Post by thread:Is there a problem ... [OT]

Martin R. Green wrote: >we have just gotten (God, I hate that word) .... Move to Britain then - we never use it. :-) It's included in the MSWorks 'American English' spelling checker, but not in the 'British English' one. That recommends replacing it with 'rotten' !! If you dislike it, why not just say "become"? Same number of syllables and letters, and it's more general too. Andy.

Actually, I am a transplanted Brit, I came to Canada (with my parents, of course) when I was 8 years old. There are many phrases and pronunciations here that drive me crazy, but since I am just about to turn 40, some of them have crept into my vocabulary thru exposure. My mother tells me that in school in England, she was taught never to use got, since there is always a better word to use instead, i.e. received, became, was, etc. Here in NA, got and gotten are now a de-facto part of the general vocabulary, especially in the US, hence the inclusion in the American English dictionary. In my original post, I was bemoaning the gradual creepage of bad grammar into my "pure" English vocabulary (as if there is any such thing, try talking to 10 randomly selected people in London). TTFN - Martin R. Green spam_OUTelimarTakeThisOuTbigfoot.com ---------- From: Andrew G Williams[SMTP:.....AGW01KILLspam@spam@AOL.COM] Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 1997 10:20 AM To: PICLISTKILLspammitvma.mit.edu Subject: Re: Is there a problem ... [OT] Martin R. Green wrote: >we have just gotten (God, I hate that word) .... Move to Britain then - we never use it. :-) It's included in the MSWorks 'American English' spelling checker, but not in the 'British English' one. That recommends replacing it with 'rotten' !! If you dislike it, why not just say "become"? Same number of syllables and letters, and it's more general too. Andy.

At 10:34 AM 10/1/97 -0400, you wrote: >Actually, I am a transplanted Brit, I came to Canada (with my parents, of >course) when I was 8 years old. There are many phrases and pronunciations >here that drive me crazy, but since I am just about to turn 40, some of >them have crept into my vocabulary thru exposure. So you've gotten used to how we talk, EH? <VBG> Andy ================================================================== Andy Kunz - Montana Design - 409 S 6th St - Phillipsburg, NJ 08865 Hardware & Software for Industry & R/C Hobbies "Go fast, turn right, and keep the wet side down!" ==================================================================

Andy Kunz wrote: > > At 10:34 AM 10/1/97 -0400, you wrote: > >Actually, I am a transplanted Brit, I came to Canada (with my parents, of > >course) when I was 8 years old. There are many phrases and pronunciations > >here that drive me crazy, but since I am just about to turn 40, some of > >them have crept into my vocabulary thru exposure. > > So you've gotten used to how we talk, EH? > It's nice to see that y'all can speak Canajun. :-O --Matt

-----Original Message----- From: Ram Krishnan <.....krishKILLspam.....MEGSINET.NET> To: EraseMEPICLISTspam_OUTTakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU <PICLISTspam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU> Date: Saturday, 4 October 1997 11:52 Subject: Re: Is there a problem ... [OT] >Yes, "pure" english is probably dead, and not only in the U.S. -- after >listening to several distinguished radio & tv personalities here in >america pronounce the word "accept" as "except", I tuned to the BBC and >listened in, and found to my horror that the word was being enunciated in >the same way! But I suppose that's how languages evolve. Or devolve. I heard a theory, that suggested we would all end up talking like Kiwi's, given current trends. (Something to do with english having a predominance of lazy vowel sounds)

>Or devolve. I heard a theory, that suggested we would all end up talking >like Kiwi's, given current trends. (Something to do with english having a >predominance of lazy vowel sounds) As long as that's the __ONLY__ thing we do like Kiwis,... <G> Andy ================================================================== Andy Kunz - Montana Design - 409 S 6th St - Phillipsburg, NJ 08865 Hardware & Software for Industry & R/C Hobbies "Go fast, turn right, and keep the wet side down!" ==================================================================

> As long as that's the __ONLY__ thing we do like Kiwis,... <G> > > Andy AHEM !! :-) Steve. (calling from Godzone) ====================================================== Very funny Scotty. Now beam down my clothes. ====================================================== Steve Baldwin Electronic Product Design TLA Microsystems Ltd Microcontroller Specialists PO Box 15-680 email: @spam@stevebKILLspamkcbbs.gen.nz New Lynn, Auckland ph +64 9 820-2221 New Zealand fax +64 9 820-1929 ======================================================

Ram Krishnan wrote: > > Yes, "pure" english is probably dead, and not only in the U.S. -- after > listening to several distinguished radio & tv personalities here in > america pronounce the word "accept" as "except", I tuned to the BBC and > listened in, and found to my horror that the word was being enunciated in > the same way! But I suppose that's how languages evolve. It is interesting how English took thousands of years to evolve to where it is (was?), but it took the Americans only a few decades to the point where they 'got thru de nite'. Enough to give up on RP... -- Friendly Regards Tjaart van der Walt KILLspamtjaartKILLspamwasp.co.za _____________________________________________________________ | WASP International http://www.wasp.co.za/~tjaart/index.html | | R&D Engineer : GSM peripheral services development | | Vehicle tracking | Telemetry systems | GSM data transfer | | Voice : +27-(0)11-622-8686 | Fax : +27-(0)11-622-8973 | | WGS-84 : 26010.52'S 28006.19'E | |_____________________________________________________________|

It is interesting how English took thousands of years to evolve to where it is (was?), but it took the Americans only a few decades to the point where they 'got thru de nite'. Enough to give up on RP... Um. Have you ever read any "old english"? Machavelli in its original form or somesuch? Listened to someone who knows how read english with correct x00 year old pronunciation? I don't things have been changed any more or faster by americans (or anyone else) in the last 200 years than it changed in the 200 years before that (aside from new words and concepts, of course, which seem to get generated at an ever increasing rate...) BillW

>Um. Have you ever read any "old english"? Machavelli in its original form >or somesuch? Listened to someone who knows how read english with correct >x00 year old pronunciation? I don't things have been changed any more or >faster by americans (or anyone else) in the last 200 years than it changed >in the 200 years before that (aside from new words and concepts, of course, >which seem to get generated at an ever increasing rate...) Actually, the English language has stabilized over the past 200+ years, due to several factors: a) literacy has improved from near 0% to almost 100%. b) a common, unifying document used by most English-speakers in their daily life (anybody want to guess on what the document is????) c) this same document was textbook material in most English-speaking countries, and only since the mid-1960's has it fallen into disuse (and simultaneously, English change has accelerated since then mostly due to technology). I expect the English language will see a period of great change for the next 20-30 years, then stabilize again, due to increased international communication. Andy ================================================================== Andy Kunz - Montana Design - 409 S 6th St - Phillipsburg, NJ 08865 Hardware & Software for Industry & R/C Hobbies "Go fast, turn right, and keep the wet side down!" ==================================================================

-----Original Message----- From: Andy Kunz <RemoveMEmontanaTakeThisOuTFAST.NET> To: spamBeGonePICLISTspamBeGoneMITVMA.MIT.EDU <TakeThisOuTPICLISTEraseMEspam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU> Date: Tuesday, 7 October 1997 0:07 Subject: Re: Is there a problem ... [OT] >>Um. Have you ever read any "old english"? Machavelli in its original form >>or somesuch? Listened to someone who knows how read english with correct >>x00 year old pronunciation? I don't things have been changed any more or >>faster by americans (or anyone else) in the last 200 years than it changed >>in the 200 years before that (aside from new words and concepts, of course, >>which seem to get generated at an ever increasing rate...) > >Actually, the English language has stabilized over the past 200+ years, due >to several factors: > >a) literacy has improved from near 0% to almost 100%. Hollow laugh. Define "almost 100%" >b) a common, unifying document used by most English-speakers in their daily >life (anybody want to guess on what the document is????) given (c) I might be inclined to guess at the Bible. These days it might be a phonebook. >c) this same document was textbook material in most English-speaking >countries, and only since the mid-1960's has it fallen into disuse (and >simultaneously, English change has accelerated since then mostly due to >technology). Darn speelin' an gramma checkas! > >I expect the English language will see a period of great change for the >next 20-30 years, then stabilize again, due to increased international >communication. Why stabilise? (or stabilize if you prefer). A living language changes, even if we can talk to Enzeder's with the same facility as we talk to each other. MikeS <RemoveMEmikesmith_ozTakeThisOuTrelaymail.net>