British vs American EnglishOrigins

British vs American EnglishOrigins

• The colonists spoke English.

• They tended to be conservative, also linguistically.

• The post-vocalic /r/ disappeared from Br.Eng. after the American revolution (are)

• George III & Lord Cornwallis pronounced after, ask,dance,glass,path as Americans now do

British vs American EnglishChanges

British vs American EnglishChanges

• Retained by Americans: ‘…have gotten ...’;

fall for autumn

• Lost by Americans: Waistcoat (vest)fortnight (two weeks)

• Adopted words from other languages: Canyon (from: Canon=Tube, Spanish), Mesa (from Spanish for “table”), prairie (from French: ‘le pré’)

• New words for new things:Raccoon (Indian name)Sweet potato (to distinguish from the English potato)

Vocabulary differences• sidewalk• gas• mailman• mailbox• railroad• mad• line• first floor• intermission• bill ($)

• pavement• petrol• postman• pillarbox• railway• angry• queue• ground floor• interval• note (£)

From American into British

• backwoods• blizzard• caucus• swamp• cafeteria• cocktail• egghead• electrocute

• fan (-club)• highbrow/lowbrow• radio (vs wireless)• disk jockey (disc)• to get something

across• the … of all time• angle (viewpoint)• crash (collide)

From American into British

• know-how• maybe• way of life• cut cost (reduce)

• Br: The public are….Am:The public is ….

• Br:live in York StreetAm:live on York Street

• Br:in/out of the trainAm:on/off the train

Pronunciation differences• either - neither• been• nephew (v/f)• herbs• leisure• tomato, vase• lieutenant• innovative• ballet

• schedule• clerk• dynasty• frontier• laboratory• obligatory• secretary• missile• aluminium

IntonationIntonation

• Don’t tell me that you’re not going! --------_________________--- _- (Br)

---___________________---__ (Am)

BrE has a wider range of intonation than AmEAmE has a wider range than DutchIn comparison with BrE and AmE, Dutch is much

more monotonous (less intonation)

Grammar differencesGrammar differencesAmerican English British English

I’m going to write her. I’m going to write to her.

She’s in the hospital. She’s in hospital.

Look out the window! Look out of the window!

He seems to be an intelligent student. He seems an intelligent student.

The house needs painting. The house wants painting.

Do you have time? Yes, I do. Have you got time? Yes, I have.

Mississippi River, Hudson River River Thames, River Avon

They came over yesterday. They came round yesterday.

We already ate, thanks. We’ve already eaten, thanks.

She just heard the news! She has just heard the news!

Did they make a decision yet? Have they made a decision yet?

Spelling differencesNoah Webster:

An American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828 • tyre - tire

• kerb - curb

• cheque – check

Webster suggested:

• soop for soup

• groop for group

• tung for tongue

Webster changed:• colour into color• centre into center• metre into meter• defence into defense• travelled into traveledaround 1900: more changes• programme > program • catalogue > catalog

Regional Dialects• Northern - From New jersey/Pennsylvania - New

EnglandNorth Midland - Delaware/Maryland, West Virginia to southern New Jersey and Pennsylvania

• South Midland - Northern Georgia - West Virginia

• Southern - from southern Delaware to Florida along the coast.

• Vaguer boundaries as you go west: can be explained from the history of the country: people moved West from all different areas.

• Mobility of the population hinders the development of new dialects.

Some Regional Dialects

• New England Boston: non-rhotic (pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd)

• North Midland/ West: ‘ing’ spoken out; nasal vowels: (We’re really going dancing? Cool!)

• South: typically “ah” for ‘I’ (Got a flat tahr? Ah’ll give ya-a rahd.

(The Grapes of Wrath: “Ah’m so tahrd”)

Black English: Ebonics

• Jazz , yam• Nitty gritty• homies• She be here today.• Fewer auxiliary verbs: “We got to get moving.”• Origin: two sources:

1. From fellow white workers on the plantations(They developed their language independently because of segregation)2. Together with other blacks they developed a Pidgin English (mixed with African languages and Portuguese)

Studying in England & AmericaStudying in England & America

• 1st year student• 2nd year student• 3rd year student• 4th year student• State school• Public school• Comprehensive school• Primary school

• Freshman• Sophomore• Junior• Senior• Public school• Private school• High school• Elementary school

THE ENDTHE END

Two clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYmrg3owTREhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP_g61r06KY