American English 2

11 September 2014Pétur Knútsson

Baugh § 243 p.360 Archaisms

• The language of the first British settlers in America was Early Modern English

• Since them, both British and American English have developed and diverged.

• A and B diverge.• A recognises some of the differences as archaic forms

of his own variety.• Assumes that others are (in fact they are innovations)• B does the same.

Baugh § 243 p.360 Archaisms

Most of Baugh’s examples are thoroughly suspect:• rhoticism• “flat a” - also in Britain But o-unrounding is an American innovation!• Vocabulary: – mad, sick, rare (meat) , platter, gotten– fortnight? fall/autumn? (ME: “hervest”. Thus “autumn” is

earlier!)

p.360-1

• Languages as tress ? (shades of Deleuze and Guattari)

• Other reasons for the preservation of Icelandi inflections .......

Baugh § 242 p.356 Uniformity

• The language of the first British settlers in America was Early Modern English

• Complete lack of mutual intelligibility• “Better English”

p.357

p.357