swot

[Guest guest]

> My point was that UK vernacular, such as swot, shouldn't get any

> special treatment simply because it's British. That would be

> snobbery. For us, the important thing is if our audience

> understands it. If it is in a UK newspaper, then no problem. If

> it is in a book that will sell more copies in countries where

> people don't know the word then the fact that it is British

> doesn't make it any better.

 

But what makes you think that the book will sell more copies in countries

where people don't know the word? India, East and South Africa, and

Australia, are closer to the Queen's English than to the American dialect.

(And definitely in South Africa, the word "swot" is in use.) And what about

Europeans who learn English at school? Have they switched over to American?

Americans may be all over the world, but it seems to me that more people all

over the world learn the Queen's English than American English.

 

My initial point was that since the BBT was founded in the USA we favor

American style in our BTG and BBT publications. But that doesn't mean we all

have to switch to it. After all, we are meant to convey the eternal message

of Krsna consciousness in our own words and according to our level of

realization. Whether you speak this dialect or that dialect doesn't

guarantee that the mass of people will understand you. As Braja Sevaki

pointed out, even Srila Prabhupada's books are not so easily understood by

the new generation, mostly because of the style, which is neither fully

American nor British, although the punctuation and spelling are edited

according to CMS standards.

 

Thank you. Hare Krishna.

 

Your servant,

Visakha Priya dasi