Debate on Language, Flags... Stuff...

[Shaun__]

This thread was kind of created for arguing about something that isn't that big a deal.

Could'a fooled me with all the rageyness. (Not you, but a couple of others.)

If I was really concerned with it, I would have been making power point slides. It is just a matter of personal preference, and no different than picking a color to describe a mood. There is no wrong answer, but I personally agree that the BBC and Wiki do a great job as was pointed out earlier by Kradek.

 

[loveyougipsy]

Well there's timing....

All Indo-European languages should be represented by the Turkish flag. :lol: :-D

The results of a study in Indo-European language origins was published in Science Magazine today.... :lol: :-D

indo european languages origin turkey

Linguiboffins have traced the origins of Indo-European languages to Turkey using the same methods developed to track bird flu, HIV and other viruses.

The viral modelling traced languages such as English and German to Anatolia, what is now Turkey, where they were first used about 8,000 to 9,500 years ago. The researchers looked at basic vocabulary from 103 ancient and contemporary Indo-European languages, and found that the age and location matched their Anatolian theory.

 

[Shaun__]

Well there's timing....

All Indo-European languages should be represented by the Turkish flag. :lol: :-D

The results of a study in Indo-European language origins was published in Science Magazine today.... :lol: :-D

indo european languages origin turkey

Linguiboffins have traced the origins of Indo-European languages to Turkey using the same methods developed to track bird flu, HIV and other viruses.

The viral modelling traced languages such as English and German to Anatolia, what is now Turkey, where they were first used about 8,000 to 9,500 years ago. The researchers looked at basic vocabulary from 103 ancient and contemporary Indo-European languages, and found that the age and location matched their Anatolian theory.

It reminds me of Pac-Man and that is a good thing.

 

[Nordling]

Except Turkey wasn't Turkey in those days. The Turks migrated west, to Asia Minor many centuries later.

 

[SoTxBob]

Every so often, I find I am fighting the urge to just wanna smack the shit outa some folks just for the fun of it.... :violence-hammer:

 

[Nordling]

Every so often, I find I am fighting the urge to just wanna smack the shit outa some folks just for the fun of it.... :violence-hammer:

lol In English?

 

[Jupiter551]

Is there anything wrong with using an American Flag to denote using American English and using a UK Flag to denote using British English? I know either version can basically be understood by anyone who speaks any sort of English, but clearly there are some differences. Does it really matter the waybackintheolddaysorigin of a language? I would think only really picky, snobby people who are uppidy about history should be riled up by this. Or, just people who love to argue for arguing's sake.

No, of course there's nothing wrong with using an American flag to denote American English - but not as a default signifier for English.

I don't think anyone was riled over the use of the American flag there, I thought it was hilarious when I posted it - it was both so absurd, and so indicative of the way some cultures operate, that it was amusing. Most non-US people would have a good laugh because frankly, we're used to this sort of behaviour. It was the angry response from your side of the atlantic that really made me do a doubletake.

 

[Shaun__]

Is there anything wrong with using an American Flag to denote using American English and using a UK Flag to denote using British English? I know either version can basically be understood by anyone who speaks any sort of English, but clearly there are some differences. Does it really matter the waybackintheolddaysorigin of a language? I would think only really picky, snobby people who are uppidy about history should be riled up by this. Or, just people who love to argue for arguing's sake.

No, of course there's nothing wrong with using an American flag to denote American English - but not as a default signifier for English.

I don't think anyone was riled over the use of the American flag there, I thought it was hilarious when I posted it - it was both so absurd, and so indicative of the way some cultures operate, that it was amusing. Most non-US people would have a good laugh because frankly, we're used to this sort of behaviour. It was the angry response from your side of the atlantic that really made me do a doubletake.

The default signifier of the English language is the word English, Engels, الإنجليزية, անգլերեն, ingilis, англійская, ইংরেজি, Anglès, 英语, 英語, engleski, angličtina, inglise, englanti, Anglais, Αγγλικά, ઇંગલિશ, אנגלית, अंग्रेज़ी, Inggris, Béarla, ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್, 영어, angļu, Македонски, Ingliż, انگلیسی, angielski, englez, английский, енглески, kiingereza, ஆங்கிலம், ఇంగ్లీష్, ภาษาอังกฤษ, Anh, Saesneg, or something like that depending on where you are at and who you are talking to. I just wanted to throw that out there to keep the rest of the world from laughing at your ignorance if you went out in public saying they all think the same as you. That could come across as a little arrogant.

 

[Nordling]

Is there anything wrong with using an American Flag to denote using American English and using a UK Flag to denote using British English? I know either version can basically be understood by anyone who speaks any sort of English, but clearly there are some differences. Does it really matter the waybackintheolddaysorigin of a language? I would think only really picky, snobby people who are uppidy about history should be riled up by this. Or, just people who love to argue for arguing's sake.

No, of course there's nothing wrong with using an American flag to denote American English - but not as a default signifier for English.

I don't think anyone was riled over the use of the American flag there, I thought it was hilarious when I posted it - it was both so absurd, and so indicative of the way some cultures operate, that it was amusing. Most non-US people would have a good laugh because frankly, we're used to this sort of behaviour. It was the angry response from your side of the atlantic that really made me do a doubletake.

The default signifier of the English language is the word English, Engels, الإنجليزية, անգլերեն, ingilis, англійская, ইংরেজি, Anglès, 英语, 英語, engleski, angličtina, inglise, englanti, Anglais, Αγγλικά, ઇંગલિશ, אנגלית, अंग्रेज़ी, Inggris, Béarla, ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್, 영어, angļu, Македонски, Ingliż, انگلیسی, angielski, englez, английский, енглески, kiingereza, ஆங்கிலம், ఇంగ్లీష్, ภาษาอังกฤษ, Anh, Saesneg, or something like that depending on where you are at and who you are talking to. I just wanted to throw that out there to keep the rest of the world from laughing at your ignorance if you went out in public saying they all think the same as you. That could come across as a little arrogant.

It would be helpful if you gave a link to the information you're presenting. This may very well be good information, but I thought we were talking about images--iconic representations of various languages.

 

[Jupiter551]

rest of the world from laughing at your ignorance

:lol:

 

[loveyougipsy]

One language I find is always overlooked on sites is Dunkenese

I'd even suggest its spoken and understood by more people than any other language.

If you are unsure whether or not a speaker of an unfamiliar language is in actuality speaking Drunkanese, look for these tell-tale signs: Excessive salivating, repeated catch phrase quoting, propensity to trail off or tell stories that never really go anywhere, horizontalness, spontaneous projectile vomiting, and a tendency to overestimate audience's level of interest in speaker.

Speakers of Drunkenese are occasionally confused with having a degenerative brain disorder.

 

[Shaun__]

It would be helpful if you gave a link to the information you're presenting. This may very well be good information, but I thought we were talking about images--iconic representations of various languages.

The words in my post are just several foreign equivalent of the English word "English". I may have used the wrong word in some of them, because the word for the English person and English language are different.

rest of the world from laughing at your ignorance

:lol:

I would just like to point out I was expressing my opinion that you could use my flag in the same way as the Union Jack, and never said the entire world does. What we were doing is in no way comparable. I do thank you for admitting you feel your statement was arrogant though, because as I am sure you will notice both the pot and kettle are black.

 

[Jupiter551]

:roll:

 

[TashaDutch]

hmm it toke me a while to even fully understand what this was all about... but noow that i do...
beeing someone who doesn't have english/american as a native language i wanted to share my thoughts..
can't it just be as easy as saying i speak english with an american accent, therefor there is an american flag to indicate that i speak english?
in dutch schools we are taught the british-english.. but i still talk with an american accent when i cam, or have conversations in english.. why? TV!
i don't think it really matters that much with what flag you decide to share that you speak english, but it makes sense if you speak american-english or with an american accent you would choose an american flag..
if you're from brittain/australia/new zealand etc. and you would put an american flag up to indicate that you speak english i would raise a little eyebrow.. other wise.. not really

 

[Neudiin]

This thread is completely pointless without a video of SophiaLocke doing her absolutely perfect accents!! Specially her British accent hehe

 

[Zoomer]

Worth pointing out to those banging on about English origins meaning the "England" shouldn't be able to claim the language...

English is a fusion of many languages, but it is a language in itself and it does have it's origins in England. England formed as a country in 927AD apparently. The language then was mostly Angles or Saxon origins (both the same I guess - Frankish or something) with some Latin thrown in. It evolved as words from various languages are adopted and shaped. The local languages (Celtic and it's flavours), and French from the Normans in 1066 and others contributed. The language evolved to a point where it is distinct from locations of origin... English is not Anglo-Saxon (Germanic or whatever). Most of the words have evolved almost beyond recognition to make it distinct.

It appears to be a relatively simple concept to grasp... and I am slightly baffled as to why some appear to struggle with it. The language may be a fusion, may be derived and influenced by others - but English is both distinct and unique from those languages - otherwise it would not be called "English", we would instead be speaking "Frankish" or whatever language we matched. We don't, it is English. Period.

If you want to think American English is a huge influence over English to the point that you've an equal right to being labelled the origin of the language - then whatever - allay your insecurities as you wish...

All I would say is that perhaps English is the most dynamic language in existence. It is constantly evolving as words enter common parlance before cementing their place as part of the vernacular. For that reason, it is an awesome language.

p.s. Check out the origins of the words allay, appear, parlance, cement, dynamic, vernacular, baffle, fusion, place... and of course, word Interesting mix eh

As for what flag denotes it? The English flag doesn't... the Union Jack does tend to. The Union Jack is a flag which includes the English Flag, the Scottish Flag and the Northern Irish Flag. If you wish to represent the language with the US flag, who cares.

The prime importance of displaying a flag isn't a pissing match over who's country is best or responsible or attributable for the language - and to make it such is both pathetic, petty and ridiculous. The prime point of language is communication.

You are communicating something to the user with the use of a flag. Whatever flag they recognise and can identify the language as is fine by me - and surely the primary point of displaying a flag in the first instance. Arguing about it is for morons (while looking at origins of words, include moron too! ).

 

[Just Me]

 

[sweetiebatman]

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! :lol:
Also shows how a language morphs and matures as time passes..

not seen that before, doesn't really settle any argument on the last few pages but great nonetheless!