BetterMost Community Blogs > My "Great White North"
Bitch, Bitch, Bitch
Sheriff Roland:
The way I understand it, the spelling of English words (unlike the French, which has had an academy deciding these matters for centuries) has never been high on the agenda. I was reading a biography on Shakespeare a couple a years ago and I learned that, at the time (4 centuries ago) there was no such thing as 'spelling'. Individuals wrote how they thought words ought to be written.
Move up a couple a centuries and not much had changed. Webster created his dictionary about 200 years ago (?) and his idea of the way spelling of words ought to be was based on writtings in the New World (in large parts).
Language evolves over time. By the time the Americans fought for their independance, they were not interested in following the British way of writing. Their evolution had been diff'rent from the mother country's evolution. And the numbers of Americans, even 200 years ago, allowed them to assert themselves in the spelling of words that reflected the commonly accepted ways in the former colonies. Thus, two seperate spelling ways for two seperate cultures sharing the same spoken language.
Now in Canada, we continues to be part of the British Empire long after the second word war (the Queen is still the head of this country!), so we learn and write British English.
As for us Canadian Fracophones, being shut out of the French world for nearly 200 years, we too had evolved diff'rently than the European French. So in the past 50 years or so, we've had to relearn the 'correct' words and ways of speaking and spelling en français, cause a the aformentioned 'Académie française'. However, recentry (about 4 years ago), a very comprehensive French dictionary for French Canadians has become much more useful for us 7 or 8 million francophones. Dictionary's called the 'Multi-dictionaire' and it's a lot easier to understand than the 'Larouse' or 'Le petit Robert'. It even lets us know if the word is old french, 'joual', or an actual Académie' accepted word.
Too much information? Sorry. Teachers are known to be long winded. :)
Sheriff Roland:
--- Quote from: Susiebell on September 02, 2007, 09:38:41 pm ---Well now I know!! Thanks for being so informative Sheriff!
Still don't understand why Americans call a "tap", a "faucet" though!!
Susie
--- End quote ---
Thank you Susiebell
Got somethin to do with diff'rent evolution, as I said. At the time of the seperation, 225 years ago, neither tap nor faucet were in use much. These words possibly became part of the common language long after the seperate dictionaries were created.
I hate having to call 'char' (car) une voiture or une auto, but I don't have a choice. You can call em taps (or faucets) all you like and still be understood by most a the people listening to you.
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: Susiebell on September 02, 2007, 09:10:57 pm ---Hehehe! I agree that we do tend to be a bit long winded!!
We may speak the same, but we don't speak the same!! See what I mean ......
We say "Crisps" .... you say "Chips"
We say "Chips" .... you say "Fries"
We say "Scones" .... you say "Biscuits" (I think they're the same thing ... not entirely sure!)
We say "Biscuits" .... you say "Cookies"
We say "Jam" ... you say "Jelly"
We say "Jelly" .... you say "Jello"
And the list goes on!
..... It's all very confusing!!!
Susie
--- End quote ---
It sure is confusing! Alex says these things all the time to me, and he's met with a lot of blank stares from me. I have no idea what he's talking about! :laugh:
Poor Sweet Baby! We love each other in spite of ourselves! :D
But Susie, I've heard people around here refer to the "faucet" as a tap! In fact I say it sometimes! I've even heard some people around here call it a "spigot".
Then for toilet, we have "toilet", "toilet stool", "stool", "john"... all kinds of different names for it. Alex calls it a loo! :laugh:
Hoosiers confuse themselves enough with all the different terminolgy we have around here, without bringing the British into it! ;)
injest:
Here is MY bitch for the day...I got this guy that claims to be my friend?? USTA come in the store and BOO me...
now NOTHING! I haven't been startled in WEEKS!
>:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: injest on September 02, 2007, 11:50:23 pm ---Here is MY bitch for the day...I got this guy that claims to be my friend?? USTA come in the store and BOO me...
now NOTHING! I haven't been startled in WEEKS!
>:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
--- End quote ---
Hey Jess!...........
BOO!!!!!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Got ya!! :D
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