This paper addresses the issue of variation in Canadian English spelling, which is a blend of British and American spelling conventions. The study combines theoretical and practical work. The theoretical part briefly defines the concept of Canadian English in general, that is, its historical background and characteristics. Moreover, it describes some major spelling phenomena in Canadian English and examines the ways in which several Canadian style guides deal with the variation in Canadian English spelling. In turn, the practical part of the present paper deals with the actual spelling practices. Based on the investigation of the spelling practices of Canadian journalists, the research attempts to identify whether the newspapers follow any prescriptive spelling norms. The corpus for the analysis was extracted from a sample of articles taken from the online editions of three national Canadian dailies: (1) The Globe and Mail (2) Metro and (3) National Post. The research gathered 277 tokens of words, where spelling varies between British and American English
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The origins of Canadian English
3. Canadian English as a unique mixture
4. Variation in Canadian English spelling: A bi-modal spelling system
5. Two competing models
5.1 Words ending in -our/-or
5.2 Words ending in -re/-er
5.3 Words ending in -ce/-se
5.4 Words ending in -ise/-ize/-yse/-yze
5.5 ae and oe diagraphs versus e
5.6 Doubling of final consonant before suffixes
5.7 -l or -ll in uninflected verbs
5.8 Miscellaneous
6. Attitudes to the notion of ‘standard’ in Canadian English spelling
7. Spelling variation in Canadian newspapers
7.1 Methodology
7.2 Results
7.3 Conclusions
7.4 Limitations of the study
8. Conclusions
Research Objectives and Topics
This study explores the hybrid nature of Canadian English spelling, characterized by an ongoing tension between British and American conventions. The research aims to determine whether established, uniform spelling norms exist within Canadian English and how national newspapers navigate these competing linguistic influences in their editorial practices.
- The historical development of Canadian English as a unique linguistic mixture.
- An analysis of major spelling phenomena and competing conventions (British vs. American).
- The role of prescriptive style guides in shaping national spelling norms.
- Empirical investigation of spelling consistency within major Canadian national dailies.
Excerpt from the Book
2. The origins of Canadian English
The term Canadian English first emerged only in 1857. In a speech delivered to the Canadian Institute, the Reverend A. Constable Geikie, a new Canadian who emigrated with his family from Scotland, introduced the term Canadian English and disparaged it as “a corrupt dialect” (Geikie, 1857/2010, p. 52). According to the linguist Jack Chambers (1998a), Geikie considered the English spoken by those already settled in Canada upon his arrival to be a form of “low English” in contrast to the British English spoken in the mother land, which he believed to be “proper English” (p. xi). This negative attitude towards Canadian English was not idiosyncratic but rather a general perspective shared by Geikie’s generation of immigrants. Consequently, Chambers (1993) regarded Geikie’s address as “an invaluable Victorian perspective on Canadian English” (p. 2). British travellers who came to Upper Canada were astounded and often horrified with the number of differences between the language of Canadians and that of the mother country. They put the blame on various features which they recognised as Americanisms – unwanted, anti-British encroachments. Geikie (1857/2010) referred to those linguistic features as “lawless and vulgar innovations” on the Queen’s English (p. 44).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research questions regarding the existence of uniform spelling norms in Canada and their application in news media.
2. The origins of Canadian English: Details the historical emergence of Canadian English and the negative perceptions held by early British immigrants toward local linguistic innovations.
3. Canadian English as a unique mixture: Explores how Canadian English functions as a distinct hybrid, combining British and American influences.
4. Variation in Canadian English spelling: A bi-modal spelling system: Discusses the historical legacy of Johnson and Webster and the resulting bi-modal nature of Canadian spelling.
5. Two competing models: Provides a comprehensive category-by-category analysis of spelling variations and the influence of style guides.
6. Attitudes to the notion of ‘standard’ in Canadian English spelling: Reviews scholarly consensus regarding the lack of a single, definitive Canadian spelling standard.
7. Spelling variation in Canadian newspapers: Investigates the practical application of spelling conventions within the corpus of three national Canadian newspapers.
8. Conclusions: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that variation is a well-established norm and that consistency is the primary indicator of acceptable usage.
Keywords
Canadian English, spelling variation, British English, American English, style guides, spelling norms, linguistic hybridity, The Globe and Mail, Metro, National Post, lexicography, Canadianisms, diachronic changes, spelling consistency, language policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the hybrid nature of Canadian English spelling, which incorporates both British and American spelling conventions due to Canada's unique historical and geographical position.
What are the central thematic areas?
Key themes include the historical origins of Canadian English, the influence of dictionaries and style guides, and the practical application of spelling norms in national journalism.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks if uniform spelling norms exist in Canadian English and, if so, to what extent these norms are adhered to by national newspapers.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study combines a theoretical review of style guides and dictionaries with an empirical corpus analysis of articles from three national Canadian newspapers: The Globe and Mail, Metro, and National Post.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body classifies specific categories of spelling divergence (such as -our/-or or -re/-er), compares them against recommendations from major style guides, and analyzes actual usage within news media.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
The research is best characterized by terms such as Canadian English, spelling variation, linguistic hybridity, prescriptive norms, and journalism.
How do Canadian newspapers typically handle the lack of a uniform standard?
The study finds that while newspapers may rely on their own internal style guides, significant variation exists between publications, within newspapers, and occasionally even within single articles.
Does the paper conclude that a single "correct" spelling exists for Canadians?
No, the paper concludes that there is no singular, well-established standard and that variation is an intrinsic, accepted norm of Canadian English, provided that writers maintain internal consistency.
- Citar trabajo
- Aleksandra Skorupska (Autor), 2013, Canadian English, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/262371
