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Subject: British English

Author:
Nick (UK)

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Date Posted: 13:51:00 01/10/05 Mon
In reply to: Andrew 's message, "Is British English dying?" on 17:09:04 01/06/05 Thu

Complete rubbish. All dialects grow and take in vocabulary and sometimes grammar from elsewhere - at least unless they're dead. British English is quite distinct from American English - both are evolving and changing all the time, and not necessarily in the same way. But it's not true to say one is the slave of the other. There has long been a tendency for young people in Britain to ape aspects of American youth culture, which is much less often a two-way process (though 'England' was the cultural centre in the second half of the sixties), but you shouldn't mistake this for the mainstream language. Youth fads are just that. Most street slang comes and goes in a matter of a few years and always has done. Examples of British linguistic influence on the US in the last decade are actually quite prominent - there is a growing use and comprehension of irony and understatement in the US (popularised by The Simpsons and Friends), and words like 'wanker' and 'slapper' are increasingly common. Even the word 'bloody', whilst seen as characteristically English, is starting to be used in conversation.

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Replies:

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Marvellous
Author: Paddy (Scotland) [ Edit \| View ]	Date Posted: 18:57:59 01/10/05 Mon "'wanker' and 'slapper' are increasingly common. Even the word 'bloody'" etc... What a great contribution to world culture! [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: furthermore...
Author: Paddy (Scotland) [ Edit \| View ]	Date Posted: 19:01:19 01/10/05 Mon Recomended reading: http://slate.msn.com/id/2103467/ [ Post a Reply to This Message ]