How come the Americans think they discovered the English language and allow words that are not in a dictionary

Question

I am playing l;iterati for a while and I find it unbelievable the words that are allowed to be used. They just do not exist in any English dictionary. I used the word curtains the other day, not allowed it is what we Europeans call drapes.??? Why is it not allowed. Prys another well known English word, not allowed. There should be a literati for Americans and another one for Europeans who after all, speak correct English. A woman used the word Josh roday that is a proper noun and as such should not be allowed. NU and Mu are other examples.
It is a farce the whole thing and whoever allowed these words must not be able to speak English himself.

Answer 1

lol

come on, it's not that big of a deal ;)

Answer 2

Your complaint seems to be more about words that you think SHOULD be allowed but aren't rather than words that should NOT be allowed but are.



Curtains: perfectly valid word in English (even American English). If the Literati game didn't allow it, that's an error on their part (or you spelled it incorrectly).



Prys: not a word. There IS a word in English: "pry" which is a verb. The third person singular is "pries".



josh: a verb meaning to joke or enage in banter (as in "you're joshing with me").



nu and mu are names of Greek letters. Both Americans and British uses these names to describe the Greek letters ν and μ, respectively.



As for the rest of your question: Americans aren't the only ones to allow new words into the language. Shakespeare himself was quite fond of inventing new words where none existed for a concept he wanted to express. This is common practice in the English language. Also, borrowing words from foreign languages has been common practice in English since the Norse invaders first influenced the Saxon natives to create the earliest roots of Old English.



You really need to take up your complaint with the owners of whatever site you're playing Literati on, to tell them that their dictionary may not be completely correct. But don't blame the entire American culture just because you don't like the way the game works.

Answer 3

Almost every word of the English language originated from a foreign culture, look at the history of the British Isles, the facts are one of almost continuous invasions, Celtic, Norman, Saxon, French, Spanish etc. Every invasion left a permanent record of their presence via the usage of the words that fitted a certain circumstance and, because of this convenience was adopted by the local populace and its usage became commonplace. Pick up an English Dictionary and look at the origin of some of the most common use words, you would be surprised.

Answer 4

I think perhaps you just have to treat American English as another language. We have many regional variations in the UK too. When I first worked in Scotland I wondered what the hell 'diluting juice' was, turns out it's just 'squash', but they didn't know what 'squash' was. I'm not going to jump up and down about it.

Our cultures have separated out a bit, so it's not surprising language has too. I think you should moan about the makers of Literati rather than Americans. If you take a look at the longer English dictionary, there are all sorts of words in there which are not in common use other than in Scrabble, so I guess the same is true of Literati.



Linda T - I've never heard a German call chips 'pommes frites'!

Answer 5

Like all languages, English has evolved on both sides of the Atlantic. Note, the English no longer speak Shakespearian English; but a modern version of it.



We speak American English.



Your argument would apply to the English spoken in Australia or most any other Anglophone country.



Again, language changes over time. Accept it and learn a deep-breathing technique. It will facilitate the stresses of life, of which there are many.



Breathe in, breathe out...

Answer 6

Read edwarth's response and think seriously about it for a while. Languages are not cast in stone and words are not included in dictionaries to be preserved without change for ever. Languages are dynamic tools that serve the purposes of communicating. Dictionaries, as edwarth says, are for recording how educated people normally use words. Try reading the introduction of any good dictionary to learn the philosophy of dictionary makers.



FE

Answer 7

allowed to be used? language is created by the group and generation, learn to live with it. dictionaries record word use, they do not create or mandate. words become words and when the dictionary-writers learn about them, they are added to the books - not the other way around.



"prys"? do you mean "pries"? could be a spelling issue.



stop being an elitist. there is no such thing as "correct english" since language is created by the people speaking the language. no dialect can be considered superior as there is no distinction other than that between the groups themselves; and so to say european english is "correct" is only to indirectly say that those speakers of english who are not european are collectively inferior, which is absurd.



you keep going on about "allowed". please give me the number for the linguistic police. I never knew they existed.



JUST JOSHIN' ON U MAN!1

Answer 8

There's nothing to fight about here. That's how it works. Languages change all the time and in every countries. English people speak english, american people american, it's two different languages with the same origine that's all.



I'm french and even here, if you look in an old dictionary you'll find words and expressions that doesn't exist anymore. That's why they print new dictionaries, because languages always change, call it normal evolution.

Answer 9

I don't really think it's the case that we Americans are completely trying to change the language, it's just our way of speaking. This is exactly the same case with Canadian French- Parisian French, Latin American Spanish- Spaniard Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese- European Portuguese. A significant number of differences are found in all of these languages simply because language is an evolving thing.

Answer 10

Languages are living things and change and adapt to new conditions. There are many families of the English language today. We should be proud to give to the world such a versatile language. The yankee gringos speak a type of English, one which they call 'American English'. But there are actually many forms of it. The Latinos and Black yankees speak different forms of AE, some of which have found its way into gringo AE. But all AE is really 'broken' English, e.g.,as spoken by Donald Rumsfeld or Bush. Few of them have mastered the grammar or syntax properly. But that's AE. We have to be magnanimous to the rich, but vulgar.

Answer 11

Speaking as a British person - it always amazes me when (presumably) British people are snobby about the American variety of English. The only answer I can give is Faulkner Hemingway Baldwin Wharton Roth Bellow Whitman Dickinson Fitzgerald Updike Sallinger Frost Angelou Hughes Vonnegut...and so on.



I'm also amazed that people often don't understand what dictionaries are. They don't *specify* the language, they record it. All languages, including English, change (How much Anglo-Saxon or Norman French do you know?) Some words are lost, some change their meaning, some are added. The glory of English is its dynamism. And can you think of a more dymanic variety than American English? May it continue to enrich and expand our dictionaries.

Answer 12

the americans didn't discover english you snob, they just adopted it and ran with it,too bad you never bothered to keep up . looks like you have to come into the new millenium bud. unlike most european languages ,english isn't dead yet. that's the beauty of it, slang is mainstream whether you like it or not. your complaint should be directed to whoever makes the rules for your lame game, maybe you should see if there are any revised rules, if there are then you my friend are a "boob"(there's a proper english word for you lol). there are revised dictionaries on the web i'm sure. either bone up on your english or stfu.

Answer 13

I agree..There should be 2 dictionaries!

I watched an old movie the other day called "Snatch" with Brad Pitt..They were in England and in one scene this American guy flew over to England and when he was talking to the English man he said " You people invented the English language and I haven't heard a bleeping word of it since I've been here." ;))

Answer 14

"Not in 'A' dictionary"? Have you checked all the words in every brand of dictionary?



Even in "British English" not all words are listed in most dictionaries.

Answer 15

Why pick on Americans. I would like you to name one language that does not have slang. PS Mr. European if we all spoke "proper" English we would all sound like Shakespeare. You are full of yourself aren't you. When a "European" play is over do they have a drape call instead of a curtain call. Josh means to joke but it is also short for a name Joshua. We will work on our English if you work on your spelling.

Answer 16

I'm sure NO ONE speaks correct English....and you're describing DIALECT...when there are multiple words for one thing. It depends on region and the people and stuff. Yeah, sure you can have two different dictionaries, but there'd still be the confusion.

Answer 17

huh



standard english language born in the wood of anglo-saxon and normans french castles in England , in Europe



i cant see how american discovered this language?lol





american words put in english (basic from england) are of african or indian or french or dutch or spanish or german or english dialect or polish , or scottish , or irish, or french dialect , or dutch dialect , or german dialect or spanish dialect , or indians dialect or african dialect origin

...



linda t :

GERMANIC not german , german isnt the mother language , it's Just that german is poken in the regions where germanic people come from ,it's only for that that in english we call german language as "german" originally german languages is call "deutsch" , but germanic people are dutch people ,danish,franks (french)swedish,norwgeians,saxon,angles,wisigoth



ect..



and english is more similar to dutch and frisian and french than to german



i thought shakespear spoke old english?

old english isnt the same language as english

english is completly different

cause english is : old english+normans french



in french spoken there are many words who arent in the dictionnary :)

almost all are of dialect origins , or english,or spanish , or italian or german or gypsies depanding of the region

almost all french say "ciao" for say "byebye" and it"s not a french word but a famous italian words, and "bye" is also use

Answer 18

Language evolves once it's been isolated from its source - it's how ALL languages evolved across Europe throughout time.



English itself is derived from a Western German dialect - but no one's complaining that they (the Germans of today) call chips 'pommes frites' now are they?

Answer 19

we know we didn't discover the English language, its how we were raised and taught to speak, other wise we would of failed school, some here say drapes some curtains, i understand your frustration, but its not our fault.

Answer 20

If people use it, it's a word! American or English! Now the Oxford Dictionary contains numerous slang words...



Of course proper nouns aren't allowed...but "curtains" should be!

Answer 21

As an American I feel that our version of the English language is primarily dictated by our culture, unfortunately it is mostly pop-culture. I see some words being added to the dictionary that, quite frankly, make me sick. My mother was an english teacher and she taught me proper vocabulary, but the older I get the more I find myself heavily using slang simply because that is the norm.



The uneducated masses have moved into academia and pop-culture is now the national language. It's just what America is, for better or worse. If we wanted to speak proper English all the time we wouldn't have had a revolution. ^__~

Answer 22

Much ado about nothing. Some people speak and write one way, another people speak and write another way. It is not wrong on either side--it is just different

Answer 23

Thats not just english spanish is different in different dialects its just culture

Answer 24

Whoa dude. Chill out. Americans are just keepin it real in the hood. Easy on the hizzy fits and shizzle dizzle brother.

Answer 25

If you call this rant of yours and your inexistent punctuation correct English, then help us God.

Answer 26

if you know anything about language it is that it's forever changing therfore once a dictionary has been publish it is already out of date because new words are being formed everyday

Answer 27

Get Over It

Answer 28

After over 200 years now,there are 2 versions of the English language:

One on your side of the Atlantic.

One on my side of the Atlantic.





Get over it...

Answer 29

it's because Americans rule.... how about that?

Answer 30

It's the Golden Rule.



Those who have the gold, make the rules.

Answer 31

Its simple its because thy ae americans and they can!!!

Answer 32

"josh" can also mean "joke". I think you need to find something else to complain about.

Answer 33

bloody yanks i hate them, think that there better than everyone else, they go and start a war bloody chicken out cry for our help, so we start winning it for them and how do they repay us...... by killing half our soldiers in "friendly fire". you didnt win ww2, your just a country of lying thieving wa*kers

Answer 34

Shut up.



Is that English enough for you?

Answer 35

i hate americans innit!

feckin curtains n all that jazzizzle.

bom shacka lacka

Answer 36

i agree that the Americans have ruined the English language. come on its a refrigerator not and "ice box" for god sake pavement not "sidewalk" they have to simplify things just because they're too stupid to figure it out themselves. yeah sure some can be cool but they need to get a grip that no they didnt "save our asses in world war 2" and that their history has only been going for 300 years. come on people

x

Answer 37

I agree.

Colour is spelt with a "U".

But don't worry most of the yanks cant even spell dictionary so don't worry.

Answer 38

no offence but they think they own everything

anyway the language is ENGLISH not american so they should stick to our language and not try to change it