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Euro English
Proposed variety of English used in Continental Europe From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Euro English, is a proposed variety of English, that may be emerging in continental Europe, though its existence as a distinct variety remains debated. Much like British English or Irish English, it has been described as a possible regional variety, though it is not currently recognised by the ISO or the Glottolog.[1][2][3]
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History
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Perspective
Following the establishment of the European Union, English became the most spoken language in Europe.[4] The shift in favour of English was the result of the Enlargement of the European Union. English was the second most common language for the new members.[5] In addition to this, the Erasmus Programme, the Schengen Area, and the customs union created a group of mobile young people who needed a lingua franca to communicate across Europe. English filled that role.[6][7][8]
In 2006, many academics rejected the idea that Euro English existed as an independent variety of English.[9][10]
In 2012, a study on Erasmus students, found that there was still not enough evidence to conclude Euro English constituted an independent variety.[11] The linguist Forche would write: 'The question whether the appropriation of English by non-native speakers in Continental Europe is giving rise to a potential European variety of English has not yet been resolved.'[12]
In 2017, the Unicode Common Locale Data Repository Project had defined "en-150" for Euro English.[13]
Some academics argue that the UK's withdrawal in early 2020 could allow the other Romance languages to have more of an influence on a Euro English.[14]
In 2021, the linguist Mannoni claimed that the English used in European Union law is a hybrid language distinct from British English.[15]
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Usage
Today, Euro English mostly reflects British/Irish English. At the institutional level, the European Union primarily employs British/Irish English as its standard written form. Official style guides specify British/Irish spelling and usage (for example, labour rather than labor, defence rather than defense).[16] In 2019, a study of German and Swedish teachers found that they would not welcome the use of a unified Euro English.[17]
However, there is some speculation that the variety may evolve. Some speakers may drop the third person singular suffix (-s): he often call meetings. Others use the progressive aspect with stative predicates: I'm coming from Spain instead of I come from Spain. Some give words a plural with a final s: informations and competences. However, it is unclear whether these will be widely adopted.[2][18][19][3]
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