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BS: English is the Official Language
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Subject: BS: English is the Official Language From: catspaw49 Date: 29 Apr 10 - 07:00 AM .........or at least this guy says so in Alabama. Now there are some fine folks in Alabama, but I've lived there and I really didn't think it was English they spoke. Maine is like that as well........ Okay........Moving on from the sarcasm, HERE IS A STORY about a Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: kendall Date: 29 Apr 10 - 07:56 AM Spaw, we in Maine speak a dialect that is closer to the King's English than anywhere in the country. Massachusetts comes close, but only in this one area. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Geoff the Duck Date: 29 Apr 10 - 09:33 AM Interesting comment Kendall. Just out of curiosity, which king? Quack! GtD. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: IanC Date: 29 Apr 10 - 09:35 AM Last King you had was George III wasn't it? ;-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: artbrooks Date: 29 Apr 10 - 09:53 AM That would have been Mad George? I thought he spoke German, by preference (or was that a different George)? |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Ebbie Date: 29 Apr 10 - 10:05 AM In the hills and high hollers of Virginia they speak with the Scot's accent.Would that be James? |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Noreen Date: 29 Apr 10 - 10:11 AM "Stir them up and they'll love it and come back for more, but, for heaven's sakes, don't try to improve their minds." How true. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Emma B Date: 29 Apr 10 - 11:22 AM that tricky English silent p no doubt? |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Dave MacKenzie Date: 29 Apr 10 - 11:23 AM As far as I know, George III was the first Hannoverian to be a native Anglophone. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: olddude Date: 29 Apr 10 - 11:27 AM Us guys from Pennsylvania "We ain't got no accentsss we don't" you'ns guys! |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: SINSULL Date: 29 Apr 10 - 11:33 AM "We're only giving that test in English if I'm governor," he promises. I think he means "We are giving the test only in English". |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Noreen Date: 29 Apr 10 - 12:22 PM :) |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Geoff the Duck Date: 29 Apr 10 - 03:41 PM Surely he means that if he isn't governor he won't be giving the test in English? Quack! GtD. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Sorcha Date: 29 Apr 10 - 03:58 PM Ustedes habla Espanol, tambien? |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Don Firth Date: 29 Apr 10 - 04:12 PM Alabama, eh? Well, considering the religious bent of a lot of southern states, I wonder how they'll manage when the Second Coming occurs. After all, Jesus spoke Aramaic, presumably Hebrew as well, and perhaps a smattering of Greek and Latin. English? Doubtful. Well, maybe He'll just bypass that region. . . . Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Ed T Date: 29 Apr 10 - 04:25 PM I've no idear? http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~cpercy/courses/eng6365-reid.htm |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: gnu Date: 29 Apr 10 - 04:27 PM Quoi? Why not use the "official language" of the majority, the government, the courts... ? Much ado about bullshit. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Bill D Date: 29 Apr 10 - 04:35 PM The de facto semi-official language of almost any country is what you get when you turn on the TV to the evening news. There is good reason for all persons who reside in any country to be able to understand that language, even if they speak another commonly at home. That is where you learn about current events, hear emergency announcements...etc. We can't broadcast ALL the relevant news in 20-30 languages...and in the US, there are at least a dozen which are the native languages of very large groups. Spanish is only the most obvious. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Sorcha Date: 29 Apr 10 - 05:36 PM Cable or Satellite Bill....the Spanish Channels are primo here! LOL But I don't have a channel in Thai, Mandarin or Polish. Poor me. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 29 Apr 10 - 06:06 PM "de facto semi-official language of almost any country is what you get when you turn on the TV to the evening news" OK - Australia - 'English' - but we have a whole Government funded TV & radio network which broadcasts a whole bunch of various 'other language' news and current affairs (as well as top foreign movies and documentaries). SBS - http://www.sbs.com.au/ Interestingly, about the only language which ALSO does an 'English version' of both their news and current affairs - but sadly usually only broadcast on 'Community TV' here, is German - DW. My only regret is that all those other languages do not also do an English subtitle option - often we here in Oz see footage (and often the full uncut footage) DAYS ahead of 'interesting' things (Iraq, Middle East, other 'war zones' etc) showing up thru the normal (filtered) local channels. Ever wondered why it's often the Aussie Mudcatters that pop up early and seem most informed.... :-P |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 29 Apr 10 - 06:21 PM "Why not use the "official language" of the majority, the government, the courts... ? Much ado about bullshit. " Hahaha! History is SO interesting and can teach us SO much! Why do so many fools ignore it? After 1066, the 'Official Language' of England was changed from the local Anglo Saxon to french - because the conquering minority Normans imposed it! |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Bill D Date: 29 Apr 10 - 06:35 PM I know how to find 'some' broadcasts in other languages on cable, but almost none of these except Spanish have daily up-to-date news about either local OR world news...and even the Spanish channels are limited in scope. If you speak Urdu or Hindi or Mandarin...etc., it's just topical interest programs about 'back home' for the most part. I am all for HAVING such news, but it's a good idea to be able to be conversant in English to follow breaking news. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: MarkS Date: 29 Apr 10 - 08:08 PM Want to hear English as spoken in the early 1600s? Visit the islands off the coast of Maryland in the Chesapeake Bay. These folks refer to themselves as "Hoi Toiders". And it is said that their accent has not changed since the first colonists came over. I'm no expert, but hey, why not! |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Sorcha Date: 29 Apr 10 - 08:41 PM Yes, Bill, I know...just giving ya'll a 'ration'. If the local news was in Spanish I couldn't understand it either! LOL |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Bill D Date: 29 Apr 10 - 09:01 PM "...islands off the coast of Maryland in the Chesapeake Bay." Oh, indeed! Tangier Island... there have been documentaries on them. I'm sure it's not 'exactly' the same as 16 century, but I have heard them speak, and it is quite distinct. It's quite a small society, and modern inroads will soon dilute it, leaving only catchy phrases like "she ain't ugly none" to describe someone as pretty. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 10 - 12:32 AM It's certainly a good idea to learn the majority language of the place that you live. 80-year old grandmas may have a hard time doing that -- learning a second language later in life isn't exactly child's play. English-only laws are just pure xenophobia and/or racism. Pandering to the hateful. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: gnu Date: 30 Apr 10 - 05:25 AM Hmmmm... I thought this was about driving license tests. My mistake. Goodbye. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Bonzo3legs Date: 30 Apr 10 - 05:55 AM Y'all y'all y'all!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: VirginiaTam Date: 30 Apr 10 - 07:01 AM In the hills and high hollers of Virginia they speak with the Scot's accent. Would that be James? Is that why I have been smitten by Scottish accent since I was a wee tot? |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: VirginiaTam Date: 30 Apr 10 - 07:06 AM and the Charles I and II were kings of Scots descent after James but they were a bit, how shall we say ... franciser? |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Monique Date: 30 Apr 10 - 07:34 AM Francisé he he! You'll notice that all those European kings, princes, dukes etc. intermarried (maybe not happily but it's not our business) but managed to make us people fight one another. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: VirginiaTam Date: 30 Apr 10 - 01:58 PM Thank you Monique for correcting my spelling. How do you get the little accent aigu to show on Mudcat? |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Monique Date: 30 Apr 10 - 02:31 PM I just type it because I type on a French keyboard, but if you type & eacute; without the space between "&" and "eacute;" you'll sure get it. You can get accented vowels by typing "&" "the-vowel-you-want" "acute" or "grave" or "circ" and ";" without any space and quotes. On some computers you can get é by typing Alt130 or Alt0233. This site has lots of html codes. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Geoff the Duck Date: 30 Apr 10 - 02:47 PM Going back to Spaw's original link. The story is about "an Alabama gubernatorial candidate". It being a word we don't usually happen across on the UK side of the pond, it got me wondering ... Is Arnold Schwarzenegger "The Gubernator"? Quack! GtD. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Noreen Date: 30 Apr 10 - 04:06 PM Tam, a quick way of typing é is to hold down AltGr (to right of space bar) while typing e. Also ú, í, ó, á :) To get back to the OP, these are probably NOT used in Alabama English. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Stringsinger Date: 30 Apr 10 - 06:31 PM The thing I like about languages is that they are fluid and constantly change. English contains many words from other languages today. I think that the U.S. might become bi-lingual with Spanish and that doesn't bother me a bit. I think Americans would do well to be able to converse in a number of languages. The guy in Alabama seems to want to trade on a kind of xenophobia which has nothing to do with speaking English well or otherwise. There is an undercurrent or more overt bid for racism here. In the meantime, English may be the officious language in America but inevitably not the only one. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 30 Apr 10 - 06:40 PM "English may be the officious language in America" Hehe! |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 30 Apr 10 - 06:41 PM Spanish as a language has a longer history in the territory now termed "the United States" than English has. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Riginslinger Date: 30 Apr 10 - 07:20 PM Yeah, but it didn't work out so they went to something better. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 10 - 07:33 PM Esperanto? |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Dave MacKenzie Date: 01 May 10 - 06:43 PM "It's certainly a good idea to learn the majority language of the place that you live" It's never been a habit of the English. The British retained their language throughout the Roman occupation (the only Celts to do so), then when the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the 5th century, their language slowly took over, so that nowadays the only British who retain their native tongue live in Wales. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 01 May 10 - 06:52 PM And Dave, even though the 'official language' during the Norman period was French, 'English' resurfaced. "Esperanto?" Milk and 2 sugars thanks. Coffee is the Universal Language of the Planet of Morning... |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 01 May 10 - 06:57 PM "It's certainly a good idea to learn the majority language of the place that you live" True enough. But it's also a good idea to learn the second language also, when you live in a place which is effectively bilingual, which is the case in many parts of the USA, it appears. |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Alice Date: 01 May 10 - 10:54 PM From the documentary "American Tongues" The Accent of Tangier, Virginia |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Alice Date: 01 May 10 - 11:07 PM From the film "Mountain Talk" Appalachian English |
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Subject: RE: BS: English is the Official Language From: Ebbie Date: 01 May 10 - 11:08 PM My first language was a dialect of German, although we read and studied high German as well. As I got older, I left it behind and mostly forgot how to speak it. I didn't teach it to my daughter. (I am now trying to bring back some of my first language and quite often phone a sibling to tell me how to say something. They usually don't know either.) In high school there was a foreign language requirement and I wanted my daughter to take Spanish. This was in Oregon and there are many Mexicans around. But no, she took German. Later on, she did take Spanish as well, both in high school and in college. |
