>>>Terry
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>>I wish American English would not lose all these extra letters, like in honour, etc. And I like British accent so much better than American. On the other hand, I would never be able to adapt it and would have harder time being understood than here. Still I really love the language to be preserved to something used in Jane Austin and Sharlotte Bronte novells rather than to "The catcher in the rye" that I'm reading right now. I read it in much younger age in Russian translation and now after I re-read all Austin's books I decided to check some of my other childhood books in English...
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>Naomi
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>Funny, but when I read your posts I can almost hear you (and Sergey) in my head :-) We fully understand the Russian accent over here (far more easily than a Scot from Glasgow) so there'd be no problem being understood. As for a British accent, do you mean the Queen's, or Sherlock Holmes on the films? because my accent and hers are alike as chalk and cheese. There are SO MANY accents in this country - some I like, some I detest. Most people say they like the Geordie accent (up NE near Newcastle), Liverpool (like mine), and a few others.
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>I guess with so many immigrants to N. America (well just look at the roll-call on the UT), it's no wonder the languge got corrupted. I hear the Irish rolling Rs in American accents, the Scottish vowels, German influences, etc., etc.
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>How about Shakespeare? I understand that when he's read in foreign languages they use the archaic forms of those languages to match his form of English. You'll notice that in Austins they never use abbrev's in words; it's always "I do not see why I should be thus sorely treated, Sir" - never "don't". Is there an older Russian match for this? BTW, "Jane Austin country", Hampshire, whence my partner comes, is not from here - just c. 1.5 hours' drive, and one can visit here house and stuff.


Uh, it's Austen, at least on this side of the pond ;-) Just another American corruption?

I have to admit I have little patience for English whingeing about how the Yanks have bastardized their beautiful language. Like any other language -- other than Latin, I suppose -- the English language is a living, breathing thing, and was long before we got our grubby mitts on it. If you doubt me, go to your closest library with a well stocked archive of old newspapers and books. Limit it to publications in England so "American English" doesn't become a distraction. Find something from 50 years ago, 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 300 years ago. Do they use the same syntax and spelling? Of course not. The word "English" is in itself an oxymoron when applied to the language. The language came from German, Latin, Greek, Celtic, Baltic, Slavic, even Hindi. It's not like you guys sat around on the moors and invented it.