No, the English don't speak the "purest" form of English (organic, transit)

[EddieOlSkool]

There is an idea that Americans (and many Brits) have that England, being the cradle of the language of English speaks the purest, most proper form of English. Standard English (Received Pronunciation aka BBC English) is believed to be the most correct and proper while it is believed Americans bastardized English to such a level that they created a horrible relative of the wonderful version spoken in its homeland.

The problem with this is it ignores history. Americans didn't butcher English of England. What happened is the English actually made their own changes post-Revolutionary War. Some US states followed suit (New York, Virginia) and some did not (Pennsylvania, most of Jersey and Maryland). Those that maintained the then current English settled much of the country. This means that the US was actually settled mostly by those who kept the actual "pure" form of modern English while the rest temporarily adopted a contrived pronunciation heard in the mother country.

Now, it is true that with the advent of Scottish immigration, the American (including Canadian) form of English then took on new pronunciation rules that shifted from England. However, it is inaccurate to say Americans butchered English or even "forgot" how to speak it properly. Ours evolved organically and there is no reason to believe that the RP of the BBC is somehow the original form or the purist.

Tl ; Dr version: Americans don't speak improperly

[ABQConvict]

Not to mention there are dialects within miles of London that deviate from RP far more radically than the dialects of American English.

[wolf39us]

Interesting! I really don't think anyone currently speaks the "purist" form of English. It's really a nonsensical thing to look for. Language constantly evolves and changes.

The only thing that I could think of that we could really look at is grammar.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

Not to mention there are dialects within miles of London that deviate from RP far more radically than the dialects of American English.

London English is itself England's version of the stigmatized Southern accent.

[forgotten username]

Aside from London and thereabouts, I don't understand UK accents as well as I do with most American accents.

[pbobcat]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

London English is itself England's version of the stigmatized Southern accent.

Is it? That's news to a Londoner of 40 years+

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by pbobcat

Is it? That's news to a Londoner of 40 years+

It was a joke.

[Brave New World]

English through a transition, Old Englisgh, Middle English, Early Modern English through to Modern English.

In terms of the earlier forms of English they are indeed very different to the English of today, and the works of Chaucer (Middle English) and others were written in earlier forms of English.

Old English Wiki

Middle English - Wiki

Early Modern English - Wiki

Modern English - Wiki

Old English Translator

[Eevee17]

Let's be purest and speak German. That was the root language for the original "English" language.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englis...to_Old_English

[wolf39us]

Originally Posted by Eevee17

Let's be purest and speak German. That was the root language for the original "English" language.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englis...to_Old_English

I'm considering picking up German. My family stopped passing down the language a few generations ago unfortunately.