English question...

[beavereater]

I am an English teacher here in Japan, and I came across a question I would like to ask everyone else...

If you are from Canada, you are a Canadian. If asked, you would say "I am Canadian."

If you are from Japan, you are a Japanese. If asked, you would say "I am Japanese."

If you are from New Zealand, you are a New Zealander. If asked, you would say "I am New Zealander...OR...a New Zealander.??????????

It seems that the only nationality that needs A before it is for New Zealanders...is this true, or am I wrong!????

[daamon]

Not being a New Zealander, but being English, I would say that the correct way to respond is... Oh, I've already said it in the sentence.

One of the many quaint quirks of the English language...

How about this one: If you're from Australia, you can be "Australian" or "an Australian" - "I'm Australian, I'm an Australian". Or an Ozzie, or a poor loser (the President at the end of RWC2003)...

[mickle]

Luxembourg a Luxembourger
Liechtenstein a Liechtensteiner

[BobV]

But what about people from Hamburg are they Hamburgers???

[indolikaa]

'I am a New Zealander' sounds correct.
'I am New Zealander' doesn't sound correct.

'I am New Mexican' sounds correct.
'I am a New Mexican' sounds correct.
'I am New Mexican by birth' sounds correct.
'I am a New Mexican by birth' sound correct, also.


Interesting one, beaver...

[pacmania_2001]

I believe the Kiwi's say

"I'm a sheep rooter"

Being Australian I would say:

"I'm Australian" or "I'm an Aussie"

If its an American saying it then its:

"Oh, your an Arrsie"

[Rookie64]

I believe the Kiwi's say

"I'm a sheep rooter"

They'd say - oh aye?!

You're going off man...you pulled a sickie
Come again? that's a wag
Hells Bells...I got the wop-wops

Tough bikkies

Backpack



That one was a bit of a dag

I'll shout you one

Being Australian I would say:

"I'm Australian" or "I'm an Aussie"

If its an American saying it then its:

"Oh, your an Arrsie"

We'd say, Ah! You come from the land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder 8)


In the early '80s, we learned what a vegemite sandwich was from MTV


G'day, mate...go and have a walkabout


I've never been to Oz but sure do love Aussie music

Can ya tell I've seen a lot of Australian and NewZ movies

[teegee420]

I am New Mexican' sounds correct.
'I am a New Mexican' sounds correct.
'I am New Mexican by birth' sounds correct.
'I am a New Mexican by birth' sound correct, also.

Being Mexican, I think all of those sound wrong. I'm still a little bitter over losing the entire Southwest. :P

[indolikaa]

Being Mexican, I think all of those sound wrong. I'm still a little bitter over losing the entire Southwest. :P

Here's a story from the Indolikaa archives...


I was present at a 'public gathering' many years ago when the federal courts were trying to deal with the Spanish Land Grants issues. For those of you unfamiliar with New Mexico, it was originally 'settled' by Spanish explorers in the 1600s. The King of Spain doled out land grants as a way to reward his loyal citizens who colonized the New World.

There has been a lot of legal and legislative bruhaha over the last 100 years regarding these land grants. Who owns them, who was there first, the usual 'it's mine!' sentiment. A good-ol' fashioned shouting match had erupted between descendants of the original settlers, those who 'stole' the land by being able to pay the taxes owed on them, and even some of our friends from south of the border who claimed it was all horseshit anyway because the land used to be part of Old Mexico.

So these people are carrying on much like we do here on this forum, when I here somebody say, 'We were here first!' It was a person from the 'settlers' coalition.

Then you hear somebody say, 'None of you were here first. We were.' Everybody turns and looks. A member of the Sandia Pueblo indian community and a member of the Isleta Pueblo indian community (both on the outskirts of Albuquerque) had just entered the fracas.

'We were here long before any of you showed up to steal our resources, rape and enslave our women and children, and murder our fathers and sons. And over time you left us with nothing but our pride and our history. But now we're taking back what was once ours. We have the courts on our side, and they are going to make right what you have made wrong for four hundred seasons.'

Now by this point in time I'm as close to busting out laughing as one can get without passing out from asphyxia. One of the smarter members of the 'settlers' group says, in his incredibly-ignorant manner, 'you're just an indian tribe, you can't afford to fight us in court.'

The tribal member reponds, 'Yes, we can. We have casinos now, and you don't.'

And at that point, I couldn't hold it in any longer.

[Capmaster]

A member of the Sandia Pueblo indian community and a member of the Isleta Pueblo indian community (both on the outskirts of Albuquerque) had just entered the fracas.

'We were here long before any of you showed up to steal our resources, rape and enslave our women and children, and murder our fathers and sons. And over time you left us with nothing but our pride and our history. But now we're taking back what was once ours. We have the courts on our side, and they are going to make right what you have made wrong for four hundred seasons.'

Being a New Mexican I used to believe this. But now, many of us have our reservations.

[indolikaa]

You familiar with the BLM/Sandia Mountain issue?

[Capmaster]

You familiar with the BLM/Sandia Mountain issue?

Not really. It doesn't hold my interest.

[teegee420]

Here's a story from the Indolikaa archives...


I was present at a 'public gathering' many years ago when the federal courts were trying to deal with the Spanish Land Grants issues. For those of you unfamiliar with New Mexico, it was originally 'settled' by Spanish explorers in the 1600s. The King of Spain doled out land grants as a way to reward his loyal citizens who colonized the New World.

There has been a lot of legal and legislative bruhaha over the last 100 years regarding these land grants. Who owns them, who was there first, the usual 'it's mine!' sentiment. A good-ol' fashioned shouting match had erupted between descendants of the original settlers, those who 'stole' the land by being able to pay the taxes owed on them, and even some of our friends from south of the border who claimed it was all horseshit anyway because the land used to be part of Old Mexico.

So these people are carrying on much like we do here on this forum, when I here somebody say, 'We were here first!' It was a person from the 'settlers' coalition.

Then you hear somebody say, 'None of you were here first. We were.' Everybody turns and looks. A member of the Sandia Pueblo indian community and a member of the Isleta Pueblo indian community (both on the outskirts of Albuquerque) had just entered the fracas.

'We were here long before any of you showed up to steal our resources, rape and enslave our women and children, and murder our fathers and sons. And over time you left us with nothing but our pride and our history. But now we're taking back what was once ours. We have the courts on our side, and they are going to make right what you have made wrong for four hundred seasons.'

Now by this point in time I'm as close to busting out laughing as one can get without passing out from asphyxia. One of the smarter members of the 'settlers' group says, in his incredibly-ignorant manner, 'you're just an indian tribe, you can't afford to fight us in court.'

The tribal member reponds, 'Yes, we can. We have casinos now, and you don't.'

And at that point, I couldn't hold it in any longer.

Quite an amusing little yarn there.

[northcat_8]

Isn't New Zealand a place where men are men and sheep are nervous?



Sorry Beavereater....I teech maff, I rn't gud wiff engrish

Although, I am a new zelander sounds right to me.

[teegee420]

Although, I am a new zelander sounds right to me.

Agreed. I Forgot to mention that.

[SLK001]

More "proper" would be:

"I'm a Kiwi. For you ignorant ********, that means I'm from New Zealand."

[Guest]

I am New Zealandeese or new zeallish.

[RabidDog]

Actually a true new zealander would stick his tongue out and shout "AHH WIKI WIIKIW HAKI NAANAA" while thumping his chest, this being a Maori greeting. (haika)

Regarding the tribes ... isnt natural history getting to be a "hot" US topic, as it is looking like the Indian Nations actually replaced an earlier set of colonizers, whom they may have killed and eaten into extinction.