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Vocabulary US/UK - World Englishes - Language

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"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all."

—Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass

Languages are alive. The use of language rules, as Ferdinand De Saussure, the Daddy of Modern Linguistics, stated, which means, for instance, that a word from American English or one from British English may end up being chosen by the international community of speakers communicating so-to-say, thus becoming the option in what is called International English, or even of native speakers who didn't use it before. Check this: in UK English, the word "aeroplane" is what in the USA people name "airplane". Which of these appears in British textbooks for EFL learners?

There's something called International English which is kind of made up with the easiest options and US English Spelling is closer to how the word is pronounced, so that explains why it is so popular worldwide.

You have probably heard about US American General/Standard English versus British General/Standard English, but the truth is that each English-speaking community develops its own language tools to describe the world, and because of geography (proximity) or former invasions (colonizations) its own set of borrowings,too. In the USA it is common to find borrowings from American Indian communities and languages and from (American) Spanish. In the UK there are more words from Hindi, for instance. The words someone living in the deserts of Australia needs won't be the exact replica of what someone living in Dublin needs. So — don't get too nationalistic about languages. Let's just respect collective identities! Languages, including the varieties of a same language, are connected to culture, to how a community understands the world and their relationships. If you have traveled, you probably know that what is good for a certain community, like kissing total strangers to say hello, can be aggressive or offensive for another (Thai people, for instance), or like offering a cigarrette (again, in Spain), can be generally unwelcomed (they feel obliged /obláigd/ en deuda or offended) in England!

US UK US UK

Candy
Cookies
Eggplant
Zucchini
Fall
(Shopping) Cart
Line
Elevator
Diaper
Zipper
Trunk
Windshield
Sidewalk
Rubber boots, rain boots
Roundtrip - One-way ticket
I'm going downtown
Flashlight
Subway
Cab, taxi
Gas, gasoline
Apartment

Sweets
Biscuits
Aubergine
Courgette
Autumn
Trolley
Queue
Lift
Nappy
Zip
Boot
Winscreen
Pavement
Wellington boots (wellies)
Return ticket - One-way ticket
I'm going to the city centre
Torch
Tube, underground
Taxi
Petrol
Flat

Lawyer, attorney

Could I have the check? (rest.)
Baggage carousel - both luggage for people's suitcases

Vacation - but holiday for public holidays*


Rubber
Eraser
Sweater
Pants
Panties
Chips
French Fries**
Mad - Are you mad at me?
Crazy

Solicitor

Could I have the bill? (restaurant)
Luggage conveyor belt - both luggage for people's suitcases

Holiday(s) - bank holidays for public holidays exc. Xmus & Easter*

Condom
Rubber***
Jumper
Trousers
Pants
Crisps
Chips
Angry
Mad - Mad as a hatter

*People who believe States should not impose any specific religion, call the Christmas and Easter holidays, winter and spring holidays (like people in France do) but this is not mainstream yet!
**Out of criticism to the European position against the war of Irak, patriots in the USA starte d calling French fries, Freedom fries.
***Also eraser! esp. if a US person is around! - "Have you got a rubber?"!!!