Bilinguil? if you can speak more than 1 lang.

[Melusine]

Originally posted by Charlie: Thanks for the reply Father Bronze. Melusine, sorry love but can you elaborate a little upon your American English and English English comments, I personally fail to see how this is correct, particularly when considering how young the country is in terms of British colonisation . This country was still speaking French and Latin in a large part of the period that you mention, hence places like Marylebone Station (Mary le bon) or Mary the Good if you prefer, which still exist today.

Sorry Charlie that my post was incomprehensible. But I have to point out a mistake in your previous one. Actually, your reference to French and Latin is incorrect. While the nobility at some stage spoke French among eachother (often due to French influences in the Royal House, the most influential one being William the Conqueror), and the clergy often corresponded in Latin (this doesn't mean they always spoke Latin, mind you), the language of the commoners has always been (a form of) English. Even the nobility/church used English during most of your country's history, French and Latin were purely adopted for their supposed superiority. What you *are* correct about is the integration of French words into the English language, which is very notable in Middle English as well. However, that is not the same as speaking actual French. That would be the same as saying that you speak Swedish, just because a sentence like "they ate their eggs" is entirely derived from old Norse.
What I meant by AmEn being closer to the original English language is this. The "standard American" (as far as there is one) pronunciation, spelling and alternative words (i.e. Fall instead of Autumn) is closer to Middle English than the pronunciation and spelling of Modern English. Of course, both strands of English have drifted very far away from their original root language, but Am. En stayed closer to it. In the time of America's discovery and the first colonists, most people in England spoke English.
Hope this is clearer.
BTW Father Bronze your stories are always very interesting!

Oh and Charlie, for an example of Middle English, go to the Poll Forum and read my last entry under "your favorite poem"
------------------
Melusine, Archbabe of the OHF and the LH

Your voice is ambrosia

[This message has been edited by Melusine (edited 04-30-2001).]

ancay nyoneyay eakspay ackslangbay?

------------------

Holy Avenger of the OHF and part time Pinguindiebjäger

HATS for sale baby!
Sponsored by Yorick
Your ad here? Call 112 -221 -123

[Charlie]

Aah yes, I see what you are saying now Melusine. Thanks for the poem btw, being slightly educated I already have a grasp of what middle English is thanks . Also my comments were too generalised regarding the Latin/French speakers of this country. I would have been better served to write "the educated classes" of the periods in question.

Cheers

------------------
One love, peace.

[slackerboy]

Originally posted by Sir_Tainly: ancay nyoneyay eakspay ackslangbay?

esyay



------------------

*Lord of the Screen Shot*
Get My IronWorks Winamp skin

Originally posted by slackerboy: esyay

oday ouyay inkthay atyay anymay eoplepay eakspay ackslangbay?

To all who can't read this

Going home now, talk later Slackerboy o.k?

------------------

Holy Avenger of the OHF and part time Pinguindiebjäger

HATS for sale baby!
Sponsored by Yorick
Your ad here? Call 112 -221 -123

[This message has been edited by Sir_Tainly (edited 04-30-2001).]

[RudeDawg]

You know, my grammar and spelling have degraded for the last en years. While in college, everything was still sharp and focussed.

Then I found the UseNet. (back in the days before the WEB..., HTML was still a twinkle in someone's eyes)

I found myself resorting to abbreviations and "netspeak" (NOT the scriptkiddie 733T speach).

I found myself writing to people from around the world, and using their favorite phrases and spellings.

I have found other articles claiming that we, the dwellers in the ether, have developed a new language, using icons (smilies) and phonetic spellings (cool, khool, kewl)

In that respect, I guess I join the multi-lingual... AW YEAH !!!

------------------

The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes

[Melusine]

Originally posted by Charlie: Aah yes, I see what you are saying now Melusine. Thanks for the poem btw, being slightly educated I already have a grasp of what middle English is thanks . Cheers

Charlie, not trying to suggest otherwise Your stock of English dialects truly amazed me! However it is a widespread mistake -even among nativespeakers- that Old or Middle English is something like Shakespeare's language, or anything that involves thee and thou



------------------
Melusine, Archbabe of the OHF and the LH

Your voice is ambrosia

[Charlie]

I know you weren't suggesting otherwise Melusine, you were being your usual very helpful self . Your knowledge and mastery of the English language truly amazes me too, you really are very gifted. If my post came across as overly terse, then apologies, it wasn't meant as such.

------------------
One love, peace.

[Melusine]

I know it wasn't meant that way Charlie, just tried to avoid misunderstandings
*God* are we polite and nice to eachother!

------------------
Melusine, Archbabe of the OHF and the LH

Your voice is ambrosia

[Charlie]

It's the only way to go.

------------------
One love, peace.