• TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    6·
    1 day ago

    Some might have a strong accent, at least it’s not as bad as how much Americans rapes the English language. I mean, they can’t even say aluminium properly.

    • zikzak025@lemmy.worldEnglish
      41·
      1 day ago

      Aluminum came first, for what it’s worth. British publications just added the extra i because they thought it sounded fancier.

      • TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        2·
        24 hours ago

        Not true. It came from the latin word alumina, or French alun, yet the British spelling maintains the “ium” suffix as with many other elements in the periodic table. The British spelling, which is the same in many other countries and widely accepted as the correct spelling, predates the American spelling. The Americans made a simplified version.

        Source

        • zikzak025@lemmy.worldEnglish
          31·
          22 hours ago

          the British spelling maintains the “ium” suffix as with many other elements in the periodic table.

          Lanthanum, molybdenum, platinum. It could be said aluminum follows the “-num” suffix used by other elements on the periodic table.

          The British spelling, which is the same in many other countries and widely accepted as the correct spelling, predates the American spelling.

          The British spelling was originally alumium, as written by Sir Humphry Davy. But this didn’t comply with the naming standard of alumina as its oxide. To include the n, he started writing it as aluminum, before the third spelling aluminium entered popular use in academic circles.

          Source

    • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
      21·
      1 day ago

      I’m just going to sprinkle the letter z all over the place, which they will be unable to pronounce, which will erroneously replace the letter s.

      Serialization, ewwww, just look at it.

  • starchylemming@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    1 day ago

    Honestly, as an outsider i can say it sounds kinda cute and very polite

    It’s the antithesis of whatever the southern US is speaking. That just sounds like a whole pack of chewing gum is in your mouth.

    • iamericandre@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      1 day ago

      There are accents in the outer banks area of North Carolina that are the closest to the original British and Irish settlers of the area.

    • wraekscadu@vargar.orgEnglish
      2·
      1 day ago

      Hey come on now, the southern accent is endearing. What’s even more interesting is that the accent is consistent across languages. Check out the French settlers from the former Louisiana territory. French is their first language, and yet they sound like a stereotypical American trying to pronounce French words. It’s so beautiful!

    • uenticx@lemmy.worldEnglish
      62·
      2 days ago

      Weird, I learned rhotic was pretty much standard dialect around the time North America was colonized … wouldn’t that mean it’s the other way around in reality? (Honest no rage-bait question). I was taught and repeatedly read over the years that modern British dialect sounded more American then, and only changed with more inter-colonization from surrounding countries?

      • Rothe@piefed.socialEnglish
        6·
        1 day ago

        Nah, you have learnt what is largely an overblown myth. The whole “American sounds more like Shakespeare’s English than modern British English” is completely false, but it gets repeated ad nauseam by Americans on the internet.

      • NigelFrobisher@aussie.zoneEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        We still have some rhotic accents. They don’t sound American though - just rhotic - like how Frasier’s non-rhotic accent doesn’t sound English.

  • shawn1122@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    10·
    2 days ago

    “The British class system is not about money. It is a caste system. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don’t have the accent, the school, and the pedigree, you remain an Untouchable to the ruling class.” Antony Jay & Jonathan Lynn: Yes Minister

      • Tiresia@slrpnk.netEnglish
        1·
        1 day ago

        Perhaps things changed in the past 38+ years.

        Or perhapa a show produced by the British goverment that presents {the deep state as a powerful undemocratic entity and kind-hearted people in politics as naive bumbling idiots that fail upwards because they unintentionally serve the deep state} at a time of Thatcher dismantling public services is in fact state propaganda, no less insidious for being genuinely funny and sharp-witted.

        Perhaps even both.

        • crapwittyname@feddit.ukEnglish
          1·
          23 hours ago

          Things are changing. At least now a decent amount of research has been done into these prejudices, so we at least have a solid starting point. It’s still a fact that you go further, faster and easier if you speak with a received pronunciation, or even just Southern, accent in Britain. Hearing a northern regional accent on the PM is a breath of fresh air. I would prefer Corbyn in that seat, though, even with his posh dulcet voice.

    • birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      131·
      2 days ago

      at the risk of flaming a lot of people:

      isn’t a scottish accent also british (as in, spoken on great britain)?

      • smeg@feddit.ukEnglish
        7·
        2 days ago

        Absolutely, a singular “British accent” is something that only Americans seem to think exists, and they usually mean RP (the posh accent found mostly in the south east of England).

        Scotland, England, Wales, all part of Britain, and all have plenty of wildly different accents within them. Compare Geordie, West Country, Cockney, Scouse, and Brummie. Even the accents between Scotland’s two main cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, are completely different.

        So yeah, if someone says they love a “British accent” just respond in Glaswegian and see how they like it!

        • birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
          1·
          2 days ago

          Oh, aye, in truth the Scots tongue is by far my favourite! I sadly do not speak it; but between an English leid and a Scots one I’d love to speak the latter. Yola would’ve been cool too.

          Geordie (Yorkshire) and West Country are also a pleasure to listen to, in earnest

    • Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.caEnglish
      4·
      2 days ago

      There are many British accents, you will have to be more specific. Personally, I find the Yorkshire one rather charming. However, that is the opinion of someone from the DEEP Ottawa Valley.

    • essell@lemmy.worldEnglish
      31·
      2 days ago

      If you think there’s a “British accent” you’re not qualified to be in this conversation.

    • porous_grey_matter@lemmy.mlEnglish
      4·
      1 day ago

      hehe. I was once jogging around my neighborhood when I briefly lived there, and a little kid said to his mum as I went past, “that looks roight toiring”. I think about it often.

  • merc@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    A couple I know moved from Canada to the UK. Even at 6ish years old, despite being raised by them, including one as a stay-at-home mom, the kid had a strong British accent.

    Luckily, they’re mostly immune, although my friend does now say “gareridge” instead of “gahraje”.

      • Berengaria_of_Navarre@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 day ago

        Bluey is popular, but none of them sound like they’re from Brisbane. They mostly have a mid-Atlantic accent with vocabulary from both the UK and the states. Like they say chips and fries rather than crisps and chips, but also say nappies instead of diapers. And as previously stated when there’s a pronunciation difference rather that a vocabulary difference there’s usually a 50/50 split, but not the same division each time, so the same kid will say tomAYto as will say ZEHbra. And for a lot of things they just throw in a Norwegian phrase translated directly into English.