Oakey dokey/Alright, let’s embark on a transatlantic safari into the vast, verdant (and occasionally vexing) differences between the Brits and the Yanks.
Oooooh Alex . . . what have you done? Diving head first into the murkiest of deep, deep waters where angels fear to tread (if you don't mind me mixing my metaphors). I can't remember who said something along these lines - The Americans and the British: two peoples divided by a common language. I'm currently listening to a fascinating podcast called The History of English Podcast. I'm listening on Spotify but it's also available on iTunes. It's actually by an American chap called Kevin Stroud. The depth and breadth of his research is breathtaking. I'm on episode 104 (each is about an hour long) and I'm still only up to the time of Henry III. What is clear is that right from very early times - before the Norman conquest - English has shown the ability to adapt and evolve in every aspect of language, shape-shifting according to the circumstances in which is found and used. Vocabulary, syntax, gender, pronunciation, tenses, meaning . . . all show their willingness to morph into new guises and borrow from other tongues to fit into the nooks and crannies of nuance. It's what makes writing in English so much fun.
Thanks again for an entertaining post that brought a smile to my face!
Oooooh Alex . . . what have you done? Diving head first into the murkiest of deep, deep waters where angels fear to tread (if you don't mind me mixing my metaphors). I can't remember who said something along these lines - The Americans and the British: two peoples divided by a common language. I'm currently listening to a fascinating podcast called The History of English Podcast. I'm listening on Spotify but it's also available on iTunes. It's actually by an American chap called Kevin Stroud. The depth and breadth of his research is breathtaking. I'm on episode 104 (each is about an hour long) and I'm still only up to the time of Henry III. What is clear is that right from very early times - before the Norman conquest - English has shown the ability to adapt and evolve in every aspect of language, shape-shifting according to the circumstances in which is found and used. Vocabulary, syntax, gender, pronunciation, tenses, meaning . . . all show their willingness to morph into new guises and borrow from other tongues to fit into the nooks and crannies of nuance. It's what makes writing in English so much fun.
Thanks again for an entertaining post that brought a smile to my face!
English is indeed an adaptable language. It's who is saying it makes the difference 😉