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About LinkBacksNo he's not, he's English.Originally Posted by schmunk
If his parents are English, and he was born in England, he is English.
British is a myth. Nobody knows what it actually means. The Romans have left, Britania is no more.
No he's not, he's English.
British is a myth. Nobody knows what it actually means. The Romans have left, Britania is no more.
Well, Canada has the same Queen as us - the Queen.
I think Blitzen summed it up best: Im English, i was born in England, raised in England, support English teams (not British Teams).
Unless someone can fill in the blanks.
'I was born in England, raised in England, live in England, work in England, but I am not English because...'
saying I'm British is as good a reason as any to get into a good old argument
If we can define 'Great Britain', then 'British' is pretty much defined at least according to two sources (dictionary.com and Oxford dictionary). Both sources relate the term back to Great Britain.
I am at a loss as to why it is difficult to accept that British is simply a broader term that encompass the inhabitants of the various countries forming the UK as it is recognised internationally. So an Englishman British, but a British doesn't necessarily mean English.
One of the thing I did not say before (because the post was getting too long), is that yes, someone born of born in England of English parents, raised in England in England, and living in England is not likely to suffer from any identity crisis. Said individual is not likely going to think that s/he is Scottish or Welsh but English (though again, I see nothing wrong if the individual choose to define him/herself as 'British'). But what if the father is Welsh, mother is English, s/he is born and lived in Scotland for a few years, before moving to Northern Ireland, and eventually went to work in the Republic of Ireland? Said individual, I'd say, is entitled to have an identity crisis if s/he chose to, and I don't think that it becomes a straight forward to categorise any longer. And while the example I made up is probably very unusual, I reckon that even less extreme cases can be difficult to categorise.
i am english for a few reasons..
i talk louder at foreigners if they don't understand what i just said. and talk slower too. (thanks staffsmike)
i was born in southport, parents were from preston and southport, 1 grand-parent from essex. which means i am 1/2 southport 1/4 preston 1/4 essex.
the origin of my surname is english http://genealogy.about.com/library/s...l_name-LEE.htm
my family fought on the side of the confederates in the US civil war, got a car name after us for our efforts youtube - General Lee - can't get more english than that, we lost at something and are proud about it.
but the biggest reason is because i say so..
edit: just noticed this is question time section.. dont normally get involved in debates and things, i'll go now before i look foolish.
Last edited by stevie lee; 04-09-2008 at 09:45 PM.
Ans slower I hope, don't let the side down
Essex.. Lee*.. A match made in heaven. Do you enjoy Fords?
*I know it's your surname and that is a first name sterotype but nevermind
dad had a mk2 cosworth, granada and mondeo estate. i've driven a fiesta, focus and mondeo.. so you could say i like fords.
back to the original question about english identity crisis..
say someone is born in england, then moves to a foreign country and decides to stay there - applies for citizenship. do they still count themselves as english, or do they start saying "i'm an aussie/canadian/russian" if someone asks where are they from?
I always feel the "Where are you from?" question applies to where you were born. So I would say England. Or if it was an English person asking me, I would tell them where in England.
If you live in a new country that is where you live.. not where you are from.
english ? who are these english, me im a northumbrian, or a bernician
When Westminster rules only England.No he's not, he's English.
British is a myth. Nobody knows what it actually means. The Romans have left, Britania is no more.
When the royal family are the royal family of England (or not at all)
When it's English Airways, English Gas, ET etc.
When we cheer on Team England at the Olympics.
When this page stops existing on Wikipedia (and this page, for good measure).
...then I might start saying that I'm English. For the moment, however, I recognise myself as being a citizen of the contiguous landmass at which on a map one may point, called Great Britain.
English national football team.
Scotish national football team.
Welsh national football team.
You are British so best you support each of them by 1/3rd.
Go Great Britain football team!
Yes mate, but said contiguous landmass on said map is made up of England, Scotland and Wales. Different countries.
Just wondering why you see yourself as being from all of them?
What about Scily Isles.
What about the Falklands.
What about Gibraltar.
All have the same monarchy. (Although has little baring on being English as there is Oz and Canada to argue that point.
All have the same currency.
All have the same breweries (yes they do
Lastly...language.
Native language of Wales??? Is it English? Nope
Native Language of Scotland and Ireland?? Gaelic isn't it?
Native language of England?? You guessed it.
During your exams at school, did you take tests in British Lit and Language or English Lit and Language.
Thats doesnt hold water in the argument....then I might start saying that I'm English. For the moment, however, I recognise myself as being a citizen of the contiguous landmass at which on a map one may point, called Great Britain.
As i said Gibraltar. Same land mass as Spain but they dont consider themselves Spaniards. (By the same token they dont consider themselves Irish, Scottish or Welsh either)
Lastly...what about the term 'United Kingdom?
I think that describes these isles better.
As as with the term Britain, its used ONLY to describe something we do as an Island..........not what we are.
Last edited by Blitzen; 05-09-2008 at 11:36 AM.
First language of the vast majority of people living in Wales? EnglishLastly...language.
Native language of Wales??? Is it English? Nope
Native Language of Scotland and Ireland?? Gaelic isn't it?
Native language of England?? You guessed it.
During your exams at school, did you take tests in British Lit and Language or English Lit and Language.
First language of the vast majority of people living in Scotland? English
First language of the vast majority of people living in Northern Ireland? English
First language of the vast majority of people living in Republic of Ireland? English
First language of the vast majority of people living in the USA? English
First language of the vast majority of people living in Canada? English
First language of the vast majority of people living in Australia? English
First language of the vast majority of people living in New Zealand? English
Are these people all English? Your argument holds no water.
Last edited by schmunk; 05-09-2008 at 01:55 PM.
I would quite happily support a British team, even going so far as to say prefer, as it would likely be better than the current England team. Just think, with Ryan Giggs available there wouldn't have been the left wing problems that dogged England for so long...English national football team.
Scotish national football team.
Welsh national football team.
You are British so best you support each of them by 1/3rd.
Go Great Britain football team!
It's just a shame that such a team won't be playing at the 2012 Olympics, because of the bigotry and fear of each FA.
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