Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyssa
....
....Now, "ain't" is actually in the American English dictionary, and that drives me nuts.
|
As you're in the South, let me ask you about the word
y'all being in the dictionary.
Yes, language is a fluid thing. But its' common usage and pronunciation helps to build a common (as in a base line) national identity. (Any who want to object to national identities being good or bad should start that up in "Politics & Religion".)
Imagine if Japan had as may dialects as Russia or even Italy in the early 1900's. And I'm not talking dialects as in the difference between a person from Alabama vs. one from Maine. But dialects and written language so different as to be mutually unintelligible.
While in a favorite Chinese restaurant two Chinese girls game in and started talking to the owner in Chinese. After moment both parties switched to English. After the girls left I asked what had happened. The owner said that he didn't speak Mandarin, only Cantonese.
In some countries people are treated/classified according to their economic, social, or professional standing. A major indicator, aside from dress, is their use and pronunciation of language. Linguistically challenged people will ALWAYS be at a disadvantage in ANY sociaty.