| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Have we said goodbye to "probably"? Thread poster: Tom in London
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
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 
United States
Local time: 21:38
Member (2006)
Norwegian to English
+ ...
| 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
Italy
Local time: 06:38
Italian to English
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
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:38
German to English
+ ...
| 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
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Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:38
French to English
+ ...
"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
United States
Local time: 21:38
English to German
+ ...
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
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
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]
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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.
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