Re: [OT] English language
On Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 12:06 AM, Heddle Weaver wrote:
>
>
> On 4 April 2011 22:41, Nate Bargmann wrote:
>>
>> * On 2011 04 Apr 03:21 -0500, Lisi wrote:
>> > On Monday 04 April 2011 01:24:03 David Jardine wrote:
>> > > I just love the spelling of "Advertiser". ;)
>> >
>> > Do Americans spell it with a zed?
>>
>> Mostly, yes.
>
> No, they spell it with a 'zee'.
FWIW,
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advertize
comes back with "The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. ..."
It does find "customize. ("customise" is reported as a British variant. heh.)
When I was in the elementary grades, we talked about the z
substitution and the teachers suggested it was going to happen in the
US. When I was in the middle grades, some of the teachers were saying
use whichever, it looked like both would be accepted in the US.
>From there? ...
--
Joel Rees
(with apoligies for failing to hit "reply all" and adust headers again.)
[... Terrorism would be the oldest and most extreme form of false
religion. -- JDZ]
> Regards,
>
> Weaver.
> --
>
> Religion is regarded by the common people as true,
> by the wise as false,
> and by the rulers as useful.
>
> — Lucius Annæus Seneca.
>
> Terrorism, the new religion.
>
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Re: [OT] English language
On 04/04/2011 04:19 AM, Lisi wrote: On Monday 04 April 2011 01:24:03 David Jardine wrote: I just love the spelling of "Advertiser". ;) Do Americans spell it with a zed? Lisi No. --doug -- Blessed are the peacemakers...for they shall be shot at from both sides. --A. M. Greeley -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4d9a0651.1090...@optonline.net
Re: [OT] English language
On 4 April 2011 22:41, Nate Bargmann wrote: > * On 2011 04 Apr 03:21 -0500, Lisi wrote: > > On Monday 04 April 2011 01:24:03 David Jardine wrote: > > > I just love the spelling of "Advertiser". ;) > > > > Do Americans spell it with a zed? > > Mostly, yes. > No, they spell it with a 'zee'. Regards, Weaver. -- Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. — Lucius Annæus Seneca. Terrorism, the new religion.
Re: [OT] English language [was:Re: OpenOffice.org - how to install additional languages?]
On Sunday 03 April 2011 16:17:55 Ron Johnson wrote: > ... > > > What populist propaganda have you been reading? How do they say > > "Disneyland" in French? > > Terre de Disney? > Terre de Souris? > Actually, the French (in France) disdain direct translations of English phrases, and will generally use the English term, or invent a separate, French one. The Québecois, on the other hand, use direct translation quite a bit. So you have "le hot dog" in Paris, but "le chien chaud" in Montréal. -Chris | Christopher Judd, Ph. D. | | Research Scientist III | | NYS Dept. of Health j...@wadsworth.org | | Wadsworth Center - ESP | | P. O. Box 509518 486-7829 | | Albany, NY 12201-0509 | IMPORTANT NOTICE: This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential or sensitive information which is, or may be, legally privileged or otherwise protected by law from further disclosure. It is intended only for the addressee. If you received this in error or from someone who was not authorized to send it to you, please do not distribute, copy or use it or any attachments. Please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this from your system. Thank you for your cooperation. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/201104040909.58924.j...@wadsworth.org
Re: [OT] English language
On 04/04/2011 07:56 AM, Francis Southern wrote: On 4 April 2011 13:41, Nate Bargmann wrote: * On 2011 04 Apr 03:21 -0500, Lisi wrote: On Monday 04 April 2011 01:24:03 David Jardine wrote: I just love the spelling of "Advertiser". ;) Do Americans spell it with a zed? Mostly, yes. I don't think so, I'm fairly sure ``advertise'' is the most common spelling everywhere. ``Advertize'' may be a strange US variant, but I don't think it's the norm. "Advertiser" and "advertise" are the correct US English spellings. -- "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt." Samuel Adams, essay in The Public Advertiser, 1749 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4d99c4b1.9020...@cox.net
Re: [OT] English language
On 4 April 2011 13:41, Nate Bargmann wrote: > * On 2011 04 Apr 03:21 -0500, Lisi wrote: >> On Monday 04 April 2011 01:24:03 David Jardine wrote: >> > I just love the spelling of "Advertiser". ;) >> >> Do Americans spell it with a zed? > > Mostly, yes. > I don't think so, I'm fairly sure ``advertise'' is the most common spelling everywhere. ``Advertize'' may be a strange US variant, but I don't think it's the norm. > - Nate >> > > -- > > "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all > possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true." > > Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/banlktimep27uaffgbb_mic0bholpsfe...@mail.gmail.com
Re: [OT] English language
* On 2011 04 Apr 03:21 -0500, Lisi wrote: > On Monday 04 April 2011 01:24:03 David Jardine wrote: > > I just love the spelling of "Advertiser". ;) > > Do Americans spell it with a zed? Mostly, yes. - Nate >> -- "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true." Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20110404124118.ga16...@n0nb.us
Re: [OT] English language
On Monday 04 April 2011 06:08:27 Chris Brennan wrote: > Plz 2 invades ur werdz insteadz! Plz 2??? > P.S. While this meant to be funny and light-hearted, in reality, not all of > us Americans are stupid, dumb rednecks who eye their cousins and farm Where did that come from? Who, other than you now, has suggested that you are or might be thought so? Lisi -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/201104040922.23353.lisi.re...@gmail.com
Re: [OT] English language
On Monday 04 April 2011 01:24:03 David Jardine wrote: > I just love the spelling of "Advertiser". ;) Do Americans spell it with a zed? Lisi -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/201104040919.52406.lisi.re...@gmail.com
Re: [OT] English language
Plz 2 invades ur werdz insteadz! P.S. While this meant to be funny and light-hearted, in reality, not all of us Americans are stupid, dumb rednecks who eye their cousins and farm animals. -- Sent from my Droid (sorry for the top post) On Apr 4, 2011 12:50 AM, "Chris Bannister" wrote: > On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 05:32:34PM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote: >> Successfully spreading your empire (and thus your language) around >> the world /de facto/ dilutes your ownership of the language, by >> virtue of each group you teach it to morphing it to their own needs. > > Yep, the Americans don't even need to invade the country anymore. > > -- > "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet." > -- Napoleon Bonaparte > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org > Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20110404055355.GE19144@fischer >
Re: [OT] English language
On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 05:32:34PM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote: > Successfully spreading your empire (and thus your language) around > the world /de facto/ dilutes your ownership of the language, by > virtue of each group you teach it to morphing it to their own needs. Yep, the Americans don't even need to invade the country anymore. -- "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet." -- Napoleon Bonaparte -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20110404055355.GE19144@fischer
Re: [OT] English language
On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 05:32:34PM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote: > On 04/03/2011 05:02 PM, David Jardine wrote: > >On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:17:55PM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote: > >>> I don't know if England had its own xenophobic > >>>equivalents, but I think the English would be less likely to accept > >>>changes of spelling decreed from above. > >> > >>Above? Webster didn't get his dictionary mandated by the government. > > > >By "above" I didn't mean government. Webster was "above". > > > > Who decreed that Webster was "above". Who decreed that Microsoft was "above"? > >>>But is it _our_ language any more? > >> > >>Not after you beggared yourself after the two World Wars. > > > >Misunderstanding: by "our" language I meant the language of native > >speakers of English - American, Australian, English or whoever. > > Successfully spreading your empire (and thus your language) around > the world /de facto/ dilutes your ownership of the language, by > virtue of each group you teach it to morphing it to their own needs. It's not mipela empire and language, it's yumipela empire and language. > >example, we insist on saying, "We've been doing it like this for ages", > >who are we to say that "We do it like this since ages" is not correct? > > > > If they were doing it "this way" before I was born, then they've > been doing it for ages... :) But my grandchildren (mixed English, French, German, Italian) insist that they have done it since agess. :) > > -- > "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure > the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally > corrupt." > Samuel Adams, essay in The Public Advertiser, 1749 I just love the spelling of "Advertiser". ;) Cheers, David -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20110404002403.GA4408@gennes.augarten
Re: [OT] English language [was:Re: OpenOffice.org - how to install additional languages?]
On 04/03/2011 04:55 PM, Heddle Weaver wrote: On 4 April 2011 06:17, Ron Johnson wrote: On 04/03/2011 02:54 PM, David Jardine wrote: On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:08:55PM -0400, Doug wrote: [snip] What populist propaganda have you been reading? How do they say "Disneyland" in French? Terre de Disney? Terre de Souris? I don't think they have, 'Disneyland'. You're kidding, right? http://idf.disneylandparis.fr/ It's only been open for 20 years. If English, either British or American, had such an academy, we would still be speaking the language of Henry VIII! And we would never have had the opportunity to get rid of the French spelling of things like "centre." ... or "table" ? Come on! A nationalistic dictionary compiler (anti- British Webster completed his /American Dictionary/ while at U. Cambridge. Would an anti-Brit really go to England to do his work? To study the enemy and sow dissension. Snicker. rather than anti-French) caught the mood of the times and you all lapped it up. That can only happen when there's no canon. spelling is in flux. You don't even use capital letters at the beginning of sentences any more. My children do. I don't know if England had its own xenophobic equivalents, but I think the English would be less likely to accept changes of spelling decreed from above. Above? Webster didn't get his dictionary mandated by the government. Anyway, two words: Samuel Johnson. He just cleaned up the mess that the French, Germans and Romans had made of the language. On the contrary. Johnson added "re" because of his Francophilia. The French may hate everything English, but those of us who speak any variety of English appreciate its variety, and we wouldn't have it any other way. But is it _our_ language any more? Not after you beggared yourself after the two World Wars. That wouldn't have mattered if you lot hadn't stolen America from us. Telling Englishmen that they're Englishmen but don't have the rights of Englishmen isn't the brightest way to hold together your Empire. -- "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt." Samuel Adams, essay in The Public Advertiser, 1749 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4d98fa95.2000...@cox.net
Re: [OT] English language
On 04/03/2011 05:02 PM, David Jardine wrote: On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:17:55PM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote: [snip] Would an anti-Brit really go to England to do his work? Frankly, why not? Where did the anti-colonialist future leaders of newly independent African and Asian countries study? Mostly in England or France. And are you really suggesting that Webster was not anti- British - or at least fiercely opposed to British influence on America? I'd go with the latter. rather than anti-French) caught the mood of the times and you all lapped it up. That can only happen when there's no canon. spelling is in flux. But was that the case? Were some people writing "center" and others "centre". According to Wikipedia, there were many regional spellings and meanings of various words. I may be wrong here, but I think that "centre" was the accepted spelling, but Webster decided otherwise. Accepted by Samuel Johnson because he was a Frogophile. I don't know if England had its own xenophobic equivalents, but I think the English would be less likely to accept changes of spelling decreed from above. Above? Webster didn't get his dictionary mandated by the government. By "above" I didn't mean government. Webster was "above". Who decreed that Webster was "above". Anyway, two words: Samuel Johnson. Good point. I do feel, however (very possibly wrongly) that Johnson was trying to sort out conflicting practice whereas Webster was creating new practice. See my comment about SJ being a Frogophile. Regarding "re" vs "er", Webster removed French the influence that SJ had added in 1755. The French may hate everything English, but those of us who speak any variety of English appreciate its variety, and we wouldn't have it any other way. But is it _our_ language any more? Not after you beggared yourself after the two World Wars. Misunderstanding: by "our" language I meant the language of native speakers of English - American, Australian, English or whoever. Successfully spreading your empire (and thus your language) around the world /de facto/ dilutes your ownership of the language, by virtue of each group you teach it to morphing it to their own needs. If, for example, we insist on saying, "We've been doing it like this for ages", who are we to say that "We do it like this since ages" is not correct? If they were doing it "this way" before I was born, then they've been doing it for ages... :) -- "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt." Samuel Adams, essay in The Public Advertiser, 1749 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4d98f582.8050...@cox.net
Re: [OT] English language [was:Re: OpenOffice.org - how to install additional languages?]
On Sunday 03 April 2011 22:55:22 Heddle Weaver wrote: > I don't think they have, 'Disneyland'. I'm afraid that they do, and it is called Disneyland Paris. Lisi -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/201104032329.28923.lisi.re...@gmail.com
Re: [OT] English language
On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:17:55PM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote: > On 04/03/2011 02:54 PM, David Jardine wrote: > >On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:08:55PM -0400, Doug wrote: > >> > >>Thank God there is no "English Academy." > > > >As a native English speaker I entirely agree, but I can understand the > >frustrations of others who are effectively forced to use our language as > >a lingua franca and cannot find a single, stable definition of it. > > > > Kinda like Spanish... ... but not entirely. Perhaps because of my limited knowledge of Spanish, I feel that the various versions of that language are more homogeneous. More importantly, Russians don't have to learn Spanish to communicate with Japanese, nor Swedes to do business with Pakistanis. > > > How do they say > >"Disneyland" in French? > > > > Terre de Disney? > Terre de Souris? Not bad :) "Pays de Disney" might be closer. > >A nationalistic dictionary compiler (anti- > >British > > Webster completed his /American Dictionary/ while at U. Cambridge. But that was a pretty small proportion of the time he spent on it. > Would an anti-Brit really go to England to do his work? Frankly, why not? Where did the anti-colonialist future leaders of newly independent African and Asian countries study? Mostly in England or France. And are you really suggesting that Webster was not anti- British - or at least fiercely opposed to British influence on America? > >rather than anti-French) caught the mood of the times and you all > >lapped it up. > > That can only happen when there's no canon. spelling is in flux. But was that the case? Were some people writing "center" and others "centre". I may be wrong here, but I think that "centre" was the accepted spelling, but Webster decided otherwise. > > I don't know if England had its own xenophobic equivalents, > >but I think the English would be less likely to accept changes of spelling > >decreed from above. > > > > Above? Webster didn't get his dictionary mandated by the government. By "above" I didn't mean government. Webster was "above". > Anyway, two words: Samuel Johnson. Good point. I do feel, however (very possibly wrongly) that Johnson was trying to sort out conflicting practice whereas Webster was creating new practice. > > >>The French may hate everything English, but those of us who speak > >>any variety of English > >>appreciate its variety, and we wouldn't have it any other way. > > > >But is it _our_ language any more? > > > > Not after you beggared yourself after the two World Wars. Misunderstanding: by "our" language I meant the language of native speakers of English - American, Australian, English or whoever. If, for example, we insist on saying, "We've been doing it like this for ages", who are we to say that "We do it like this since ages" is not correct? Thanks for your comments, Ron. I appreciated them. Cheers, David -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20110403220259.GA4004@gennes.augarten
Re: [OT] English language [was:Re: OpenOffice.org - how to install additional languages?]
On 4 April 2011 06:17, Ron Johnson wrote: > On 04/03/2011 02:54 PM, David Jardine wrote: > >> On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:08:55PM -0400, Doug wrote: >> >>> >>> This is grossly off topic, but since it's here, i _must_ answer: >>> >>> Thank God there is no "English Academy." >>> >> >> As a native English speaker I entirely agree, but I can understand the >> frustrations of others who are effectively forced to use our language as >> a lingua franca and cannot find a single, stable definition of it. >> >> > Kinda like Spanish... > > >In France, their Academy >>> has the force and power >>> of law. It is _illegal_ to name anything public in English. If you >>> have a store and call it by an English >>> name you will be forced to change it to something French. The only >>> exception I have heard of >>> is "Le Drugstore." I don't know how they get away with it. >>> >> >> What populist propaganda have you been reading? How do they say >> "Disneyland" in French? >> >> > Terre de Disney? > Terre de Souris? I don't think they have, 'Disneyland'. > > > >> If English, either British or American, had such an academy, we >>> would still be speaking the >>> language of Henry VIII! And we would never have had the opportunity >>> to get rid of the French >>> spelling of things like "centre." >>> >> >> ... or "table" ? Come on! A nationalistic dictionary compiler (anti- >> British >> > > Webster completed his /American Dictionary/ while at U. Cambridge. Would an > anti-Brit really go to England to do his work? To study the enemy and sow dissension. > > > rather than anti-French) caught the mood of the times and you all >> lapped it up. >> > > That can only happen when there's no canon. spelling is in flux. You don't even use capital letters at the beginning of sentences any more. > > > I don't know if England had its own xenophobic equivalents, >> but I think the English would be less likely to accept changes of spelling >> decreed from above. >> >> > Above? Webster didn't get his dictionary mandated by the government. > > Anyway, two words: Samuel Johnson. He just cleaned up the mess that the French, Germans and Romans had made of the language. > > > The French may hate everything English, but those of us who speak >>> any variety of English >>> appreciate its variety, and we wouldn't have it any other way. >>> >> >> But is it _our_ language any more? >> >> > Not after you beggared yourself after the two World Wars. > That wouldn't have mattered if you lot hadn't stolen America from us. Regards, Weaver. -- Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. — Lucius Annæus Seneca. Terrorism, the new religion.
Re: [OT] English language [was:Re: OpenOffice.org - how to install additional languages?]
Not sure I want to get into this ;) - but ... Ron Johnson wrote: > On 04/03/2011 02:54 PM, David Jardine wrote: >> On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:08:55PM -0400, Doug wrote: >>> has the force and power >>> of law. It is _illegal_ to name anything public in English. If you >>> have a store and call it by an English >>> name you will be forced to change it to something French. The only >>> exception I have heard of >>> is "Le Drugstore." I don't know how they get away with it. >> >> What populist propaganda have you been reading? How do they say >> "Disneyland" in French? >> > > Terre de Disney? > Terre de Souris? A glance here reveals several restaurants in Paris that seem to be willing to break the law in that case: http://www.placesinfrance.com/restaurants_in_paris_france.html >>> If English, either British or American, had such an academy, we >>> would still be speaking the >>> language of Henry VIII! And we would never have had the opportunity >>> to get rid of the French >>> spelling of things like "centre." >> >> ... or "table" ? Come on! A nationalistic dictionary compiler (anti- >> British > > Webster completed his /American Dictionary/ while at U. Cambridge. > Would an anti-Brit really go to England to do his work? Interestingly, Samuel Johnson's admiration for the French Academy was what inspired him to write his dictionary, and it seems it was in part due to this admiration he chose the French-style spellings. "Center" etc. was more common before that. No political points, just observations ;) -- Chris Jackson Shadowcat Systems Ltd. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4d98dc61.6020...@shadowcat.co.uk
Re: [OT] English language [was:Re: OpenOffice.org - how to install additional languages?]
On 04/03/2011 02:54 PM, David Jardine wrote: On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:08:55PM -0400, Doug wrote: This is grossly off topic, but since it's here, i _must_ answer: Thank God there is no "English Academy." As a native English speaker I entirely agree, but I can understand the frustrations of others who are effectively forced to use our language as a lingua franca and cannot find a single, stable definition of it. Kinda like Spanish... In France, their Academy has the force and power of law. It is _illegal_ to name anything public in English. If you have a store and call it by an English name you will be forced to change it to something French. The only exception I have heard of is "Le Drugstore." I don't know how they get away with it. What populist propaganda have you been reading? How do they say "Disneyland" in French? Terre de Disney? Terre de Souris? If English, either British or American, had such an academy, we would still be speaking the language of Henry VIII! And we would never have had the opportunity to get rid of the French spelling of things like "centre." ... or "table" ? Come on! A nationalistic dictionary compiler (anti- British Webster completed his /American Dictionary/ while at U. Cambridge. Would an anti-Brit really go to England to do his work? rather than anti-French) caught the mood of the times and you all lapped it up. That can only happen when there's no canon. spelling is in flux. I don't know if England had its own xenophobic equivalents, but I think the English would be less likely to accept changes of spelling decreed from above. Above? Webster didn't get his dictionary mandated by the government. Anyway, two words: Samuel Johnson. The French may hate everything English, but those of us who speak any variety of English appreciate its variety, and we wouldn't have it any other way. But is it _our_ language any more? Not after you beggared yourself after the two World Wars. -- "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt." Samuel Adams, essay in The Public Advertiser, 1749 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4d98d5f3.4040...@cox.net
[OT] English language [was:Re: OpenOffice.org - how to install additional languages?]
On Sun, Apr 03, 2011 at 03:08:55PM -0400, Doug wrote: > > This is grossly off topic, but since it's here, i _must_ answer: > > Thank God there is no "English Academy." As a native English speaker I entirely agree, but I can understand the frustrations of others who are effectively forced to use our language as a lingua franca and cannot find a single, stable definition of it. > In France, their Academy > has the force and power > of law. It is _illegal_ to name anything public in English. If you > have a store and call it by an English > name you will be forced to change it to something French. The only > exception I have heard of > is "Le Drugstore." I don't know how they get away with it. What populist propaganda have you been reading? How do they say "Disneyland" in French? > If English, either British or American, had such an academy, we > would still be speaking the > language of Henry VIII! And we would never have had the opportunity > to get rid of the French > spelling of things like "centre." ... or "table" ? Come on! A nationalistic dictionary compiler (anti- British rather than anti-French) caught the mood of the times and you all lapped it up. I don't know if England had its own xenophobic equivalents, but I think the English would be less likely to accept changes of spelling decreed from above. > The French may hate everything English, but those of us who speak > any variety of English > appreciate its variety, and we wouldn't have it any other way. But is it _our_ language any more? Cheers, David -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20110403195417.GA3897@gennes.augarten
