Why are British English and American English so different?

[MNoBody]

looking in through this door of perspective yields some interesting linguistic clues

 

[Jainarayan]

Sanskrit.

Funny clip, and I love modern references to it (in ‘Dr. Strange’ Wong says to Stephen, “How’s your Sanskrit?”) but actually it’s not dead. There’s a town in Kerala India that is reviving it as a spoken language. There are Sanskrit newspapers. And of course it’s alive and well in every Hindu temple in the world.

 

[Stevicus]

Funny clip, and I love modern references to it (in ‘Dr. Strange’ Wong says to Stephen, “How’s your Sanskrit?”) but actually it’s not dead. There’s a town in Kerala India that is reviving it as a spoken language. There are Sanskrit newspapers. And of course it’s alive and well in every Hindu temple in the world.

It was also funny that he couldn't find a term paper for Sanskrit, so he gave him "Latin, it's the best I can do."

I suppose Latin isn't really completely "dead" either, since it's still used in various fields, including religion. But I don't know of any place where it's spoken conversationally. My dad had to take Latin when he was in school, although it wasn't required (or even offered) by the time I got to school.

 

[Tambourine]

Grammar and phonology are inextricably linked. You would not be very hard pressed or hard pressed in any way for any such thing. There are grammars from the time that define pronunciation. Not to mention that Sanskrit was taught for millennia by direct oral transmission from guru to disciple without deviation. If you want to know why I’ll tell you. But we do know how it sounded. There are also Roman grammars that describe Latin pronunciation, Classical Greek as well.

You make an argument by analogy, but do not supply direct evidence for your original claim (that we know for a fact how ancient Sanskrit sounded). Do you have any?

 

[Estro Felino]

How would you know?

Italian is an artificial language.
It was decided that Dante's language would become standard Italian.
After all...each region has its own dialect.

If you read the Divine Comedy it is exactly the language we Italians speak today.

 

[Tambourine]

Italian is an artificial language.
It was decided that Dante's language would become standard Italian.
After all...each region has its own dialect.

If you read the Divine Comedy it is exactly the language we Italians speak today.

The Divine Comedy is a book, it doesn't speak on its own.
Do you have any kind of evidence that Dante spoke in the exact same manner as modern Italians?

 

[Estro Felino]

The Divine Comedy is a book, it doesn't speak on its own.
Do you have any kind of evidence that Dante spoke in the exact same manner as modern Italians?

...that Tuscan people still speak that way?

 

[Tambourine]

...that Tuscan people still speak that way?

So you've got an authentic recording of Dante's speech somewhere?

 

[Estro Felino]

So you've got an authentic recording of Dante's speech somewhere?

Not all languages behave the same.
German evolved restlessly across centuries if you compare the Nibelungenlied with the Lutherbibel.
But Italian evolution was pretty static.

 

[Jainarayan]

You make an argument by analogy, but do not supply direct evidence for your original claim (that we know for a fact how ancient Sanskrit sounded). Do you have any?

Did you not read and understand that I said it’s been transmitted faithfully from teacher to student for millennia? That’s how we know how it sounded. That is a core concept of Hinduism. Moreover, it is not “ancient” as if no longer used. The name is “Classical Sanskrit”. To contradict any of that without your own evidence is to disparage Hinduism. So don’t put on airs.

 

[Tambourine]

Not all languages behave the same.
German evolved restlessly across centuries if you compare the Nibelungenlied with the Lutherbibel.
But Italian evolution was pretty static.

Again, what do you base this on, apart from the unsupported assumption that Dante sounded just like you?

 

[Tambourine]

Did you not read and understand that I said it’s been transmitted faithfully from teacher to student for millennia? That’s how we know how it sounded. That is a core concept of Hinduism. Moreover, it is not “ancient” as if no longer used. The name is “Classical Sanskrit”. To contradict any of that without your own evidence is to disparage Hinduism. So don’t put on airs.

Most people are only barely capable of describing other people's speech patterns, let alone mimicking them to such an extent that we would have an unbroken transmission from 2000 years until now.

If you find my incredulity offensive, then I suggest that you do not stake the legitimacy of your religious convictions on spurious and implausible claims.

 

[Estro Felino]

Again, what do you base this on, apart from the unsupported assumption that Dante sounded just like you?

Because no linguist says otherwise.
But if you have evidence that the Tuscan of the XIII cent. was different than now, show it to me.

 

[Tambourine]

Because no linguist says otherwise.
But if you have evidence that the Tuscan of the XIII cent. was different than now, show it to me.

You have no evidence that it was the same, do you?

So any unsupported opinion of mine is as good as yours here.

 

[Estro Felino]

You have no evidence that it was the same, do you?

So any unsupported opinion of mine is as good as yours here.

So...if I said that Luther probably used to read German differently than it is pronounced now, would I have a point?

 

[Tambourine]

So...if I said that Luther probably used to read German differently than it is pronounced now, would I have a point?

I would find it implausible to claim otherwise, barring supporting evidence.

 

[Estro Felino]

I would find it implausible to claim otherwise, barring supporting evidence.

So...for example what sounds were pronounced differently, in your opinion?

Am Anfang schuf Gott den Himmel und die Erde...

 

[Secret Chief]

I mean...they sound like two completely different language....so many differences as for phonology...how is that possible? I mean...only 3 centuries separate the English from the Pilgrim Fathers

Three centuries is a long time in language - use, spelling, meaning, accents, dialects...
I suspect (with no evidence whatsoever) our dearly beloved emigrants wanted to create as much "difference" as possible between the two.

American and British English Words List (A to Z)

It's a minor miracle Brits and Yanks can understand each other at all. But then no-one can understand a Glaswegian.

 

[chinu]

Why are British English and American English so different?

Friend, what do you think what kind of English is mine ?

Actually, my mother tongue is punjabi language. I can't point out the difference between

 

[Jainarayan]

... let alone mimicking them to such an extent that we would have an unbroken transmission from 2000 years until now.

Thank you for showing that you have no understanding of the importance of preserving Sanskrit as the language of Hinduism and how seriously it’s taken, and how it’s done. Or anything about the language, really. Go find a Sanskrit class and learn.