1. #1
    MB_Avro_UK's Avatar Senior Member
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    Hi all,

    I only discovered this a few days ago. A friend of mine is now living in the only European country that England has not had a war with. And they are England's oldest ally.

    And the alliance goes back many hundreds of years.

    And I use the word England rather than Britain for a reason. Up until about 100 years ago, the British were always known as 'English'.

    But why is the language known as 'English' rather than 'British'??

    Best Regards,
    MB_Avro.
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  2. #2
    horseback's Avatar Senior Member
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    As I understand it, 'Britain' refers to the whole Island which includes at least Scotland and Wales along with England. The British Isles refers to Britain, Ireland, and whatever islands and rocky outcroppings that the English have laid claim to (or at least the profits therefrom).

    So what European country have the English managed not to offend or tried to conquer? I'm stumped. I thought they'd traded punches with just about everyone over the last 1100 years...and the European countries at least twice each.

    cheers

    horseback
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  3. #3
    I'm guessing the answer here is Portugal.

    Tho' I can't believe it's the only one.

    Have we really had wars with Switzerland? Albania? Belgium? Norway? Luxembourg?
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  4. #4
    Originally posted by Phil_K:
    I'm guessing the answer here is Portugal.

    Tho' I can't believe it's the only one.

    Have we really had wars with Switzerland? Albania? Belgium? Norway? Luxembourg?
    It is only Portugal. Albania, Belgium, Norway, etc. are fairly recent creations, as is Switzerland as a nation state as we now know it although ironically Swiss mercenaries are possibly the one group who've fought more peoples than we have.
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  5. #5
    Africa
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  6. #6
    horseback's Avatar Senior Member
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    So, soccer riots don't count?

    cheers

    horseback
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  7. #7
    AndyJWest's Avatar Senior Member
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    ...why is the language known as 'English' rather than 'British'??
    I suggest you ask the Welsh, the Scots and the Irish that. The language was imposed by force in Wales and parts of Scotland and Ireland, as you surely should be aware.
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  8. #8
    I don't think the French have forgotten the difference between ze eengleesh and the other yobbos in the UK, I dunno about the rest of Europe.
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  9. #9
    AFAIK the Treaty of Windsor which was signed in 13th or 14th century to forge an aliance between Portugal and England is still valid, the oldest aliance treaty in the world probably. My vote goes to Portugal too.

    Brits have also occupied Portugese island of Madeira twice to prevent it from falling to Napoleon, and they withdrew peacefully immediately the danger was over.
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  10. #10
    Originally posted by arthursmedley:
    <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil_K:
    I'm guessing the answer here is Portugal.

    Tho' I can't believe it's the only one.

    Have we really had wars with Switzerland? Albania? Belgium? Norway? Luxembourg?
    It is only Portugal. Albania, Belgium, Norway, etc. are fairly recent creations, as is Switzerland as a nation state as we now know it although ironically Swiss mercenaries are possibly the one group who've fought more peoples than we have. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

    That argument doesn't work. If it did it would mean that the wars we have fought with Germany and Italy don't count because they are only recent creations.

    Quite simply, Portugal isn't the only European country that we haven't fought. There's loads of them.
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