Aside from the fact that we mean different things when we say "soccer," how much do you actually know about American English, especially since it claims independence from the British?
Most people may be shocked by the subtle differences between the colors of Americana and the colors of a London fog, but there is more to it.
Without going too deeply into the everydaydifferences between American and British English, here are a few facts about American English that might surprise you – or at least amuse you.
1. American English is not the official language anywhere.Despite what you may have heard, the United States does not have an official language anyway231 millionof residents speak English. And this was after Representative Washington J. McCormick tried unsuccessfully to pass a bill in 1922 that would make the "American Language" official, although it briefly caught on in the state of Illinois.
2. American English began as a means of communicating with native peoples.Indeed, the first idioms that could truly be considered "American" were thesenautical pidginsthat early explorers communicated with indigenous people in precolonial times. Slaves also had their own version of English from the nautical regions of West Africa.
3. American English isn't the only dialect responsible for disagreements around the world.British English continued to change after 1776, most notably dropping the "r" sounds from words like "car" and "hard." This aphrotization led to what we know today as the posh British accent. It means the rhotic pronunciation we often associate withAmerican speechdid not come from Americans – but rather from ancient Britons.
4. If one man had his way, we would write 'wimmen' instead of 'women'.In 1806, Noah Webster published the first American dictionary,En Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, which was full of ridiculous suggestions to streamline American spelling. Eventually he arrived at a standardization of American English that was pleasant enough to stick (like our beloved "color" and "theatre"), but many of his early efforts earned him the title "prostitute wretch" . His biggest crime? Wanting America to form a unique cultural identity – one in which “heavy” means “heavy.”
5. American English is also unique because of the cultural melting pot it inspired.Due to the unique history of migrations to the United States, American English now includes loanwords and linguistic influences from several Native American languages, Dutch, German, Yiddish, French, European Spanish, Mexican Spanish, and more.
6. Most of our state names are not "English" at all.About half ofnames of American stateshave linguistic ties to the Native American tribes that once inhabited the land.
7. The US is actually not that “unified” linguistically.The United States is so large that it is possible to identify at least 10 different onesgeographical accentsthrough the whole country. But to be fair, you can claim "General American" as a national accent and not call it a day.
Do you want to brush up on your English?
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