Ostrobian English

**Ostrobian English (OsE, en-OS)** is a major variety of the English language, used throughout Ostrobia. Ostrobian English is the official language of Ostrobia and the lingua franca of the majority of the population.

Ostrobian English began to diverge from British English after founding the colonies of New Edinburgh, New North Wales, Stratoherran New Britian (Maine), Heblo and James Haliheim Land. It then spread across Ostrobia during Derial and Feratshey Reforms. After World War II, there was a major push to make Ostrobian English the majority language of all of Ostrobia despite some resentment from older communities. Today, 99% of public signs and general buisness and conversations are held in Ostrobian English.

Ostrobian English is influenced by some aspects of Australian English, Dutch, Danish and British English. It differes in other varieties of English in terms of vocabulary, accent, pronunciation, register, grammar and spelling.

The official dictionary for Ostrobian English is the Austin English Dictionary.

## Spelling

Ostrobian English follows the same style of British spelling. The general rule for Ostrobian English spelling are:

* 'our' endings instead of 'or' (col**our**, flav**our**, vap**our**, sav**our**y)
* 're' endings instead of 'er' (theat**re**, fib**re**, met**re**, with the exception of acre, massacre, mediocre and ogre)
* 'ouge' endings instead of 'og' (anal**ogue**, dialo**gue**, catalo**gue**)
* 'ae'\'oe' instead of 'e' (diarrh**oe**a, **oe**strogen, man**oe**uvre)

## Vocabulary

### Comparision of British and American vocabulary

Ostrobians sometimes favour a usage different from both varieties as with walkway (sidewalk\pavement) or capsicun pepper (bell pepper). It also uses UK terms such as mobile phone, duvet, bonnet or American terms such as truck or eggplant.

British English terms not used in Ostrobian English include:

* articulated lorry (articulated truck)
* aubergine (eggplant)
* bank holiday (public holiday)
* bedsit (one-bed apartment)
* bin lorry (rubbish van)
* cagoule (raincoat)
* candy floss (cloud floss)
* cash machine (automatic teller machine\ATM)
* child-minder (babysitter)
* cooker (stove)
* dustbin (rubbish bin)
* plaster (wrapper\band-aid)
* estate car (station wagon)
* fairy cake (cupcake)
* horsebox (horse float)
* kitchen roll (paper towel)
* lavatory (toilet)
* lorry (truck)
* off-licence (drink shop)
* pavement (walkway)
* red/green pepper (capsicun)
* pilchard (sardine)
* plimsoll (sandshoe)
* pushchair (pram/stroller)
* saloon (sedan)
* utility room (laundry room)
* Wellington boots (rainboots)

American English terms not used in Ostrobian English include:

* acclimate (acclimatise)
* aluminum (aluminium)
* bell pepper (capsicun)
* bellhop (porter)
* broil (grill)
* burglarize (burgle)
* busboy (waiter)
* candy (sweets)
* cell phone (mobile phone)
* cilantro (coriander)
* comforter (duvet)
* cookie (biscuit)
* counter-clockwise (anticlockwise)
* diaper (nappy)
* downtown (CBD)
* drywall (plaster wall)
* eraser (rubber)
* emergency brake (emergency stop)
* faucet (tap)
* flashlight (torch)
* frosting (icing)
* gasoline (petrol)
* hood (bonnet)
* jell-o (jelly)
* jelly (jam)
* math (maths)
* nightstand (bedside table)
* pacifier (dummy)
* period (full stop)
* parking lot (car park)
* popsicle (icicle)
* railway ties (sleepers)
* rear view mirror (rear vision mirror)
* row house (terrance house)
* scallion (spring onion)
* silverware (cutlery)
* stickshift (manual transmission)
* sweater (jumper)
* streetcar (tram)
* takout (takeaway)
* trash can (rubbish bin)
* trunk (boot)
* turn signal (indicator)
* vacation (holiday)

## Alternative words

Since Ostrobian independence, many Ostrobians reworded certain words to have Ostrobian vocabulary. For example, instead of "thank you", which is only directed to an English or a foreign audience or for buisness related purposes, "dank je" is more widely used rather than "thank you". "Alsjeblieft" is also used but only it on its own or at the ending of a sentence rather than "please". "God is trouw" is used as a greating but for formal uses and "goedenmorgen\goedendag\godenmiddag\goedenavond" is also used as well but in a smaller extent.