this post was submitted on 16 May 2024
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[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago (6 children)

American English is closer to what English used to sound like than modern British English.

[–] Noite_Etion@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

At what point in time? the language is nearly 1400 years old.

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The way it sounded in the 1700s or so, specifically.

[–] Noite_Etion@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Okay. Do you have a source on that? Be interested to see how they could confirm that

[–] Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago

There's no source, it's nonsense made up by a journalist

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world -1 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Here's one. It's not identical, just closer to the way it used to sound than modern British English is.

[–] Noite_Etion@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

Dialect coach Meier understands the appeal of the idea that 17th-Century speech patterns have been perfectly preserved an ocean away. “It is a delightful and attractive myth that Shakespeare’s language got fossilised” in parts of the US.

Not a great source honestly, was expecting more of a linguistic study rather than this. Even the article doesn't entirely agree this is true.

English is a living language that has continued to evolve within its country of origin. Is your point that because the American dialect hasn't evolved as much suddenly makes it better somehow?

Additionally, English is the most common language on the planet and there are many dialects, but no one outside of England can claim theirs is the "correct form of english" because it's not their language.

[–] Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago

This literally says what you're saying isn't true, except for the vague pronunciation of a single letter in one part of the US

Did you even read it? 😂

[–] CommanderCloon@lemmy.ml 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] samus12345@lemmy.world -2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Search anything about how the modern American accent compares to older English. Here's an example.

[–] Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Owlcation.com (wtf?) is not a source

Could you supply us with a proper one?

(Answer is "no" by the way)

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world -2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

It's historical fact. Look it up yourself or disbelieve it, I don't care.

[–] Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago

I've looked it up multiple times. Quora isn't a source

[–] CommanderCloon@lemmy.ml 2 points 7 months ago

It’s historical fact

It should be super easy to source that claim then

[–] Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago

That's absolute horseshit made up by a journalist on a slow news day, by the way

[–] tiredofsametab@kbin.run 2 points 7 months ago

British English is not some monolith and was less homogeneous than it even is now at the time many were coming to the Americas. If this were true it would only be true for a particular region. English outside of the UK also diverged as it no longer followed trends happening there, and regional variations went in sometimes different directions.

Even within the US, English isn't super homogeneous. Look at Appalachian compared to California or someplace. Parts of Louisiana have unique features from Accadian and influence from Spanish.

[–] holgersson@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Really? I thought this was only the case with Quebecois and French

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world -1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Yup, really. Annoying when you see comments about how Americans don't speak proper English. The Brits are the ones who changed how it was spoken the most!

[–] Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago

“French” Canadian got off lightly on this on then?

😂🙄

[–] Dozzi92@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago

Out-Brit'g the Brits for 250.