Two nations separated by a common language
Melissa and I have gone to England. We will come back, bringing back souvenirs, but in the meantime, you just get my thoughts.
At the start of our booked tour, our tour guide informed us that, as George Bernard Shaw said, we are two nations separated by a common language. The first part of the statement is totally true. We are two nations. In fact, when discussing the history of England, Ann the Guide said that "it all" happened with George III. She never said what it was, but I am going with context clues, and it must be when the American colonies had, through political surgery, separated from the British Empire. The beginning of TWO NATIONS. I must point out that that happened some 300 years ago. We are no longer exactly sister nations, then; more like 10th cousins thrice removed (once by the Atlantic, once by 1776, and once by 1812).
As the internet has existed for perhaps the later tenth of those years, thus breaking off a widespread exposure to each other, our similarities have gotten fewer than at the original separation point. I don't even know how common our language is. Technically, we both speak English, yes. We have different words for things, which I guess means they are different dialects. That shouldn't separate us so much. I think what separates us linguistically is the culture behind the words. Vastly different.
For example, I was in the V&A museum in London looking at various displays. A museum attendant told me that I had ten minutes to closing time. I said okay, and then continued looking at exhibits, because according to the American dialect, "You have ten minutes" means continue, but speed it up toward the doors. According to the British dialect, it must mean "Please leave now", because the museum attendant followed me and asked, "Did you acknowledge me?" Which confused me, because I HAD--I said okay. that is acknowledgement in my understanding. Her understanding, though, was movement toward the door.
So in cause you skimmed through that story, or missed the moral, here it is: I understood every WORD she said. I did not understand her MEANING, and I did not even realize that I was not understanding her meaning. I found that I could not assume that I knew how to communicate, or what I was expected to communicate, or even that we were communicating while using the same language.
Tricky, tricky.
At the start of our booked tour, our tour guide informed us that, as George Bernard Shaw said, we are two nations separated by a common language. The first part of the statement is totally true. We are two nations. In fact, when discussing the history of England, Ann the Guide said that "it all" happened with George III. She never said what it was, but I am going with context clues, and it must be when the American colonies had, through political surgery, separated from the British Empire. The beginning of TWO NATIONS. I must point out that that happened some 300 years ago. We are no longer exactly sister nations, then; more like 10th cousins thrice removed (once by the Atlantic, once by 1776, and once by 1812).
As the internet has existed for perhaps the later tenth of those years, thus breaking off a widespread exposure to each other, our similarities have gotten fewer than at the original separation point. I don't even know how common our language is. Technically, we both speak English, yes. We have different words for things, which I guess means they are different dialects. That shouldn't separate us so much. I think what separates us linguistically is the culture behind the words. Vastly different.
For example, I was in the V&A museum in London looking at various displays. A museum attendant told me that I had ten minutes to closing time. I said okay, and then continued looking at exhibits, because according to the American dialect, "You have ten minutes" means continue, but speed it up toward the doors. According to the British dialect, it must mean "Please leave now", because the museum attendant followed me and asked, "Did you acknowledge me?" Which confused me, because I HAD--I said okay. that is acknowledgement in my understanding. Her understanding, though, was movement toward the door.
So in cause you skimmed through that story, or missed the moral, here it is: I understood every WORD she said. I did not understand her MEANING, and I did not even realize that I was not understanding her meaning. I found that I could not assume that I knew how to communicate, or what I was expected to communicate, or even that we were communicating while using the same language.
Tricky, tricky.
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