@jayles: "your German is very good indeed!!"

Thanks! I should hope it is... I grew up speaking it! I try to learn all I can about whichever tongues I choose to speak. I try not to take my Muttersprache for granted. I work on my German like I do English. I am always mindful to use German words, not loans, whenever I can.

Same thoughts, other tongue.

@jayles: May I put forth "anpassungsfaehiger" for "more flexible/adaptable", instead of "flexibler"?

Ich frage mich...'anpassungsfaehiger'...Was wollen Sie damit sagen? Ich bin einfach gegen die kulturelle Vereinnahmung durch politischen Korrektheit und ermutigte Teilnahmslosigkeit. Daran ist nichts auszusetzen, oder?

@jayles: I just heard Russell Brand say "woeuh" for 'water' in the movie "Get Him to the Greek". The 'T' and 'R' are all but lost.

A big difference I see between today's Am. Eng and Br. Eng is that Am.Eng pronounce 'r' a lot more. Only in the Southern U.S. is the 'r' softened.

Almost gone are the days of the lovely rolling English 'r'! ;-(

Here is a long lost word that could be brought back into the fold: Yare (said 'yair' or 'yahr').

It means 'ready', prepared (for action), 'brisk', 'eager'. Also, 'agile', 'lively'. Of a ship >> answering swiftly to the helm; easily handled; Responding easily; maneuverable.

"Make your ships yar(e)!"

"She was yar(e)."

"Fall to't yarely, or we run ourselves aground"- Act I, Scene 1, TEMPEST, by William Shakespeare

"...you shall find me yare..."- Act IV, Scene 2, Measure for Measure, by WIlliam Shakespeare

Thoughts? Anyone?

@jayles: "we can also say "a shoal of fish" in English"

You are right.... 'shoal' is from the same root as 'school (of Fish)". "Shoal" is from the Low Germanic way of saying it (schōle, phon. 'shōl'), and "School" is from the Dutch/Frisian way (skoal, school, phon. 'skōōl'). The word-form 'school' (place of learning) was influenced by 'school' (of Fish).

"Am English 't' is often pronounced as 'd' so that 'water' sounds like 'warder'."

Seems to me that it depends on where you are in the States. I have heard it said (phonetically) wah-ter, wah-der, wudder, war-der, waa-der, asf. Much different 'a' sound, than in British 'woah-ter' or 'woh-ter'.

Funnily enough, a 'school' (of Fish) is from Low Germanic schōle/ O.E. scolu, sceolu/ W.Frisian skoal

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365751/How-British-English-Americanisms-ARENT-taking-language-research-shows.html

Of note:

* ‘Americans tend to be much better at stressing the French origins of words such as garage and ballet.’

* '...American English remains very conservative and traditional in its speech patterns.’ (closer to the roots?!); '...in many instances it is the American speakers who are sticking to more ‘traditional’ speech patterns.'

* 'British English speakers are refusing to use American pronunciations for everyday words such as schedule, patriot and advertisement.'

ERA in Am.Eng. >> Eh-rah or Ee-rah, not ERROR

Bouquet in Am.Eng. >> is said BOTH ways listed in the article.

Neither in Am.Eng. >> is also said BOTH ways.

Glacier in Am.Eng. >> most often, Glay-Sher.

Semi >> again, BOTH ways are said.

Nuclear >> BOTH

Garage >> is close to French pronunciation, but there are many dialectical variations.

Iraq >> BOTH

Vase >> Vayze/ Vayce/ Vahz

Lasso >> Las-so ("a" as in 'at', "o" as in 'home')

Research >> Both ways are said.

FILLET is not Fil-let, but Fee-lay (as in French). As for the SCHEDULE (from Greek skhida) "Shedyul", "Skedual" debate---->>> the Brit way of saying SCHEDULE is from French, while the U.S. uses the original Greek pronunciation. The same original Greek pronunciation is used for SCHOOL (Gk. skhole) in Am.Eng., too.

@jayles: ""Ich habe tatsaechlich mich gerade gefragt, ob Sie schon ... das englische Hoeflichkeitssystem tatsaechlich zu akzeptieren..."

Ich erkenne die Art an, wie die Briten Englisch sprechen. Ich finde die Sprachart unnoetig hoeflich und allzu sanftmuetig. Es scheint mir, dass man immer einen Eiertanz auffuehren muss. Ueberempfindlichkeit und politische Korrektheit sind Feinde der Kultur . Alte Braeuche sterben dadurch aus.

Meiner Meinung nach...

"...inroads Jamaican English has had on the English spoken in England."

I don't know of any. Jamaica got English from England. It was a British colony. Now, Jamaica has stronger economic ties with America, and American sway is greater.

Also, in English, American English is as of now in the limelight. I can't see how "American English's clout and unlikeness gets far too overcooked." It is a truth that cannot be thoughtfully spurned or overlooked.

Adventure of English

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRtGKXN-K6Y&feature=related

Very interesting segment about American English.