If you’re anything like me, there’s something a little irksome about people not paying attention to the standards of what’s known as Canadian English. You know what I’m talking about—people who use “center” instead of “centre” and who refuse to add the letter u to words like “colour” and “favourite”. I’m sure for most people, these small differences really don’t matter, especially because they do nothing to change the meaning of the words. But I feel a bit protective of our unique version of English and the fact that it sets us apart from the country to the south of us with which we’re so frequently lumped together. These differences feel especially important when used in the media, as they help to identify Canadian versus American content. Much of the time, Canadians are perhaps too accepting of a watered-down, Americanized version of who we are, and I believe small things like maintaining Canadian English standards help us to carve out a deeper sense of identity (albeit, a Canadian anglophone one). A Brief History So what is Canadian English, exactly? According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Canadian English is a blend of British and American English, with a bit of French influence for good measure. Waves of immigration from Europe and the northern United States helped to establish the foundation for what is modern Canadian English. The strange thing about Canadian English is the way it has borrowed seemingly inconsistently from the languages that influenced its development. For example, we use the British spellings of words like “colour” and “favourite” (Americans don’t use the u between the o and r), but we opt for the American spellings of words like “realize” and “analyze” (the British use s instead of z). I like to think this is just because we’re super polite and didn’t want to offend by leaving one or the other out of our English standards. Even within our own country, though, there are standards that differ depending on what region you’re from. People on the east coast sound different from those in central Canada, and they often use phrases that people in other regions have never heard before. Accents, slang, and phrases in each region separate us somewhat as a country. And maybe that’s why the standards of Canadian English feel like they can draw us together. Will it Survive? The thing about language is that it’s a constantly changing entity. And young people tend to have a hand in the shifts that occur in its use. Based on what I observe of language use among younger people now, I would guess that Canadian English will eventually lose out to a more Americanized version. Globalization and technology have already changed the way we communicate, so I suspect that there might eventually be a global standard for English one day (certainly not in our lifetime, but maybe generations from now). In some ways, a global standard for English would be more inclusive, although it’s a bit sad to think that groups of English speakers with their own dialects and standards across the globe would eventually lose their uniqueness. How would Americans continue to make fun of the way we talk? For now, my fellow Canadians, can you just do me a favour and use re instead of er? What are your thoughts on Canadian English vs. American or British English? Do you care? Do you think we should just fully adopt one version or the other? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! More Reading on Canadian English: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150820-why-is-canadian-english-unique
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_English http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/11/canadian-english-differen_n_2853947.html https://www.oupcanada.com/reference_trade/canadian_oxford_dictionaries/why_do_i_need_a_canadian_dictionary.html |
Hello!
If you're looking for information and resources on writing, editing, and communication in general, you've come to the right place! Archives
November 2016
Categories
All
|