Quote Originally Posted by sidders View Post
Because it's called English doesn't mean we English own it. if it wasn't for the Americans speaking English our language wouldn't have the dominant position it does. Everyone in the world wants to speak English in order to enhance their job prospects. But no one nation can lay claim to owning a language anymore than it owns the oxygen in its atmosphere.
Languages are not static. Why is 'different than' wrong and 'different from' right? Does it matter, as long as it doesn't confuse communication? If languages were static we would have no problem for example understanding the language of Shakespeare's day because it wouldn't have developed. By the same token, how we talk now will need a language expert by the year 2200, never mind 3000.
For me the one 'Americanism' I rail against is the use of 'you guys' regardless of gender or age. It assumes audiences are made up of one humongous mass with no individual entities. As a teacher, I much preferred 'blokes' or 'chaps' or 'lasses' or 'ladies'.
Fascinating thread, by the way.
El Sid
I think you are missing the point of the thread, the heading is a bit deceptive but is clearly lamenting the Americanisation of British English, our friends across the pond have their own version of it. The English Language has always been a bit of a word thief though, taking words from other languages and adapting them for our use. We need to be more accepting of these things.

But the next person to tell me it's sKedule not SHedule because they learnt it in school should be exiled.