KurviTasch Member
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#3 · Posted: 7 Sep 2005 18:08
Another difference that comes to mind is program/programme. Also whiskey/whisky. At one time, we spelled cigarette "cigaret," but this has changed.
it's interesting, but most typically "American" words are in fact older than their British equivalents. In th US, we use the word "Fall" to describe the upcoming season, while in the UK they use "Autumn." Fall is, in fact, the older term. American spelling is older as well, as jock123 points out. The "-er" suffix is, according to my old English teacher, a holdover from the older Anglo-Saxon form of English, while the "-re" suffix used in the UK today is a Norman influence. I would also suggest that the American "-er" usage is a German influence; in the eighteenth century, nearly one in two people in the colonies spoke German (or Dutch, in New York). "-Er" is a common suffix in Spanish verbs as well; remember that over half of the US today belonged to Spain or Mexico at one time or another.
The Tintin books use a lot of British vocabulary that is not used at all in the US. For example, in "Flight 714," a Sondonesian refers to the UFO as a "Fire Lorrie." I first read this volume when I was ten years old or so and had to ask around before I found out that a "Lorrie" is what we call a "Truck." In "Destination Moon," Snowy says "funny sort of lift" when he is being carried in Tintin's backpack while hiking. We call lifts elevators. One of the inportant plot factors of "The Land of Black Gold" is doctored petrol. We'd use the word "gasoline." On the whole, I prefer the British words for a European comic book.
I_love_Snowy, are there any differences between British and Australian spelling? I know that even in Canada the use the British spelling in general.
Also, are there differences between Belgian French and the French of France? From what I understand, Belgian Flemish and Dutch are practically the same language.
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