Both British English and American English are interesting topics to look at but to look at them in a contrastive way is even more interesting because here you have to take the history of both varieties into consideration to see where the differences lie and why they became two distinctive varieties. Now you have to keep in mind that America was settled by British people but yet Americans now do not speak British English and then voted for their own way of speaking and pronouncing English. But how did that come? It was simply impossible not to have a different variety of English in America since English was exposed to different external factors such as other existing languages and a new environment compared to English in England and Great Britain. Hence with the Declaration of Independence in 1776 as a political separation from the mother country a linguistic separation needed to follow to finally divorce the USA from England which was important for the Americans because they wanted to have their own national identity.
Table of Contents
Introduction
I. The Colonial Period
A. English in England and in the Colonies
1. English in the Mother Country (England)
2. Settlement in the Thirteen Colonies
3. Exposure to New Geography and Environment
B. English in America
1. Declaration of Independence
2. Debate in America
II. American Revolution
A. The Way to American English
1. The Elite and the Debate
2. Noah Webster’s Influence
B. Establishing American English
1. Linguistic Controversy
2. American English as Standard English?
III. English in the 19th Century
A. Developments in the Second Half of the 19th Century
1. Immigrant Languages in the 19th Century
2. Policies in American English
B. Dictionaries and Spelling Books for AmE and BrE
1. Vocabulary
2. Grammar and Pronunciation
Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the historical development of British and American English, analyzing how colonial settlement, political independence, and geographical factors led to the emergence of two distinct national varieties. It focuses on the linguistic shift from a transplanted colonial tongue to a uniquely American standard.
- The historical influence of migration and settlement patterns on English dialects.
- The role of key figures like Noah Webster in standardizing American English.
- The sociolinguistic impact of the Declaration of Independence on national identity and language.
- The influence of immigrant languages and new environmental conditions on American vocabulary.
- Differences in grammar and pronunciation resulting from different linguistic evolutions.
Excerpt from the Book
2. Settlement in the Thirteen Colonies
The first settlement in 1607 and later in 1620 brought many English speakers to the New World but did they also establish Elizabethan English in the new colonies? Fact is, those who came to America brought with them their way of speaking coming from different social classes and various parts of England. William A. Kretzschmar, Jr. says due to the various backgrounds of the settlers and because “the separate colonies developed cultural differences early on, including linguistic differences” they needed to find a common way of speaking in order to understand each other (258). He goes on arguing that “the word stock of the different colonies was largely shared, but preserved differently in each place” but he does not mention if they established Elizabethan English and how far it developed if it got not lost at all (258). But it is clear American speakers use a number of words British speakers do not use anymore as, for example, gotten for got as the past participle which, as Baugh and Cable imply, “impress the British of today as an old-fashioned feature not to be expected” (360). So in some way, Americans did keep a colonial lag but they did not establish standard British English.
Summary of Chapters
I. The Colonial Period: Examines the initial transplantation of English to the colonies and how diverse settler backgrounds and new environmental factors began shaping a distinct variety of the language.
II. American Revolution: Explores the linguistic consequences of political independence and the deliberate efforts by the elite and Noah Webster to establish a unique American standard, free from British linguistic influence.
III. English in the 19th Century: Analyzes the further evolution of American English through immigrant influences, the development of American dictionaries, and persistent differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation compared to British English.
Keywords
American English, British English, Colonial Period, Linguistic Standardization, Noah Webster, Settlement History, National Identity, Language Variation, Vocabulary Differences, Grammar, Pronunciation, Immigrant Languages, Sociolinguistics, Independence, Language Evolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this study?
The work investigates the historical divergence of American and British English, tracing their development from the colonial era through the nineteenth century.
What are the central themes of the paper?
Key themes include the impact of colonial settlement, the role of political movements in language shaping, and the influence of external factors like geography and immigration on linguistic standards.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to understand how and why American English became a distinct variety after the political separation from England.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The author employs a contrastive historical analysis, comparing linguistic data and historical sources to trace the evolution of the two varieties.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body covers the colonial settlement era, the movement for an American standard initiated during the Revolution, and the ongoing linguistic shifts driven by immigration and social mobility in the 19th century.
What are the key terms associated with the paper?
Central terms include national identity, linguistic standard, colonial lag, Americanisms, and the influence of Noah Webster.
How did Noah Webster contribute to American English?
Webster acted as a pioneer in codifying American English, advocating for spelling reforms and the creation of dictionaries to differentiate American usage from British conventions.
Did immigrant languages significantly change American English?
Yes, the influx of speakers from various backgrounds introduced new vocabulary related to food, culture, and environmental conditions, which became integrated into the American dialect.
Why does the author argue that political separation led to linguistic separation?
The desire for a distinct national identity post-1776 necessitated a separate, independent language standard to mirror the political independence from Great Britain.
- Quote paper
- Magister Anke Werckmeister (Author), 2008, American and British English differences with a look at their history, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/202227
