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The UK has a new language and it's not English.

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Cleita Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-20-06 01:05 AM
Original message
The UK has a new language and it's not English.
Back from the dead: UK's new language

By Jonathan Duffy
BBC News Online


Britain is about to get a new official language. It dates back to the 9th Century and is hundreds of years older than modern English. But there's one problem - which version to use?

The English language is far and away Britannia's greatest export. It is geographically the most widespread language on Earth and 40% of Europeans claim to know English as a foreign tongue.

At home however, things are rather different. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of ancient Celtic tongues around the British Isles.

Don't hold your breath if you are expecting bi-lingual road signs around the South West, as is the case in Wales.

Rather, public bodies will have to protect and promote the use of Cornish. It will be illegal for them to discriminate against Cornish speakers and they will have a duty not to suppress the language.


more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2206191.stm

I thought it rather interesting that the English aren't as wierd about English as the Americans are.


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opihimoimoi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-20-06 01:17 AM
Response to Original message
1. Ours should be called "American"
Based on an English background.

Our Collective Culture is different than all others. Our Culture reflects trends and tribes within our borders / some of their words that made it to the mainstream...so did long term slang....
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Cleita Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-20-06 01:22 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. Actually it is.
Edited on Sat May-20-06 01:23 AM by Cleita
I ran across another paper written by a British Prof. who divides English into quite a plethora of different dialects of which he labels ours American.
:hi:
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opihimoimoi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-20-06 01:25 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. LOL, Well, at least he coulda told the WORLD....maybe I missed it
:beer:
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savemefromdumbya Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-20-06 01:53 AM
Response to Original message
4. I guess we won't be having Spanish/English road signs then?
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Cleita Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-20-06 11:14 AM
Response to Reply #4
5. I guess not.
Edited on Sat May-20-06 11:42 AM by Cleita
We are going to turn in the homogenous white paste of Middle America. All march in lock step now.
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Ms. Clio Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-20-06 12:47 PM
Response to Original message
6. Remember the movie My Fair Lady?
Edited on Sat May-20-06 12:48 PM by Ms. Clio
According to Prof. Higgins, Americans haven't spoken English for years. :)
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Cleita Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-20-06 12:59 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. Yes, and the British really do feel this way.
:-)
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