[...]
The aim of this work will be, on the one hand, to describe the history of German
settlement on both continents, and more importantly of the influence of German on
American English as well as on Australian English. On the other hand, a direct
comparison between the German influences will be made, and hopefully it will prove
that even though half the globe separates both continents from each other, there are
similarities to be found. It is to be expected though, that if there are analogies, they
will be regionally restricted, since both in the United States and in Australia, contact
situations seem to be restricted to those areas where Germans settled from the
earliest days on.
Beside the clarification of some general definitions, which will prove necessary for an
understandable analysis, the difficulties in researching this topic will be made evident.
One thing that will not be considered in this examination is the influence of Yiddish-
German on American English since, one the one hand, it proves hard to differentiate
exactly between the German and the Yiddish aspects and on the other hand because
the Jewish impact on Australian English is marginal. Therefore Yiddish-German is
rather unimportant in the comparison of both varieties.
[...]
Table of Contents
1 Introduction:
2 Definitions:
3 German-American
3.1 An historical overview of German emigration to the United States
3.2 German influence on American English
3.2.1 Difficulties in research
3.2.2 Loanwords
3.2.3 The spoken word
3.2.4 Grammar
3.2.5 Semantics
4 German-Australian
4.1 An historical overview of German emigration to Australia
4.2 German influence on Australian English:
4.2.1 Loanwords:
4.2.2 The spoken word:
4.2.3 Grammar:
4.2.4 German Influence on Australian Toponymy
5 Comparison and Conclusion
Objectives & Research Themes
This work examines the historical German migration to the United States and Australia and investigates the linguistic impact of German on both American and Australian English, providing a comparative analysis of the resulting loanwords, semantic changes, and toponymic influences.
- Historical analysis of German emigration waves to the USA and Australia
- Comparative study of German-American and German-Australian linguistic influences
- Classification of loanwords and semantic adaptation processes
- Examination of phonological and grammatical influences in contact situations
- Evaluation of toponymic imprints left by German settlers
Excerpt from the Book
3 German-American
John R. Costello claims that the first mentionable waves of immigrants from Germany arrived in the English colonies of North America in the late 17th century as a result of the Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648). If one tries to make a distinction between different factors that influence people’s decision to emigrate, it is important to distinguish two main categories: the so called push and pull factors. Whereas “push factors” provide people with reasons to leave their country, “pull-factors” “attract people to a particular destination.” The aftermath of the Thirty Years War can definitively be seen as a “pull-factor”. The favoured destination for many of the settlers of this first wave, mostly arriving from the Southwest of Germany, was the rich farmlands of Pennsylvania. To illustrate the extent of this wave of immigrants, Costello quotes a letter by Benjamin Franklin to an English botanist. In this letter, Franklin mentions that among the 6 printing houses in the province of Pennsylvania, 2 were entirely German, 2 were half-German, half-English and only two were all English. He also mentions bilingual street-signs, advertisement and Assembly meetings, which he considers a threat to the English language and to the regional government. Another part of Franklin’s letters, cited in Rosina Lippi-Green’s “English with an Accent”, shows an even deeper mistrust to the German language.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter establishes the scope of the study, describing the common origins of American and Australian English and the aim to compare the German linguistic impact on both varieties.
2 Definitions: This chapter provides necessary theoretical definitions, particularly regarding loanword categories and the distinction between cultural and intimate borrowing.
3 German-American: This section details the history of German migration to the US and analyzes its linguistic influence through loanwords, grammar, and semantics.
4 German-Australian: This section explores the history of German migration to Australia and investigates the specific, often regionally restricted, linguistic imprints in Australian English and toponymy.
5 Comparison and Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, noting that while phonological and grammatical influences are minimal in both cases, significant lexical and toponymic analogies persist.
Keywords
German-American, German-Australian, Loanwords, Intimate Borrowing, Toponymy, Migration, Language Contact, Linguistic Influence, American English, Australian English, Semantic Fields, Cultural Borrowing, Pennsylvania Dutch, Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the historical influence of German-speaking immigrants on the evolution of American and Australian English, focusing on lexical, grammatical, and toponymic changes resulting from these contact situations.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The key themes include the history of German migration, the classification of loanwords, the concept of "intimate borrowing," and the comparative analysis of linguistic developments in two distinct global regions.
What is the main objective of the thesis?
The aim is to describe the history of German settlement on both continents and to perform a direct comparison of the German linguistic influences, testing whether similarities exist despite the geographical separation.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a descriptive and comparative methodology, grounding the analysis in historical evidence and linguistic models of borrowing (such as those by Pfeffer and Bieswanger) to categorize the influence of German on English.
What does the main body cover?
The main body covers individual analyses of both American and Australian English, detailing migration waves, the difficulties of researching the topic, and the specific impact in fields like food, education, and geography.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is best defined by keywords such as language contact, German-American, German-Australian, loanwords, toponymy, and intimate borrowing.
How does the paper differentiate between "cultural" and "intimate" borrowing?
Cultural borrowing involves the adoption of written words via literature, whereas intimate borrowing results from direct, everyday oral communication between speakers, often leading to spelling adaptations and broader inclusion in the lexicon.
Why does the author consider toponymy particularly relevant for Australia?
Toponymy represents one of the largest and most persistent imprints left by German settlers on the Australian map, surviving even the periods of intense linguistic hostility during and after the World Wars.
- Quote paper
- Lars-Benja Braasch (Author), 2008, The German Influence on Australian and American English, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/124338
