It's Lay-boor Day, not "Lay-Bower" Day

[jbg]

Happy Labor Day!!!

Edited September 3, 2007 by jbg

[gc1765]

Happy Labor Day!!!

Actually, here in Canada we spell it the English way. You are spelling it the American way.

[bush_cheney2004]

Actually, here in Canada we spell it the English way. You are spelling it the American way.

A telling response...is there no such thing as the Canadian way?

[geoffrey]

Umm... the language is English regardless of where it is spoken. We could call it Canadian but it's still the proper English spelling. Labour.

[richardson]

Umm... the language is English regardless of where it is spoken. We could call it Canadian but it's still the proper English spelling. Labour.

We speak American in the United States. People still call it English but it has morphed into American. We are no longer a part of the British Commonwealth. The United States is an independent country with its own language and it's own spelling. Additionally, even the English (British) don't spell words the same as they did in the past.

I apologize for my ignorance but don't some Canadians also speak French and don't many Canadians also speak a combination of French, English and American? If that is true and since you say you don't have your own language, wouldn't the spelling of the word be based on the country it comes from.

[Guest American Woman]

We speak American in the United States. People still call it English but it has morphed into American. We are no longer a part of the British Commonwealth. The United States is an independent country with its own language and it's own spelling. Additionally, even the English (British) don't spell words the same as they did in the past.

I apologize for my ignorance but don't some Canadians also speak French and don't many Canadians also speak a combination of French, English and American? If that is true and since you say you don't have your own language, wouldn't the spelling of the word be based on the country it comes from.

People still call it English because it is English. Canada is an independent country too, and some Canadians do speak French, the country has both English and French as the official languages. I imagine some Canadians are bilingual, speaking both English and French. As for a combination of "English and American"-- ??

Happy Labor Day everyone! Hope you're enjoying the long weekend.

Edited September 3, 2007 by American Woman

[Wilber]

Happy Labour Day to you to.

[margrace]

A telling response...is there no such thing as the Canadian way?

I wonder why you are so afraid of what Canada does have. How would you know what is the Canadian way?

[runningdog]

Happy Labor Day!!!

thanks very much...right back at you!

[bush_cheney2004]

I wonder why you are so afraid of what Canada does have. How would you know what is the Canadian way?

Thanks...you have answered the question without even realizing it.

[Wilber]

I don't know what the big deal is with o and ou. We do it differently thats all. The use of ou in words such as favour, honour and labour is something we still do the same way as the British. But so what, it's just spelling. There are probably as many dialects of English spoken in the British Isles as there are in North America. Which one is correct?

Americans inherited their language and common law from Britain whether they like to admit it or not. English in all its different forms is the closest thing there is to a world language. There are two reasons for that, the first of course is the British Empire and the second is American influence in the world since WW2. Out of all the English speakers in the world it would be interesting to see how many use o or ou.

Edited September 3, 2007 by Wilber

[jdobbin]

Americans inherited their language and common law from Britain whether they like to admit it or not. English in all its different forms is the closest thing there is to a world language.

And when given a choice, the U.S. decided to call one of their shuttles Endeavour.

NASA still gets confused. This past year they misspelled the name on the launch pad signs.

[Wilber]

And when given a choice, the U.S. decided to call one of their shuttles Endeavour.

NASA still gets confused. This past year they misspelled the name on the launch pad signs.

I'm assuming it was no mistake because they named it after HMS Endeavour, Captain Cooks ship on his first voyage. Wasn't aware of the launch pad faux pas.

Edited September 3, 2007 by Wilber

[jdobbin]

I'm assuming it was no mistake because they named it after HMS Endeavour, Captain Cooks ship on his first voyage. Wasn't aware of the launch pad faux pas.

No, I meant NASA spelled it "Endeavor" this year on a sign at the launch pad until it was pointed out by elementary students.

[Wilber]

No, I meant NASA spelled it "Endeavor" this year on a sign at the launch pad until it was pointed out by elementary students.

Ah, interesting. I hadn't heard about that.

[M.Dancer]

Americans......

[LonJowett]

The United States is an independent country with its own language and it's own spelling.

Don't try and blame your country for your bad spelling. Even in the U.S., the possessive "it" doesn't require an apostrophe.

[Fortunata]

We speak American in the United States. People still call it English but it has morphed into American.

Doesn't resemble any English any-other-where at all.

We are no longer a part of the British Commonwealth. The United States is an independent country with its own language and it's own spelling.

Uh-huh. If American is it's own language, why can any english speaking person around the world understand "American"? You may have morphed words but don't think you are original in that - any region, even within a country, will do that. It's a natural progression.

I apologize for my ignorance but don't some Canadians also speak French and don't many Canadians also speak a combination of French, English and American? If that is true and since you say you don't have your own language, wouldn't the spelling of the word be based on the country it comes from.

LOL, your own language. Take all english out of American and see what kind of language you have.

QUOTE(bush_cheney2004 @ Sep 3 2007, 03:52 AM) *

A telling response...is there no such thing as the Canadian way?

Ohhh, ouch. Another barb. Because we care so much about your opinion.

[jbg]

I don't know what the big deal is with o and ou. We do it differently thats all. The use of ou in words such as favour, honour and labour is something we still do the same way as the British. But so what, it's just spelling. There are probably as many dialects of English spoken in the British Isles as there are in North America. Which one is correct?

But your spelling doesn't match the pronunciation. Ours does.

Americans inherited their language and common law from Britain whether they like to admit it or not. English in all its different forms is the closest thing there is to a world language. There are two reasons for that, the first of course is the British Empire and the second is American influence in the world since WW2.

I agree. The fact that the largest single-language group of economically prosperous nations speaks English probably had something to do with it. That was a powerful attraction for English to become the working second language in large countries such as Japan and China.

Out of all the English speakers in the world it would be interesting to see how many use o or ou.

How do they do it in India?

[Drea]

But your spelling doesn't match the pronunciation. Ours does.

How do they do it in India?

if yu reelly wanted to go with pronunseeashuns this is how things wood bee spelt. Kood it bee inglish is popular beekuz thu British had a big empir way bak in thu day? and yu foks woo changd thu langooag did so beekuz yu wer rebells whoo booted thu loyalists owt.

LOL

edited to add:

All the former colonies of Britain would (wood LOL) spell it as they do in Britain, I expect.

You guys have done to the English language what Quebeckers have done to French LOL.

Edited September 5, 2007 by Drea

[jefferiah]

But your spelling doesn't match the pronunciation. Ours does.

Well perhaps labor day would be pronounced lay-bore not lay-boor. "Laber Day" would probably be close to how most people pronounce it. Also I don't know if you could say "bour" equals bower because that would mean bourbon ought to be pronounced bower-bun, and tournament would be tower-nament. Perhaps with words "our", and "hour" the pronunciation is the same as what you have suggested, but you must also consider the number "four" or the word "pour".

Edited September 5, 2007 by jefferiah

[jbg]

All the former colonies of Britain would (wood LOL) spell it as they do in Britain, I expect.

The US is a former British colony. Actually 13 of them.

[bush_cheney2004]

The US is a former British colony. Actually 13 of them.

True....a very large portion of the United States was never a British colony.

The English language isn't even British in origin, being one of the great "borrower" languages (western Germanic), a tradition Americans and others continue to this day. Such flexibility and adaptability distinguishes English from French and its cultural "protectors", but that is a topic for another thread.

[jbg]

The English language isn't even British in origin, being one of the great "borrower" languages (western Germanic), a tradition Americans and others continue to this day. Such flexibility and adaptability distinguishes English from French and its cultural "protectors", but that is a topic for another thread.

That flexibility plays some role in its becoming, effectively, the world language.

[kimmy]

How sad to see some people turn good-natured nose-tweaking into a bunch of pedantic drivel.

-k