_English#Vocabulary

Edit: the original link was broken, so I put up a wiki page instead...

Edited June 5, 2012 by Is it for real

[Insaniac]

Great, so future generations are going to be illiterate. (No offence to my American cousin's oversea's)

Why are they teaching this to children? Why spell the wrong way when you can spell correctly and get things right?

[modo75]

Where I am from we call a sidewalk dirt

[Rafterman]

What do you call it when every time enough people spell a word wrong the dictionary gets changed, besides American?

Evolution of a living language?

Besides, your point has nothing to do with British school children using "Americanisms".

[Rafterman]

There is nothing wrong with that, what is pretty awkward though is that there is a town called Munising and people say "Moonsing", or a metal called Aluminium and people say Aluminum, and as soon as enough people say it wrong the dictionary gets changed. That leads to txtspk at the end. Or to how 5000 years ago writing started, all consonants and no vowels. And by using single syllable grunts is how speaking started, we are devolving into all that again. That is not evolution that is dumbing down.

Some would argue that it's increasing the efficiency of language.

[acute]

I think we can always find aspects of other people's language that we dislike.

On the more positive side.... There are a few 'Americanisms' I wish us Brits would adopt.

I prefer truck to lorry, cell phone to mobile phone, airplane to aeroplane, cart to trolley, and catalog is a complete no-brainer!

[Michelle]

I think we can always find aspects of other people's language that we dislike.

On the more positive side.... There are a few 'Americanisms' I wish us Brits would adopt.

I prefer truck to lorry, cell phone to mobile phone, airplane to aeroplane, cart to trolley, and catalog is a complete no-brainer!

And you would never catch a redneck working under "the bonnet"

[Ealdwita]

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soute,

The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licour

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,

And smale foweles maken melodye,

That slepen al the nyght with open ye

(so priketh hem nature in hir corages);

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,

And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,

To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;

And specially from every shires ende

Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,

The hooly blisful martir for to seke,

That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

The General Prologue, The Canterbury Tales (late 14th.Cent)

...Txtspk that little lot - I dare you!

[Eldorado]

Using txtspeak is fine as long as you know that's what it is, imo. I've found that some people don't though which is the fault of the education system and dumbass parents.

(I just wanted to use an "Americanism" that I like..... lol)

p.s. Cousins... should you visit... never ask a female to move her fanny. That's fighting talk here.

[Taun]

And you would never catch a redneck working under "the bonnet"

That would depend on who's wearing the bonnet and how friendly she is...

[Taun]

I think we can always find aspects of other people's language that we dislike.

On the more positive side.... There are a few 'Americanisms' I wish us Brits would adopt.

I prefer truck to lorry, cell phone to mobile phone, airplane to aeroplane, cart to trolley, and catalog is a complete no-brainer!

What do you call a catalog?

[Ealdwita]

What do you call a catalog?

Sounds the same but spelled properly - catalogue! (Late Middle English - cataloge 'register')

Edited June 8, 2012 by ealdwita

[Taun]

Sounds the same but spelled properly - catalogue! (Late Middle English - cataloge 'register')

Ah! Okay. Thanks - and cool smileys!