[OT] The Fall of the British Empire???

[Bob Sneidar]

During the reign of the Romans, it was Greek that was primarily spoken. I’ve been told that at the turn of last century, the bulk of Europe used French as the common language. In a world that trades internationally, it seems to me that a common tongue is necessary, and given that the most prosperous nation in the world at some point was the US, I do not see why it is such a bad thing that everyone learned American English. If not America, then who? It would have to be some nation, and then we could say that THAT nation forced their linguistic will on the world. I do not see how that line of thinking gets us anywhere. 

I am American, and I do not feel smug OR ashamed that I only speak American English. My mother tried to teach us French, but she spoke in both English and French to us, without any indication that there ought to be a distinction. As a result we began to speak Frenglish! I asked her about it later, and she said we children were too stupid to learn French. Is that my fault? I find it pointless to be ashamed or proud of things I have no control over. I’ve discovered long ago it’s better to try and live in the world that is, and not the world I think ought to be. 

Bob S


> On Nov 20, 2023, at 11:40 AM, Craig Newman via use-livecode <use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
> 
> I did not mean “British” English, just English. And true, the hegemony that the US had and still has on this planet, commerce, popular culture, sheer weight and all that implies, forced everyone else to learn English. The internet is the prime example,
> 
> Americans are smug in that we do not need to learn other languages, because everyone else speaks English. I am not sure I am proud of that…
> 
> Craig
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2023, at 12:59 PM, doc hawk via use-livecode <use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>> 
>> British English was never the *lingua franca*.
>