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British English (BrE) is a term used to refer to the form of the English language spoken in the British Isles. For historical reasons dating back to the rise of London in the 9th century, the variety of language spoken in London and the East Midlands became the standard British English and thus the form of language generally accepted for use in the law, government, literature and education of the British Isles. Like other forms of languages, British English changes over time. Although British English is sometimes used in the United States to denote the English spelling and lexicon used outside the States, the term Commonwealth English is more accurate for this purpose.
The term is not welcomed by some Britons for different reasons. Supporters of dialects, particularly those from Scotland and Wales, argue that there are many different national dialects spoken throughout the British Isles and, as such, attempts to group them under one term is pointless and demeaning. Others, particularly those from England, find it offensive that the term treats their native tongue as a mere variant of a language.
Historically, the widespread usage of English across the world was attributed to the power held by the British Empire, and hence the most prestigious form of English was the British English used in south-east England (in the area around the capital city London, and the main English university towns of Oxford and Cambridge). This form of the language is associated with Received Pronunciation (RP), which is still regarded by many people outside the UK (especially in the United States) as "the British accent". From the second half of the 20th century to the present day, the pre-eminence of the English language has largely been linked to the economic, military and political dominance of the United States in world affairs, and American English is often regarded as the most prominent form of English in the world today, especially with the large amount of U.S. cultural products (films, books, music, etc) around the world, which is not matched in volume by those from other English-speaking nations.
British English is still the model for the English spoken in many Commonwealth countries, including Australia, South Africa, and India, as well as in the European Union. Although British English is still taught and used in the former British colonies of Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, American English is often taught in Chinese and Japanese schools, and throughout other schools in Asia.
Subtypes and dialects of the English language spoken in the British Isles
The dialects of the English language spoken throughout the British Isles can be loosely grouped as follows:
See also
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