Páginas no tópico: < [1 2] | Have we said goodbye to "probably"? Tópico cartaz: Tom in London
| Tom in London Reino Unido Local time: 22:32 Membro (2008) italiano para inglês CRIADOR(A) DO TÓPICO
John Fossey wrote: Tom in London wrote: What are they doing to our English? Whose English is it anyway? The British think it belongs to their Queen. | | | Michele Fauble Estados Unidos Local time: 14:32 Membro (2006) norueguês para inglês + ... Language change | Aug 19, 2014 |
Nothing is immutable. Like everything else, languages change. Without language change, we would not have that beautiful language known as Italian. | | | Giles Watson Itália Local time: 23:32 italiano para inglês In memoriam The Queen's English | Aug 19, 2014 |
Tom in London wrote: The British think it belongs to their Queen. The beauty of the Queen's English is that is an abstract ideal, as opposed to the academy-regulated sets of rules that constrict so many other languages. As Michele points out, Italian is beautiful. One of the reasons why it remains so is that there is no "Accademia della lingua italiana" attempting to lay down the law. Italians continue to express themselves as imaginatively as ever while the scholars at the excellent Accademia della Crusca take note, but refrain from interfering | | | Oliver Walter Reino Unido Local time: 22:32 alemão para inglês + ... My reactions | Aug 19, 2014 |
Nobody has yet mentioned that (in the correct English language that I believe I use) "probably" is an adverb (i.e. it qualifies a verb) and "likely" is an adjective (that qualifies a noun or pronoun). Examples: some Prozians will probably disagree with me, but I am not likely to change my opinion. I think the use of "likely" as an adverb is an Americanism (arising, I assume, from the idea that a word ending in "ly" must be an adverb), as are some other errors suc... See more Nobody has yet mentioned that (in the correct English language that I believe I use) "probably" is an adverb (i.e. it qualifies a verb) and "likely" is an adjective (that qualifies a noun or pronoun). Examples: some Prozians will probably disagree with me, but I am not likely to change my opinion. I think the use of "likely" as an adverb is an Americanism (arising, I assume, from the idea that a word ending in "ly" must be an adverb), as are some other errors such as the incorrect use of "practice" (it's a noun) and "practise" (it's a verb). In my (not always humble!) opinion, most Americanisms in English are simply wrong (in GB English). I approve of, and use, just a few, such as: program (in a computer, not a concert), disk, analog (in a technical context), and a couple more that don't come to mind just now. Of course, somebody may reply that American spellings (or, at least, some of them) are the correct ones, used by the English-speaking immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries. In that case I would have to reply that, for me, the "correct" English is the one that I learned mainly in the third quarter of the 20th century. I can't see myself ever using "likely" as an adverb, or making other "popular" mistakes such as "amount of" where it should be "number of", and others that belong in other threads of discussion. Oliver ▲ Collapse | |
|
|
Rachel Fell Reino Unido Local time: 22:32 francês para inglês + ...
"likely" can be an adverb in UK English, it's just that it's used differently in the US. likely adj 1 probable. 2 suitable or useful for a particular purpose • a likely spot for a picnic. 3 ironic credible •a likely tale. adverb probably. | | | Nicole Schnell Estados Unidos Local time: 14:32 inglês para alemão + ... In memoriam I never heard this one. | Aug 20, 2014 |
Tom in London wrote: "He'll likely come tomorrow"? And why are such blunders considered American? What are they doing to our English? If you would provide some links or any other kind of source from time to time, we might be able to track down the culprit. And we can make make sure that the little anecdotes are not made up. Cheers | | | Tom in London Reino Unido Local time: 22:32 Membro (2008) italiano para inglês CRIADOR(A) DO TÓPICO | Tom in London Reino Unido Local time: 22:32 Membro (2008) italiano para inglês CRIADOR(A) DO TÓPICO
Nicole Schnell wrote: And why are such blunders considered American? I don't think they're blunders; another word, perhaps. I greatly appreciate American English when it is spoken and written by literate people; everyone from Thomas Jefferson to Joan Didion. And for the record, I consider contemporary American literature much better than contemporary British literature (and almost as good as contemporary Irish literature) But alas, that is not the American English we mostly get in commercial movies and TV programmes and I have a theory that that's where less literate social groups get their English.
[Edited at 2014-08-20 15:34 GMT] | |
|
|
Tom in London wrote: But alas, that is not the American English we mostly get in commercial movies and TV programmes and I have a theory that that's where less literate social groups get their English.
[Edited at 2014-08-20 15:34 GMT] American TV and movies are actually at a pretty high level of English compared to much of what you will hear spoken by many citizens... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQjXAzvVGHI | | | probably not | Aug 21, 2014 |
Don't worry Tom, it'll probably never happen, not on my watch anyway. | | | Páginas no tópico: < [1 2] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Have we said goodbye to "probably"? Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
| Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |