Languages (Was RE: Answering the phone WAS: ...)

[Bill Akers]

Kenneth Brody wrote:
> Quoting Mike Schwartz (Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:34:12 -0500):
> [...]
> 
>>     Around the time of the Revolutionary War, the official language in the
>>U.S. almost became German, and not English.  As I recall, it was by just one
>>single vote that English because the official language.
> 
> [...]
> 
> Sorry, but that's not what happened.
> 
> It is believed that this urban legend is based on a 1795 bill to translate
> and publish federal laws in German as well as English.  A vote to adjourn
> and consider it at a later date was defeated 42 to 41, and the matter was
> dropped.  (In other words, they voted against putting it aside to discuss
> it further at a later date.  A vote on the bill itself never occurred.)
> 
>      http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/german.asp
> 
>      http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa010820a.htm
> 
>      http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_026.html
> 
Thanks for clarifying that Ken. I had not had time to read any 
e-mails since I posted the message that prompted this reply.

Bill Akers