A language question

Old Aug 28th 2011, 12:54 am
  #136  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by Egg and Cress
I honestly didn't realize there were gender specifics like this - thought it was only in other languages. I know the Polish language has those gender specifics, as does Spanish, but I didn't know about the American ones. (And I did look it up - but not in Webster's - in the Oxford Modern English Dictionary. Thanks for the "English" lesson - guess I don't know as much as I thought I did!

Please note: I do know how to use apostrophes properly, though.
It's a borrowed word from French, where adjectives agree. There a nice little Lord Peter Wimsey story where he catches a French person out this way.

Last edited by Sally Redux; Aug 28th 2011 at 1:05 am.
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 12:57 am
  #137  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by Mummy in the foothills
Well I've been here 25 years and I'm still saying can't the way I did in UK car-n't saying it as cant is too much like the other c word
But then I'm still known as the Mom with the accent at the local school
Originally Posted by Englishman43
Been here 15 and I still speak exactly the way I did when I arrived - cant's and all - not consciously trying to , I just think I sound like a pillock when I pronounce things the American way so try not to.
Originally Posted by Mummy in the foothills
Me too. I sound fake if I try to do it.
Originally Posted by Englishman43
My wife refuses to let me try anymore - says I sound like a cross between Johnny Cash, John Wayne and a Nascar driver
Oh, after so long I'd assumed you'd have had to alter pronunciation at times to avoid not being understood or because you were 'linguistically soft'....

Another one - the World Cup (no stress on first word, please) after next will be held in Qatar, do the Americans really pronounce that 'Cutter' ? ('Cudder')
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 1:02 am
  #138  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by General Tojo
Oh, after so long I'd assumed you'd have had to alter pronunciation at times to avoid not being understood or because you were 'linguistically soft'....

Another one - the World Cup (no stress on first word, please) after next will be held in Qatar, do the Americans really pronounce that 'Cutter' ? ('Cudder')
Not this one.
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 2:55 am
  #139  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by General Tojo
Oh, after so long I'd assumed you'd have had to alter pronunciation at times to avoid not being understood or because you were 'linguistically soft'....

Another one - the World Cup (no stress on first word, please) after next will be held in Qatar, do the Americans really pronounce that 'Cutter' ? ('Cudder')
I've heard it said Cutter, I didn't know what they were saying, but I've also heard it rhyme with guitar, How is it said?
I am told at home (UK) I have a bit of an American accent, but after a couple of weeks it disappears, I think it's more of going back to a more sing song Welsh accent at home where here (California) You go up at the end of the sentence, so thats where my accent differs here I think, more so if I'm working. They understand me fine usually, although I have asked for things in Spanish occasionally to be understood
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 3:50 am
  #140  
 
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by Egg and Cress
I honestly didn't realize there were gender specifics like this - thought it was only in other languages. I know the Polish language has those gender specifics, as does Spanish, but I didn't know about the American ones. (And I did look it up - but not in Webster's - in the Oxford Modern English Dictionary.) Thanks for the "English" lesson - guess I don't know as much as I thought I did!

Please note: I do know how to use apostrophes properly, though.
I just took this from my own OED; quoting from it: ‘blonde and blond correspond to the feminine and masculine’.
You may have an abridged version, because when I was at school the OED was the standard and this convention was the way we all learnt it from the Oxford Dictionary.

With regard to apostrophes, I use them to form the genitive and in contractions, however I still use single quotes aka ‘inverted commas’ to denote material in direct quotations in the original and British way. (Only the opening mark is actually and inverted comma, the closing mark is an angled apostrophe: e.g. He shouted ‘Stop’ as the train pulled away.

Rather than my continuing, why don't you see Wiki in regard to that and other forms of British punctuation, such as the full stop outside of quoted material, unless the punctuation is important to its meaning, for instance as with an interrogation point.

In addition, there is our use of the full stop with abbreviations, which follow the rules of most other European nations, but not America. (Example: Dr stands for Doctor, whereas Dr. stands for Drive, etc.)

Last edited by Christian; Aug 28th 2011 at 4:44 am.
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 3:56 am
  #141  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by Mummy in the foothills
as cant is too much like the other c word
:
You are not talking about the military garrison cap, are you?
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 4:45 am
  #142  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by S Folinsky
You are not talking about the military garrison cap, are you?

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ey+joke&page=9

See post #123
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 4:41 pm
  #143  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by S Folinsky
You are not talking about the military garrison cap, are you?
I hadn't heard it called that, but Yes, I suppose (I had to look it up)
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 8:42 pm
  #144  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by S Folinsky
You are not talking about the military garrison cap, are you?
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 8:51 pm
  #145  
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Default Re: A language question

Here's an odd one about British and American pronunciation.
Hover.
Plover.
I've heard Americans say "huvver" for hover. I don't know if that is common or not. Meanwhile British folks say "pluvver" for plover .. ??
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 8:55 pm
  #146  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by robin1234
Here's an odd one about British and American pronunciation.
Hover.
Plover.
I've heard Americans say "huvver" for hover. I don't know if that is common or not. Meanwhile British folks say "pluvver" for plover .. ??
Yes to the huvver and I say plover.

We probably say it just to be contrary.
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 9:09 pm
  #147  
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Default Re: A language question

... I certainly have a care deficit going on regarding this language topic.


I can't seem to put my finger on it but .... why is this thread like -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgX6qlJEMc

or even



I wonder if the Romans ever said "Britanni hi non loquor bene".

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Old Aug 28th 2011, 10:13 pm
  #148  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by cindyabs
Yes to the huvver and I say plover.

We probably say it just to be contrary.
Yup. I need to come up with strategy to use those two words MUCH more frequently. Two can play at the contrary game.
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 10:30 pm
  #149  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by robin1234
Here's an odd one about British and American pronunciation.
Hover.
Plover.
I've heard Americans say "huvver" for hover. I don't know if that is common or not. Meanwhile British folks say "pluvver" for plover .. ??
I rhyme hover with cover and plover with over....don't really know what pronunciation rule that's supposed to follow or why it was taught that way. . I've never heard it as "pluvver". Why is "through" pronounced "threw" and cough said as "coff" while rough is said as "ruff"? No hard and fast rules which must make it very difficult for foreigners to learn (no, not English foreigners).
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Old Aug 28th 2011, 11:05 pm
  #150  
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Default Re: A language question

Originally Posted by Egg and Cress
Why is "through" pronounced "threw" and cough said as "coff" while rough is said as "ruff"? No hard and fast rules which must make it very difficult for foreigners to learn (no, not English foreigners).
You forgot about 'bough'
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