What does English mean?

[Brian Stafford <brian stafford uklinux net>]

>From the ChangeLog

        * src/sendmsg-window.c: some people believe English means American
        English.

I really don't want to come across as xenophobic here, but if the Americans
speak "English" what is the name of the dialect spoken in England?

Surely it is a little insulting to the English (where the language originated)
for "English" to mean "American".  I'm sure the French would feel somewhat
insulted if "French" meant the dialect spoken in Belgium or that in Canada and
not France.

I for one find it intensely irritating for my applications to use American
grammar and spelling at me when I want British grammar and spelling.  Surely,
this is what internationalisation is all about.

At the very least, if en_US is to be the default for "English" a
"British English" variant should be provided.  Better still, since the US is
the country mostly at variance with the rest of the English speaking world,
why not have "English" and "American English" as the options.

I'm beginning to see why the French get so upset by "Franglais".

--
Brian Stafford