A common language to divide us
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I've just noticed that where I work has an Item Enquiry screen that calls an Item Inquiry service. I believe that in current British English usage that is correct however I believe the reason for its being is that the screen was created by Brits and the service by Europeans.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
As an Englishman, I hate to say it, but I do think that the language is gradually drifting towards the American version. I often hear younger devs talking about dee-em-zees rather than dee-em-zeds these days and the practice of sticking a zed where an ess should be (organize etc.) seems to be growing.
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My (Dutch) team decided to standardize on British English. That didn't work out so well for our Organization entity. The Initialisation function is fine though :) I admit I find it difficult sometimes. I know color and colour, but who uses center and centre? I guess I could use some counseling and counselling so I may cast a better judgment and judgement. I my defense and defence, English isn't my first language so you can't expect me to memorize and memorise all the differences. So don't criticize and critizise, because for a non-native English speaker I'm pretty skillful and skilful. Of course, I always welcome dialog and dialogue on the subject :)
Read my (free) ebook Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly. Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles here on CodeProject.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
That's okay. You can always fly in a gray or grey airplane or aeroplane with tires or tyres, and have some yogurt or yoghurt though. :laugh:
You have just been Sharapova'd.
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As an Englishman, I hate to say it, but I do think that the language is gradually drifting towards the American version. I often hear younger devs talking about dee-em-zees rather than dee-em-zeds these days and the practice of sticking a zed where an ess should be (organize etc.) seems to be growing.
It's confusing because a lot of the 'z' instead on 's' is old English where the Americans have kept it as it was, and the Brits softened it, and then there's others which the Americans have changed whereas the Brits have kept the old English. Not that anyone in Britain speaks English anyway, we love our regional dialects.
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It's confusing because a lot of the 'z' instead on 's' is old English where the Americans have kept it as it was, and the Brits softened it, and then there's others which the Americans have changed whereas the Brits have kept the old English. Not that anyone in Britain speaks English anyway, we love our regional dialects.
Wastedtalent wrote:
Not that anyone in Britain speaks English anyway, we love our regional dialects.
I've always thought of myself as being fluently bilingual, I speak English and Brummie.
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Wastedtalent wrote:
Not that anyone in Britain speaks English anyway, we love our regional dialects.
I've always thought of myself as being fluently bilingual, I speak English and Brummie.
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Nope, If I were from Dudley, I'd speak yam-yam not Brummie - there really is a massive difference between the two. I actually find the Dudley accent about the hardest to decipher in Britain (with the obvious exception of Glasgow) even though it's only a few miles away.
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Nope, If I were from Dudley, I'd speak yam-yam not Brummie - there really is a massive difference between the two. I actually find the Dudley accent about the hardest to decipher in Britain (with the obvious exception of Glasgow) even though it's only a few miles away.
PeejayAdams wrote:
I actually find the Dudley accent about the hardest to decipher in Britain
For me, that's Yorkshire. Every time I've been there, they can understand me fine but I have to hold out a handful of change to pay for anything... :sigh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Wastedtalent wrote:
Not that anyone in Britain speaks English anyway, we love our regional dialects.
I've always thought of myself as being fluently bilingual, I speak English and Brummie.
I'm a Brummie too but thankfully I somehow managed to avoid picking up too much of the dialect [though it seems to come out after a few jars!].
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I'm a Brummie too but thankfully I somehow managed to avoid picking up too much of the dialect [though it seems to come out after a few jars!].
Yes, I'm similar in that my Brumminess is in inverse proportion to my sobriety. I also find that when I'm elsewhere, my accent tends to fade quite rapidly. When I used to work away from home, I remember a hotel receptionist saying "It's ever so odd, you come down every Monday sounding all Brummie and by Friday you sound proper!"
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Yes, I'm similar in that my Brumminess is in inverse proportion to my sobriety. I also find that when I'm elsewhere, my accent tends to fade quite rapidly. When I used to work away from home, I remember a hotel receptionist saying "It's ever so odd, you come down every Monday sounding all Brummie and by Friday you sound proper!"
My brother and I, having grown up in various bits of the country don't have regional accents. However, my brother has spent his entire married life in cannock and his kids are pure yam-yam. My dad was born and raised in Derbyshire but has spent most of his adult life elsewhere. He doesn't have much of an accent now, but as soon as he crosses the border back home it becomes thick again.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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I've just noticed that where I work has an Item Enquiry screen that calls an Item Inquiry service. I believe that in current British English usage that is correct however I believe the reason for its being is that the screen was created by Brits and the service by Europeans.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
Pre 1840 ish 'ensure' and 'enquire' didnt exist. They still dont in US English, which of course split off before the Brits decided to add them to differentiate subtle meaning. And dont be too surprised if some Brits today get them confused. Enquire is to 'ask'. Inquire is to 'look into' something. Hence a govt inquiry for example, looking into some issue.
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As an Englishman, I hate to say it, but I do think that the language is gradually drifting towards the American version. I often hear younger devs talking about dee-em-zees rather than dee-em-zeds these days and the practice of sticking a zed where an ess should be (organize etc.) seems to be growing.
PeejayAdams wrote:
I hate to say it, but I do think that the language is gradually drifting towards the American version
Odd that you fear that, US english is just an older form of English that split off (and stayed fossilised as off shoots tend to) in the 17th century. By the way, Enquire and Ensure were invented in the UK around 1840 ish. If you read Trolope for example you will see him use them the old, and American, way.
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Pre 1840 ish 'ensure' and 'enquire' didnt exist. They still dont in US English, which of course split off before the Brits decided to add them to differentiate subtle meaning. And dont be too surprised if some Brits today get them confused. Enquire is to 'ask'. Inquire is to 'look into' something. Hence a govt inquiry for example, looking into some issue.
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PeejayAdams wrote:
I hate to say it, but I do think that the language is gradually drifting towards the American version
Odd that you fear that, US english is just an older form of English that split off (and stayed fossilised as off shoots tend to) in the 17th century. By the way, Enquire and Ensure were invented in the UK around 1840 ish. If you read Trolope for example you will see him use them the old, and American, way.
Munchies_Matt wrote:
Odd that you fear that, US english is just an older form of English that split off (and stayed fossilised as off shoots tend to) in the 17th century.
To a large extent, yes, it was a natural branching though I suspect that Webster created a few more differences than would have occurred naturally. I have nothing whatsoever against American English and I'm a huge fan of American literature. I'd also be the first to point out that American English gets many things right that British English gets wrong. I think that much of the reason that I don't want to see the two merge back into one is that I enjoy the differences.
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Which is why I said I think it is correct, albeit by chance. You enquire in the screen and the service inquires in database.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
Yes, it sounds like the terms are used correctly. (Its a bit pedantic though, English, dont you find? I mean, it really is a bastardised language, the least pure of any, I often think it hasnt got the right to take itself so seriously. :) )
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Munchies_Matt wrote:
Odd that you fear that, US english is just an older form of English that split off (and stayed fossilised as off shoots tend to) in the 17th century.
To a large extent, yes, it was a natural branching though I suspect that Webster created a few more differences than would have occurred naturally. I have nothing whatsoever against American English and I'm a huge fan of American literature. I'd also be the first to point out that American English gets many things right that British English gets wrong. I think that much of the reason that I don't want to see the two merge back into one is that I enjoy the differences.
Do you think there really is that much difference? Beyond the colloquialisms (rubber for durex, fanny for bum, spunk for spirit, always makes me cringe, those last two) and the interesting affect French has had on it (butte, the pronounciation of bouy, and the really odd habit Americans have of using 'that' to join sentences that just doesnt work in English (but does with 'que' in French)) they are identical IMO.
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I've just noticed that where I work has an Item Enquiry screen that calls an Item Inquiry service. I believe that in current British English usage that is correct however I believe the reason for its being is that the screen was created by Brits and the service by Europeans.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
The company I used to work for had a guideline that said all documents must be written in British English. It was so harshly phrased you thought you'd burn in hell if you used US English. The paragraph describing this guideline contained at least 3 words written in US English :omg:
Kitty at my foot and I waAAAant to touch it...
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Do you think there really is that much difference? Beyond the colloquialisms (rubber for durex, fanny for bum, spunk for spirit, always makes me cringe, those last two) and the interesting affect French has had on it (butte, the pronounciation of bouy, and the really odd habit Americans have of using 'that' to join sentences that just doesnt work in English (but does with 'que' in French)) they are identical IMO.
Munchies_Matt wrote:
Do you think there really is that much difference?
A fair old bit, I think. "Villa are my favourite football team" vs. "Villa is my favorite soccer team" - that's a difference of spelling, terminology and grammar in half a dozen words (and I'd have to concede that the Americans are right to use "is" where we use "are" so win on grammar at least!) Most of it goes unnoticed but the one that always sticks out like a sore thumb when I read an American book is lighted in place of lit as in "he lighted a cigarette." That always sounds plain wrong to me.
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Munchies_Matt wrote:
Do you think there really is that much difference?
A fair old bit, I think. "Villa are my favourite football team" vs. "Villa is my favorite soccer team" - that's a difference of spelling, terminology and grammar in half a dozen words (and I'd have to concede that the Americans are right to use "is" where we use "are" so win on grammar at least!) Most of it goes unnoticed but the one that always sticks out like a sore thumb when I read an American book is lighted in place of lit as in "he lighted a cigarette." That always sounds plain wrong to me.
I'm American and that still sounds wrong!
What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question? The metaphorical solid rear-end expulsions have impacted the metaphorical motorized bladed rotating air movement mechanism. Do questions with multiple question marks annoy you???
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My (Dutch) team decided to standardize on British English. That didn't work out so well for our Organization entity. The Initialisation function is fine though :) I admit I find it difficult sometimes. I know color and colour, but who uses center and centre? I guess I could use some counseling and counselling so I may cast a better judgment and judgement. I my defense and defence, English isn't my first language so you can't expect me to memorize and memorise all the differences. So don't criticize and critizise, because for a non-native English speaker I'm pretty skillful and skilful. Of course, I always welcome dialog and dialogue on the subject :)
Read my (free) ebook Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly. Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles here on CodeProject.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
Brilliant.
