Would You like it English or German...?

Having been an instructor of German as a Foreign Language, having being interested in foreign Languages for years, and having had a chance to live and travel inside the European Union for much time, I've accumulated some facts and figures, which I've today decided to put into proper words. This is about how the German Language and Culture influenced and shaped Great Britain and the United States. What if I told you that German Language was once in a position of becoming the Official Language in the USA, and I am certainly not implying that the German-Japanese alliance was in any position to conquer the United States or it's allies. So, had German become the official language of the US, that would have omitted English as the majority learnt and researched medium of instruction in the world and perhaps the World of today be more interested in eating Bratwurst (a form of German Sausage with Bread) in-place of McChicken and perhaps we would be more accustomed to drinking Sparkling or the Mineral Water in place of the plain water, that we like today. In the late 1700s a referendum was held in the US which was made to decide whether the country wanted to adapt German or the English as it's official Language. Many of my American friends refer to it as the Muhlenberg Legend or the Muhlenberg Myth and deny that it ever took place. Many Researchers and Record Keepers, however, are also of the view, the referendum indeed took place in the year 1794 in which every State participated and had to choose from both languages and the motion lost in the house of Representatives by a single vote of 42-41 in favor of English. Although, never proven right or wrong, the theory made and still makes an enormous amount of sense when taken into context for a number of reasons.

German Diaspora in the US:

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Do you know by records, that Germans form the biggest minority of all others and are second only to the Britishers? That's what the records say, however, there is reason to be skeptical about this calculation, because Germans have by far surpassed Britishers, since they were on the losing end during both World Wars, have lived through Great Depressions, have been subjected to extreme Poverty and Marginalization, following the conflicts. So, in theory, you have more people fleeing a country when subjected to Economic Downturns, wide-scale Poverty, and higher Population density among others. In addition to this, being part of the German heritage had become an impiety or a taboo following the wars, which resulted in a tendency by Germans wanting rather be assimilated totally into American society without their heritage and lineage becoming public.

Significance of the Germanic Language Tree:

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Yes, I'll try to stick to as far as the Germanic stem, which was derived from the Indo-European branch of languages, where Indo represents Sanskrit, which itself happens to be one of the oldest languages still alive. Anyways, let us see how the Germanic Tree expanded: There were North, East, and West Germanic Dialects, which were spoken by people in the different geographical parts of the then-Germanic tribes. The North and East Germanic branches, we do not find relevant for this topic. However, the West Germanic stem resulted in the formation of some important dialects, like the High German(Hochdeutsch) and Low German(Plattdeutsch) and both went their ways. Paradoxically and inconsistently, however, the names of both High and Low Germans are representations of the Topography of that region, where these dialects were spoken, rather than an implication of the meanings. Yep, English, as we know it today, has descended from the Germanic Tree and has changed shape and adapted according to the influx of people, wherever they migrated.

The Old English and the Anglo-Saxons:

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It gets even better, like I implied, with the United Kingdom, which is said to be the birthplace of the modern-day English language, oh yes, the only true World Language, that is highly regarded, spoken, learned, and researched throughout all continents, has indeed descended from the Germanic Tree. How? Ever heard the words: Anglo-Saxons? I guess, it's a common reference and one would be familiar with it, however, do you know which language they spoke? The present-day British Linguists and Researchers tend to refer to this language at that time as Old English! What does that say to you? Let me tell you: Anglo, basically, stems from “Angeln”, which happens to be a small fishing town in the province of Schleswig Holstein in the very Northeast of Germany, much closer to where I once had a chance to live. The other one, the Saxons, represents the state of Niedersachsen or the Lower Saxony. Unlike, what their names imply, both states happen to be in the northern parts of modern-day Germany. Hence, if you read through British history, the largest group of people that inhabited the United Kingdom happens to be of German descent. I am sure, Britishers would cross swords with me on this issue, but I have Reasons to believe that Britons and the English Language are of Germanic roots.

The Bottom Line:

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Having gone through the above aspects, one should not have a hard time to conclude that the United States and Great Britain, both, have a major German influence on their Cultures, Economies, Politics, and Science & Technologies. Hadn't this been true, why is the British Monarchy or the Blood Line of German roots? Why are most of the major Inventors, Businessmen, Politicians, and Industrialists in the US of German descent? Do a little research and you will find the facts and figures presented here as quite convincing.

P.S. The above text is part of my life's research and I have for the first time put it into words. I believe readers would, in general, like the content presented and perhaps all Students learning English and German languages would find some useful insight into how Languages, People, and Cultures evolved.