LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.03.08 (06) [E]

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Tue Mar 8 21:44:12 UTC 2005


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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
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S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at scotstext.org>
Subject: "Idiomatica" [E]

> From: Ben Bloomgren <ben.bloomgren at asu.edu>
> Subject: make or take
>
> Hello, all, I had a question that has always puzzled me. Why do Americans
> say that we make a decision while it appears that everybody else takes
one.
> To me, to take a decision almost sounds a bit more passive in a weird
sense.
> Maybe that's my American frame of mind at work. I have not encountered a
> language that makes decisions. They all take them. What is the reason for
> that?

I don't, I always say "make a decision" (I'm Scottish, living in England).

These British vs American English assumptions do often seem to involve
unjustified generalisations. I guess it's not a simple case of "We mak 'em,
you tak 'em," :)

Sandy
http://scotstext.org/

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