I should change the tag, but Olin wouldn't see it in OT...

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 15:34:02 +1300, steve@tla.co.nz wrote:

> > > Errr...... the English language belongs to the English/British
> > 

Olin wrote:

> > It belongs to English speakers, of which the British are now a
> > minority. That's the price of no longer having a world-dominating
> > empire or economy. 

I'm not sure I follow your logic - when "the Sun never set on the British Empire" native British were always 
outnumbered by the others, and they still are.

> > It's been more than 200 years now, time to get over it.

Ah, the American History version!  The USA may have been founded 220 years ago, but most of the rest of the 
British Empire was around until about 60 years ago - India, for example, gained independance in 1947, and we 
only returned the rented Hong Kong five years ago!

A language doesn't "belong" to anyone, and as for the number of English speakers, the non-Americans outnumber 
the Americans by at least three to one, and mostly use English spelling and grammar.
 
> Good point. Perhaps the language should be called "Microsoft" or 
> "would you like fries with that ?".
> :-)

I just wish Americans wouldn't call it "English" - what's wrong with calling it "American"?

I await with interest (and some trepidation) to see how the American Empire progresses.

Cheers,


Howard Winter
St.Albans, England


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