Commonwealth English

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Commonwealth English is a recently coined term for a collection of dialects of the English language mostly based on British English used in the Commonwealth of Nations¹ and many ex-Commonwealth countries where English is at least a common second language. The various Commonwealth English dialects are used by over 500 million people worldwide (see List of countries by English-speaking population). Some Commonwealth English spellings are different from American English, the principal alternative form of English, used by over 300 million people worldwide.

Dialects of Commonwealth English include: Australian English, British English, Caribbean English, Canadian English (but see below), Hiberno-English (Irish English)², Hong Kong English³, Indian English (and the English spoken in adjoining countries), formal Malaysian English, New Zealand English, formal Singapore English (but not colloquial Singlish), and South African English.

The term "Commonwealth English" has been used as a deliberate attempt to recognise that the perceived "Standard English" of the British Isles, as distinguished from American English, is just as much owned by those who use it elsewhere in the Commonwealth as by those who use it in Britain. As well as illustrating a general trend towards political correctness, this distinction is politically important particularly in those former British-controlled nations which are no longer member states of the Commonwealth, though their cultural links continue.

However, the term "Commonwealth English", which seems to have been coined on the Internet (possibly by open software programmers), is rarely encountered outside of computer geek jargon; its chief application seems to be that of drawing a distinction between the above-mentioned nations and the U.S. with respect to certain spelling conventions (e.g. "travelling", "colour", "centre"); hence the variant "Commonwealth spelling".

[edit] Canadian English

Canadian English does not fit well with the other English usages in this category, as it shares many of its origins with American English, dating back to the influx of British Loyalists, from the Mid-Atlantic States, fleeing the American Revolution. The American influence in Canada continues to this day, due to the physical proximity of the United States, the pervasiveness of American broadcast media, and a long-standing trading relationship between the two countries.

In Canada, "Commonwealth" spellings such colour, centre, etc. are generally preferred, prioritised by dictionaries and recommended by stylebooks, though both American and Commonwealth spellings are generally accepted, except in context-specific cases such as schooling and official documentation. Sometimes, the choice of spellings and wordings is up to the individual.

[edit] Notes

1. There are a number of other Commonwealth nations, such as Malta, which are not listed here but also have English as either the primary language or an official language. Some Commonwealth countries, however, do not have English as an official or de facto language; these e.g. include Mozambique and Bangladesh.
2. Although Hiberno-English (Irish English) is listed as Commonwealth English, the Republic of Ireland is not a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, although Northern Ireland is a member, being part of the United Kingdom.
3. Although Hong Kong English is listed as Commonwealth English, since 1997 Hong Kong has not been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, but a Special Administrative Region of China.