Caldan English
Caldan English encompasses the various forms of the English language used in the Caldan Union. Terms like Standard Caldan English, Proper Caldan English, the Queen's English, or Received Caldan English are sometimes used normatively to refer to the English taught in the state school curriculum. As of 2020, English is the first language of 67.2% of the Caldan population and the primary language spoken at home for 74.9% of the population. It is the language of government and commerce. Most education and most mass media is done in English. Caldan English shows the influence of the use of the language internationally, contact with other languages in the nation and the region, organic linguistic evolution, and the influence of Lanerian, Leagran, and Excalbian English.
History and Influences
Caldan English has many roots. The principal source of the language, of course, is the English spoken by British settlers. However, Caldan English began to develop separately in the 16th century and many other languages have influenced the development of Caldan English. French was spoken in Arcadia well before Union and Caldan English borrows many words from French. Words have also been adopted from indigenous languages. The Dutch spoken in neighbouring Knootoss also had a significant impact.
The term Caldan English was first used by Professor Peter Cuthbertson in his lectures on the classics at Avonbury University. Cuthbertson, ironically, was a staunch opponent of the language, unfavourably contrasting it with 'proper' English. Cuthbertson believed in both an allegedly purer and more formal English and in prescriptive grammar rules modeled off of Latin. Cuthbertson considered Caldan language to be corrupt and inferior to the purer language of the mother country.
Spelling and Word Choice
- Words such as realise and organisation are spelled with an s rather than a z.
- Words such as anesthesia and gynecology are spelled with an e rather an ae.
- Words such as colour and honour are spelled with a u.
- Defence is spelled with a c but offense with an s.
- Practice and license are both nouns and verbs.
- Cancelled and travelling take a double l but counselor does not.
- Caldan English uses curb, tire, and aluminum.
- Cookie and cracker are distinct terms from biscuit, which refers only to quick bread biscuits.
- Holiday and vacation can both be used for a recreational trip though holiday is also used for publicly observed holidays.
- Coriander instead of cilantro.
- Woods instead of bush.
- Wildfire instead of bushfire.
- Pepper instead of capsicum.
- Cooler instead of ice box.
- Sidewalk instead of footpath.
- Popsicle instead of ice lolly.
- Sweets instead of candy.
- Powerpoint instead of socket.