[Bobboau]

today in one of my classes we had a discussion on language and an interesting point was raised in terms of how english has changed between the diferent english collonies. specificly someone pointed out how American english is so signifigantly diferent from british english but Aulstrailian english is still quite similar, and then the question was, is it realy so similar or is it just the perception of us. so sence we have such an abundence of American, British, and Austrailians here, I figured it would be interesting to have a discusion on it.

does American english sound more like British english to Austrailians, or is it truely as diferent as it seems to us.


also does anyone have that video of Bush when he was in debates in texas, were he spoke with much more clarity and direction and far less stumbling and drawl.

anything else on the subject would be interesting.

[WMCoolmon]

Originally posted by Bobboau
also does anyone have that video of Bush when he was in debates in texas, were he spoke with much more clarity and direction and far less stumbling and drawl.

That was subtle


To take a guess, it might be because America was settled over a wide area and there were divisions in the population when the country was actually formed. Britain adopted English when it was already settled, and Australia was settled mostly by British at first anyways.

Plus it might've been the colonists way of giving the linguistical equivelant of the finger to King George.

[vyper]

Originally posted by WMCoolmon




Plus it might've been the colonists way of giving the linguistical equivelant of the finger to King George.

So what, the whole independence war wasn't enough?

[karajorma]

Originally posted by WMCoolmon
Plus it might've been the colonists way of giving the linguistical equivelant of the finger to King George.

It was exactly that IMO. After the revolution Americans altered the way they did a lot of things simply because they could.

AFAIK that's why you drive on the other side of the road, run your horse races the other way around the track and a bunch of other deliberately childish and contrary things.

Originally posted by vyper
So what, the whole independence war wasn't enough?

Maybe some of it came from them being pissed off that we came back a few years later and burnt the White House to the ground.

[Ace]

To my ear at least the standard US/Canadian English sounds more like British English than Australian.

However, Southern US English is... well... an abomination...

[karajorma]

That's probably more to do with the fact that Australians use a lot of slang in everyday speech that is different from other countries. When they speak formally the worlds are likely much more similar to those used by a Brit than an American cause aussies don't use words like vacation, diapers etc AFAIK they use the English versions.

[Sandwich]

Accent-wise, it's all connected with the ex-pats. The British accent is - in differing levels of deformity - spread out among South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Canada is mainly composed of disgruntled American liberals, which is why their accent isn't all that different from American English.

I have plenty of friends here from all the abovementioned nations. I still don't know why the Auzzies call the Brits "poms".

[mikhael]

Aussie english is very distinct from British english (to my ear anyway). However, they're a hell of a lot closer to each other than either is to American english. Part of this is the fact that Brits still move to Australia in large numbers, reinforcing the similarities.

As for driving on the other side of the road: I call bull****. The concept of a "side" of the road for vehicles came about during the settlement of the North American central and far west. Prior to this there was no established "side of the road" for in the US. Wagon drivers sat mainly on the left of the larger wagons, thus encouraging  a "keep right" practice (allowing both drivers to ensure mishaps like axle-caps fouling each others wheels were avoided). Later, when Henry Ford essentially standardised the motor car, he settled on what was by then established practice.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Sandwich
I have plenty of friends here from all the abovementioned nations. I still don't know why the Auzzies call the Brits "poms".

Possible theory: Pom comes from the uniform of some of the original colonists: the convicts (keep in mind that convicts were the vast MINORITY of the original colonists. Australia was not primarily a penal colony as most American history would have it). They had POHM (standing for Prisoners of His Majesty) on their clothing. Thus, Poms.

Besides, its only right when you say "whinging poms", "bloody whinging poms", etc.

[aldo_14]

[karajorma]

Originally posted by mikhael
As for driving on the other side of the road: I call bull****. The concept of a "side" of the road for vehicles came about during the settlement of the North American central and far west. Prior to this there was no established "side of the road" for in the US. Wagon drivers sat mainly on the left of the larger wagons, thus encouraging  a "keep right" practice (allowing both drivers to ensure mishaps like axle-caps fouling each others wheels were avoided). Later, when Henry Ford essentially standardised the motor car, he settled on what was by then established practice.

I'd heard that it only came about after the revolution but that was just in conversation which is why I didn't state it as a fact. (Unlike the non-British Europeans who all picked sides following a decree from Napoleon).

Running races the opposite way round on the other hand was apparently a deliberate choice though.

[Wild Fragaria]

Aussie and Brits spell the words the same way, but words sound so different when you have these two people say the same words.  Americans and Canadians sound quite different too.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Wild Fragaria
Aussie and Brits spell the words the same way, but words sound so different when you have these two people say the same words..

You don't even have to leave these rolling green shores to see that effect, though.......ye ken?