Sunday 24 January 2016

English? It's a bargain

I posted this to Facebook earlier:

"I encountered *another* British English vs. American English 'debate'. I've concluded that the best response to the claim that non-British variants of English are 'butchering' the language is to note how many people want to speak English.

Many countries, including ancients such as China and Iran, encourage English as a second language to help their citizens succeed globally. If the 'cost' to Britain is each country crafting its own variant(s), thus creating a 'unifying' language, that's not a butchering - that's a bargain. The diversity of English should be embraced not eschewed; equally, my hope is that other countries' native languages do not lose their influences, as they are in far more danger than English will ever face."

Fighting over whether or not "color" should have a U, if "Z" should be pronounced "zed" or if "pants" is interchangeable with "trousers" is petty and pointless in the long run.

4 comments:

  1. I think the most important thing for people to realize is that languages evolve on their own time.

    When someone says "that's not a word" doesn't make it so.

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    1. I completely agree!

      "That's not a word" - ha ha, yes, I've heard that one; if we'd gone by that argument language would never have evolved.

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  2. I spell colour the British way. I remember being lectured on that all of the time in 7th grade. They wanted me to spell it the American way. I didn't and still don't. I don't care. English is English - it's stupid in the long run... as long as you can get your point across.

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    Replies
    1. Sometimes people pick on spelling and pronunciation as a derailing tactic; they can't defeat what points you're making with a counter-argument so they attack writing style.

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