Post #855625
2026-03-30 07:27 UTC
US: "Nintendo is the biggest video game company in the world."
UK: "Nintendo are the biggest video games company in the world."
(Fantastic stuff.)
#Language
Replies (2)
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@GrahamDowns@mastodon.africa 2026-03-30 07:31
@Starfia In the US, companies are their own thing. Nintendo is Nintendo, and Nintendo exists regardless of the people involved. In the UK, companies are plural because they are considered to be the sum of all the people involved. Nintendo are the owner and all employees collectively working together towards a common goal. Kind of like the difference between "coworker" and "colleague" that we discussed some time ago. :-)
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@hayesstw@c.im 2026-03-30 11:38
@Starfia Correct for US, but not for UK. In UK and most other dialects, it depends on whether you are thinking of the group as a whole, or a the sum of its parts. The committee has unanimously decided.... The committee were divided... #language #usage