Who Should Get Credit for the Prevalence of the English Language?

[Kafka2]

If one person should get the credit, it's Nathaniel Courthope.

He was an unusually heroic English adventurer who staked a claim on the spice island of Run, and held it against extremely hostile actions from the Dutch (they eventually killed him). However the English maintained their claim on Run until they finally exchanged it for the Dutch claim on another island- Manhattan.

 

[Speedo]

Both, IMO. The English obviously did most of the "spreading" through their empire building, but I don't think it would be as prevalent today if not for the American superpower status from WW2 onward.

 

[Kosez]

If it wasn't for America English would be far less important language than it is today. English became world's most important language only after WWI or maybe even after WWII. Before it was French (which was not as widely spoken as English is today) and before French it was Latin.
American culture was by my opinion most important generator of spreading English around both WW's, then it was economy+culture, now it is economy+culture+internet.

I voted equally important.

 

[Yeeek]

Though question really.. I guess i can give my personal experience though. I learned english through foreign movies in english subtittled in french at first, then internet in the late 90's. But was it because of Britain long history of Imperialism and its legacy. Well yes i guess, because the main settlers in North America were from Great Britain and Ireland then rest of Europe. Hence English was the most spoken language in USA. Hence, the spread of the English language to the rest of the world.

But, english is still not the most spoken language i believe, Mandarin (sp?), the Chinese tongue for example.

 

[YNCS]

The British Empire spread English throughout a large part of the world. Then its successor, the American commercial empire, continued the spread. When two countries are world powers for over 200 years and speak the same language, that language is going to be widely used.

 

[Plotinus]

But as I said, you have to distinguish between the two ways it spread. The legacy of the British empire is that lots of people speak English as their first language (or, in some cases, as a fluent second language). The legacy of American cultural and economic influence is that lots of people speak English as a foreign language. Clearly, the former had much more of an impact. Put it this way: how many countries have road signs in English as a result of American influence?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

But, english is still not the most spoken language i believe, Mandarin (sp?), the Chinese tongue for example.

In numbers, yes, there are probably more Mandarin speakers. However, far less people speak Mandarin outside of China than do English outside of England.

 

[Yeeek]

In numbers, yes, there are probably more Mandarin speakers. However, far less people speak Mandarin outside of China than do English outside of England.

Of course, you are quite right. No argue here. But whos to say how will China evolve in the next century. Who can predict, this century will see the hegemony of China, very much like the last century saw the expansion of the USA and the English language linked to it.

I remember in the late 70 and early 80, there was this thing in science-fiction novels, movies that pictured a world dominated by Japanese culture, language and economy. Blade Runner by Ridley Scott would be a good example. Because a lot of people believed Japan would beat the USA economicaly and perhaps through technology. Well, i guess they were wrong. But what about China? The sleeping Dragon as they nickname it.

I believe a China as strong than the USA even perhaps surpassing it at the end of this century is very probable.

 

[Rossiya]

it was the british that spread it everywhere, but i think the great usa will play a part in maintaining it in a few hundred years, when britain just becomes a "country" and nothing more.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

I was going to vote Imperial Britain until I realized how fast English is spreading today. I travelled to Europe last year for the first time (for a one-week holiday in Vienna) and was utterly amazed that the vast majority of people I met was at least functional in English, and a very large number of people could speak English with amazing comprehension. Most of the people I asked about it said that the English has basically exploded in use over the past ten years.

I voted both, understanding that the British Imperialism has spread deeper but the American Hegemony has spread the language farther but shallower.

...and most of my friends think that learning Spanish and Mandarin (or less commonly, Japanese or Arabic) is the wave of the future. This past year, I have seen almost every large store in the west side Detroit Suburbs switch to Dual Spanish/English signs with a smattering of chinese characters and arabic script in the subtitles on rare occasion. It's definitely a new thing around these parts, to say the least.

Oh, and most Chinese in this area actually speak Cantonese, not Mandarin, so the few Chinese words and phrases that I learned growing up don't actually help much outside of these parts.

 

[Rossiya]

But as I said, you have to distinguish between the two ways it spread. The legacy of the British empire is that lots of people speak English as their first language (or, in some cases, as a fluent second language). The legacy of American cultural and economic influence is that lots of people speak English as a foreign language. Clearly, the former had much more of an impact. Put it this way: how many countries have road signs in English as a result of American influence?

i know in germany, italy and uk has "STOP" sign

and also, i think how much english is spoken in the world is disgusting.

 

[luiz]

The British obivously did most of the spreding of English as first language, but the Americans are responsible for the fact that English is the global language. I, an ethnic Italian/Spanish/Belgian/German living in a former portuguese colony am writing in English right now because of US influence.

Of course, the US only speak English because of the Brits, so ultimately both were equally as important.

 

[Rambuchan]

I say "shared equally".

For me it's a question of:

A Need to speak English at Government Level over 1/4 of the World
+
British Imperial Education System
+
Hollywood & American Schools around the world
+
US Imperialism (military that is, cultural is Hollywood)

= English as the world language.

In other words....

The British Empire spread English throughout a large part of the world. Then its successor, the American commercial empire, continued the spread. When two countries are world powers for over 200 years and speak the same language, that language is going to be widely used.

And thanks for the great song. It's years since I've heard that.

If this is a joke sorry. If it is serious, then I have to say beer was known to ancient populations, especially egyptians, so no way an englishman could invent it.

Oh, it's such a topsy turvy, beery kind of song that it got it's chronology of beverages precisely upside down, inside out, if you will.

 

[Leatherneck]

American English is the official langauge of the air land and sea. All air traffic transmission are by internation law in English (American Version) as is all Sea Traffic and all technical manuals (words) much like latin is in the medical/science fields. This suppose to insure everyone is on the same page when talking and taking off and landing at airports and coming and going from sea ports.
Soon India will be the largest English speaking county, in part due to Englands occupation and now in part to America farming out tech support jobs. I think that just due American world wide presents around the world is why more people speak American English, i.e. the Internet, Movies, Magizines, Mass Media, Tourist, travellers and last but not least the Military.
Even in forums I don't see as many English folks using that native vernacular as I do see Americans using theres, more words in the last 50-100 years have gone back accross the pond (West to East) than have came over.
Now don't get me wrong I'm proud of my English/Scottish roots but I just think American English is taking on a life of it's own. Point being American English has many words from many langauges and has many words that are uniquely ours. CD, DVD, PC, geek, nifty, hacker and many other CRAZY words ... oh "crazy" an American word. The world is now polluted with American lexicons, trust me I'm not saying that is a good thing, because I think the langauge is getting to be about as lazy as many of the people. We all type and speak in acronyms anymore.
Both American English and the Queens English have tons of word from other languages, Latin (Roman) French, Spanish, German, Italian and now a influx of Asian words. Native langauges are dying out and who knows in a few 100 years if that long we have a universal langauge and only a few very rare unique ones like American English as we'll all be speaking Spanglish.

Anyway I have G2G BBL havta C a VIP, FYI, so keep it on da QT. Needta B dar ASAP, PDQ so TTFN. CU L8R LOL

 

[Leatherneck]

Shall we reformulate it into "The Americans speak a plain and simple English"?

Really? Might I remind you that "Surrender" is a French word, but you already knew that didn't you? That seems plain and simple enough.

 

[Steph]

Really? Might I remind you that "Surrender" is a French word, but you already knew that didn't you? That seems plain and simple enough.

http://www.frenchlinguistics.com/dictionary/
Type "surrender" and search. You will see that Surrender is not a French word (not result for the search)
But here, you can find it in an English dictionnary http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=surrender
See? It's an English word.

 

[Leatherneck]

http://www.frenchlinguistics.com/dictionary/
Type "surrender" and search. You will see that Surrender is not a French word (not result for the search)
But here, you can find it in an English dictionnary http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=surrender
See? It's an English word.

According to Oxford it's Old French/Anglo-French - from "surrendre" I'm going with Oxford, sadly you have to pay to access their online dictionary. Whom would you say is more in tune with the English langauge ... Oxford or Merriam-Webster a plain and simple American dictionary?

 

[Plotinus]

It's from "se rendre", to give or render oneself. Steph's point is that although "surrender" comes from the French, it is not itself French. Although I don't understand why you brought this up.

 

[Steph]

Congrats, you did your homework well.

Surrender is not a French word. It's and English word that come from an old French word "Surrendre".

Now that we have been very precise on the origin of this work... What does it prove?

 

[s.c.dude]

that english people like moving r's around