English Language & Usage Asked on April 2, 2021
In the context of the language, the word English refers to the language originally developed in England from the 5th century according to David Crystal (2003).
Not only are there differences in terms, such as whether a tap is a tap or it is a faucet, and the differences between a purse, money purse and handbag for example, but there are also differences in pronunciation. The big thing for me is that there are also fundamental differences in a sense when Americans teach their children that the letter Z is a zee and the English teach their children that it is a zed. Young English children get confused by all this and end up talking in the American vernacular, only to be corrected by their school teachers when they are told for example, that it is a rucksack and not a backpack.
But, Dora the Explorer on TV says "backpack"
On that note, looking at the Merriam Webster dictionary as opposed to the Oxford English dictionary, a rucksack can also be a knapsack and I’m scratching my head and saying
Huh? What?
The language has arguably been "bastardised" (bastardized in American English) over the centuries, not just by the Americans, but by the English ourselves. So, while there is the question Should I learn English from the UK if am I learning English from USA? in LanguageLearning.SE, I am asking if there is a form of English which is considered the predominant form internationally.
Crystal, D. (2003). English as a Global Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-521-53032-3.
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