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What with increasing European integration and all, would people from the UK say they or their country feel closer to the U.S. culturally (because of the language) or closer culturally to the rest of Europe (geographic and political proximity) these days?
Good question. I studied modern languages and speak four European languages besides English and have spent a couple of years living/studying/working all over Europe and I'd much rather we were politically and socially more like the Europeans (well, more like Canada/Australia/NZ - if I ever had to leave here then I'd go to one of those three) than America, so you'd assume I'd be as Europhile as anybody, yet I know far more about the US, which I've never visited, and I spend so much time on this American forum and rarely practice my languages.
I think the lure and attraction of America is not what it was 50-60 years ago and we certainly know more about the rest of Europe now through visits/sport/foreign food/Eastern European immigration, but how much the average British person knows about Europe is still nothing like what we know about the US. I literally cannot think of a single European TV show/film/book/foreign-language band that has become mainstream over here, and I'd estimate about half our popular culture is American. Most people are apathetic about the idea of the EU and although hundreds of thousands of older British people live in France/Spain few of them really put down roots and blend in the same way most who emigrate to the English-speaking countries do. My parents, both teachers so fairly educated people, prefer to go on holiday to North America because they prefer not to bother with dealing with foreign languages in Europe.
Culturally a LOT closer to the rest of Europe than the US, despite the common language. The UK is quite unique, but in terms of politics, healthcare, sports, social policy and demographics, it has 1,000,000 times more in common with a country such as Denmark, Belgium or the Netherlands than it does with the US.
Culturally a LOT closer to the rest of Europe than the US, despite the common language. The UK is quite unique, but in terms of politics, healthcare, sports, social policy and demographics, it has 1,000,000 times more in common with a country such as Denmark, Belgium or the Netherlands than it does with the US.
You mean linguistically right? It should be Scots that's the closest language, then the Frisian language in Nederlands and parts of Germany.
By ancestry/genetics, British are probably a mix of the people that migrated from there and the Celts.
I've always though of the British as a mix of Celts, Saxons, Normans, with a touch of Norse thrown in for good measure. Culturally, not massively different from the Netherlands, even though many British people would not want to consider themselves like any other Euro nation, although Britain is very much a North-West European nation.
Old English is a West Germanic language, most closely related to Frisian. As an example, check out the Lord's Prayer in old English:
I've always though of the British as a mix of Celts, Saxons, Normans, with a touch of Norse thrown in for good measure.
Probably maybe some southern European from the Romans , although not much?
I've heard studies on genetics that showed the British showed more similarity to the Celts, overall than the later groups. It would make sense since the various invaders from mainland Europe, at each of their times, might mostly be comprised of a ruling elite that although had lots of cultural/political influence, was small in population size, and mixed with the larger population of locals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Glasvegas
Old English is a West Germanic language, most closely related to Frisian. As an example, check out the Lord's Prayer in old English:
Yeah, it's diverged a lot since then (especially with the adding of Norman French and Latin/Greek words from the Renaissance), but the Germanic roots seem still recognizable, which is why there's always a kind of weird feeling of familiarity when seeing certain German words (like Volk = folk, for people).
Probably maybe some southern European from the Romans , although not much?
I've heard studies on genetics that showed the British showed more similarity to the Celts, overall than the later groups. It would make sense since the various invaders from mainland Europe, at each of their times, might mostly be comprised of a ruling elite that although had lots of cultural/political influence, was small in population size, and mixed with the larger population of locals.
True. Interestingly, the Celts themselves originated from Central Europe. I read somewhere that early British people descended from Basques from the Iberian Peninsula? I'll have to do some more research though.
True. Interestingly, the Celts themselves originated from Central Europe. I read somewhere that early British people descended from Basques from the Iberian Peninsula? I'll have to do some more research though.
I've heard about the Iberian connection with early Britons, before the Celts came, although that would be pretty far back, going to pre-historic times (perhaps around the time of Stonehenge or so ). If you go far back enough to around 10, 000 years though, Britain would be uninhabited because they were glaciers there, as there were in much of North America.
I mean, in essence, they were all originally Europeans, as all islanders all had to come from a mainland somewhere, it'd just be many "waves" of migration, over the years.
Last edited by Stumbler.; 12-30-2010 at 03:00 PM..
I believe the influence the Vikings had on Britain is vastly understated. A large chunk of Britain was under Danelaw for 2 centuries and unlike the Romans, the Norse settlers mingled and reproduced with the natives. There are even a fair few modern-day Brits who look almost completely Scandinavian, e.g. this guy:
He doesn't look too Celtic to me. Also, the lead singer of Band Of Skulls looks Scandinavian. I think a lot of Brits have Norse ancestry.
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, although not much?