Random Q: why does everyone say Erb now instead of Herb?
Discussion
Just the natural evolution of the English language playing out.
Currently reading Bill Bryson's Made in America which is about how American English came to be which requires looking at the English Language as a whole. There are endless examples of things that just changed for which nobody knows why or for what benefit.
Currently reading Bill Bryson's Made in America which is about how American English came to be which requires looking at the English Language as a whole. There are endless examples of things that just changed for which nobody knows why or for what benefit.
dundarach said:
Never heard anyone say 'erb' as in 'herbs and spices' or is this some kind of private joking street slang thing, to which I'm too old and boring to be aware?
If you ever watch an American TV programme when they mention it, they'll pronounce it like they're French but ask them how to pronounce "chassis." I thought the point of American English was to correct all the inconsistencies with British English, but then they go about saying "erb."
Hoofy said:
dundarach said:
Never heard anyone say 'erb' as in 'herbs and spices' or is this some kind of private joking street slang thing, to which I'm too old and boring to be aware?
If you ever watch an American TV programme when they mention it, they'll pronounce it like they're French but ask them how to pronounce "chassis." I thought the point of American English was to correct all the inconsistencies with British English, but then they go about saying "erb."I wonder if it's part of this annoying trend of trying to pronounce everything with it's natural dialect, sKoda and HYundia I'm looking at you bozos!!
I refuse to understand my two teenagers if they dare use Americanisms!
dundarach said:
Hoofy said:
dundarach said:
Never heard anyone say 'erb' as in 'herbs and spices' or is this some kind of private joking street slang thing, to which I'm too old and boring to be aware?
If you ever watch an American TV programme when they mention it, they'll pronounce it like they're French but ask them how to pronounce "chassis." I thought the point of American English was to correct all the inconsistencies with British English, but then they go about saying "erb."I wonder if it's part of this annoying trend of trying to pronounce everything with it's natural dialect, sKoda and HYundia I'm looking at you bozos!!
I refuse to understand my two teenagers if they dare use Americanisms!
Why don’t they spell stuff using the letters which make it easy to correctly pronounce it?
Generally Americans are better at this than us so I’m surprised if they’re still spelling herbs with an H at the front ?
Why does Hunday have a Y as the second letter and an I as the last ?
Why did the Swedish England manager’s middle name (apparently pronounced ‘ Yoran’ ) have that word spelt Goran?
Generally Americans are better at this than us so I’m surprised if they’re still spelling herbs with an H at the front ?
Why does Hunday have a Y as the second letter and an I as the last ?
Why did the Swedish England manager’s middle name (apparently pronounced ‘ Yoran’ ) have that word spelt Goran?
Hoofy said:
dundarach said:
Never heard anyone say 'erb' as in 'herbs and spices' or is this some kind of private joking street slang thing, to which I'm too old and boring to be aware?
If you ever watch an American TV programme when they mention it, they'll pronounce it like they're French but ask them how to pronounce "chassis." I thought the point of American English was to correct all the inconsistencies with British English, but then they go about saying "erb."
dundarach said:
I refuse to understand my two teenagers if they dare use Americanisms!
The irony is that Americanism is more closely related to original English than modern British-English which has been exponentially influenced by European languages over the past 300 years. Even the American accent is widely believed to be the English accent at the time the Pilgrims set sail.The Pilgrims were puritans who disliked the progressive nature Britain - their modern equivalent would be classified as right-wing. So when they set up shop in the New World they kept things as they were whilst back home, things continued to evolve and continue to evolve today.
A further irony is that today, it's often the case that the most vociferous voices against Americanisms in Britain and the preservation of 'proper English' tend to favour right-wing ideology - yet the 'proper English' they seek to protect represents a the sort progressive, inclusive and dynamic culture many of such leaning push back against. (Not saying that's you, dundarach, just a wider observation).
A good example is Fall / Autumn. Fall was an English term for the season. Autumn (or a derivative; and of Latin / French origin) was a term used to describe Harvest. But Fall is what we used to describe the season. Around the 17th century, the two words started to be used interchangeably but as more Europeans, particularly the French, came to Britain, the balance swung to Autumn - though Fall was still being used here as recently as the early 1900s. No such influence impacted America so they stuck with Fall.
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