What's the difference? Great Britain, The United Kingdom, England, British, English...



CoeurDeLion78

CoeurDeLion78 (35)

CoeurDeLion78
I speak:
English
I learn:
French, Italian, Esperanto, Welsh
Busuu berries :
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The truth is, no great difference; England is a country situated in the British Isles; the inhabitants speak English. The rest of the British Isles is composed of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the latter being part of the Island of Ireland, and politically part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is the political union of these countries.

The reason I pose the question, is because many people are unaware that Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales are all countries with their own language, cultures, traditions and specialities. Yes, English is spoken in almost every corner, but did you know that street signs in Wales and in Ireland are bilingual? Or that Scottish people often celebrate the new year more than they do Christmas? The reason it is important to not overlook the traditions and cultures of each seperate country when speaking to a native, is because the pride in one's identity is often strong. A person from Scotland might not be unhappy to be called British, but they most certainly would not like to be called 'English', although they speak a heavily accented version of the same language!

It is important that the interesting cultural and traditional differences everywhere are not swept aside or overlooked in the great technological revolution which is doing so much to shrink the world. It is equally important that we do not lose our sense of identity with our culture, traditions and languages. So, go ahead and share with some interesting facts which delineate your culture!

 

Iuliietta

Iuliietta (39)

Iuliietta
I speak:
Russian
I learn:
English, German, Italian
Busuu berries :
19845
  

Oh, now, I need to explaining the nuances:)

of history, I suppose…As far as I know, Caesar brought under control but couldn't occupy the Island, there the Britons lived. When the Barbarian Invasions began, the Angles  (the German’s tribe from Jutland (?)) moved to British Island. At first the word “England” was used in time of heirs to the King Alfred the Great. Was it the name only of south-west part of island? Then, you a really an Englishman (in Montreal).What about the Picts? I heard the supposition that “Britons” was the original name of the Picts (“Pritani”) and later it have been carried over all inhabitants of the island. Have it been? Whether the Picts (as Scotti too) were the  ancestors of modern scots? Let me send a letter later:) 

CoeurDeLion78

CoeurDeLion78 (35)

CoeurDeLion78
I speak:
English
I learn:
French, Italian, Esperanto, Welsh
Busuu berries :
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Thanks for the interesting contribution; it is true that Caesar brought much of the British Isles under his governorship, but after the conquest, the Romans very skilfully blended their culture (excellent roads, fortified towns etc) with the original inhabitants' own culture. He never succeeded in taming the true Angles though, the inhabitants of East Anglia, who were led by their queen Boadicea. To this day, those from Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex (Eastern counties) have an independent spirit and a resentment of politics and bureaucracy! Yes, the Picts were ancestors of most of the Scottish and Northern English tribes, they were an almost prehistoric people who were never truly subverted by civilisation. Don't believe the melodramas created by Hollywood (which all, without exception, denigrate the English). Braveheart, Arthur, etc are very sentimental but historically about as useful and accurate as Star Trek to a true and impartial historian, the movie scripts were written largely to conform to a current USA perception of the world! 

My ancestry is as mixed as many of my compatriots, my family name originally being Spanish (altered during the 17th century!) and my mother's family having a long Irish line. I don't believe this makes me any more Irish than a guy from Mozambique for example, and find the whole St Patrick's Day celebrations in North America a bit absurd. After all, fascinating as ancestry is, it is not everything- how can I take credit (and thus, pride) in my ancestors if I did nothing towards the way they lived or behaved?

CoeurDeLion78

CoeurDeLion78 (35)

CoeurDeLion78
I speak:
English
I learn:
French, Italian, Esperanto, Welsh
Busuu berries :
9888
  

Oh, now, I need to explaining the nuances:)

of history, I suppose… As far as I know, Caesar brought under control but couldn't occupy the Island, there where the Britons lived. When the Barbarian Invasions began, the Angles  (the German’s tribe from Jutland (?)) moved to the British Isles. At first the word “England” was used in the time of the heirs to the King Alfred the Great. Was it the name only of the south-west part of the island? Then, you a really are an Englishman (in Montreal). What about the Picts? I heard the supposition that “Britons” was the original name of the Picts (“Pritani”) and later it had been carried over to all inhabitants of the island. Was it? Have it been? Whether Were the Picts (as Scotti too) were the  ancestors of modern Scots?Very good, sometimes the syntax is unusual, but not "incorrect", and all is easy to understand! Very interesting take on the subject too! 

Iuliietta

Iuliietta (39)

Iuliietta
I speak:
Russian
I learn:
English, German, Italian
Busuu berries :
19845
  

  I agree, the Hollywood melodrams  never represent the real history, and I never watch it.  I remember the story about "Heather Ale" by Stevenson. It's very nice, that you keep your own story since the 17th century. Unfortunately, I cannot look so deep in history of mine.