Klarinet Archive - Posting 000296.txt from 2004/03

From: Joe Fasel <jhf@------.gov>
Subj: Re: [kl] English and American
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 09:50:10 -0500

Indeed, it's silly to speak of an "American language". The dialectical
differences in English within England are substantially greater than
the difference between the English of London and that of Chicago.

As to the spelling differences, I'm given to understand that most of
those were foisted upon us shortly after the American Revolution by
one Noah Webster, who made the rounds of the former colonies leaving
with each local printer a sheet that said, "My good man, would you
do me the favor of spelling the following words thus:". This seems
to have been a misguided effort to place some cultural distance
between us and the Mother Country. On the other hand, I seem to
recall reading somewhere that some complementary efforts from the
other side of the pond were made in the nineteenth century for the
same sort of misguided reason and that these included promulgating
some spellings that at the time were rare in England but virtually
unknown in America. I'm really on thin ice here, but I think these
may include one or more of "tyre", "kerb", and "gaol".

Cheers,
--Joe

On 2004.03.05 07:23, mgustav@------.com wrote:
> There is no difference between Brit's and American's English. Language
> is not based entirely on spelling and pronunciation. Language is based
> on the logic of its grammar and that is what we share. My .02 cents.
>
> Mark
>
> Matthew Lloyd wrote:
>
> >I think what Fred meant was that the English speak English and the
> >Americans speak American.
> >
> >
> >Those Americans who don't agree with me had better buy an English
> >dictionary and learn how to spell!!!!!!! Because color is not an English
> >word, neither is center.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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Joseph H. Fasel, Ph.D. email: jhf@------.gov
Systems Planning and Analysis phone: +1 505 667 7158
University of California fax: +1 505 667 2960
Los Alamos National Laboratory post: D-2 MS F609; Los Alamos, NM 87545

   
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