A Look at the Evolution of American English

We will be celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States this year. To reflect on our 250 years of independence, we must examine who we are and where we have come from. Language is one lens to do so. It is important to acknowledge that the building of this nation also brought the collapse of the indigenous people. We are a nation of immigrants who brought their languages and cultures with them. Despite the efforts of some forefathers, wealth and pedigree determined the destiny of immigrants. All of this has formed who we are as a nation now, including the language we use. American English is unique and reflects our nation's dynamic history over the past 250 years.

Teaching morphology, how words carry meaning, and etymology, where words originate, has become an important part of our lessons. But have we ever taken the time to examine how the English language evolved in meaning and spelling as it became Americanized? We focus a lot on Greek and Latin and their influence on the language we speak today. But I see very little about how the language was changed and influenced by the Native Americans and the early colonizers. How much do we know about this influence?

 I wrote a series of articles about how our language shifted from British English to American English during the United States’ colonization and through the early 1900s.  At the time of colonization, not everyone was happy with this change.

What is most fascinating about this research on American English was the huge divide between the spoken and written language of the “haves and the have-nots.” While this is a common theme in history, class/power divides played a huge role in our move away from the “proper” English of Britain. As I was researching the birth of our language, I created a timeline to anchor myself in the events, allowing me to compare and contrast the world. I have included this timeline in the series.  Each and every culture and ethnicity has contributed to the American English we know and use in this nation. And because of the plasticity of American English, the evolution continues today. 

Of note, most of my research came from books and pamphlets written between the 1600s and the early 1900s. They include authors such as John Smith, Merriweather Lewis, H.L. Mencken, and many others. Some of these books I own, and others I read via Internet Archives. I found the old manuscripts to be enlightening, knowing they were written on scarce paper with a quill and ink. I occasionally did a Google search to verify a fact or two. In my Google searches, I also came upon photos and scientific papers. These became deeper rabbit holes. The tone and knowledge of these early books are exceptional! I also discovered spelling inconsistencies in these publications. Again, I was reminded that spelling regulation was also underway in England in the 1600s and hadn’t yet trickled into the colonies, which would account for early spelling variations.  Also, it was said that many of the early explorers were terrible spellers. I saw that often, as the same word would be spelled several ways inside the same manuscripts.

As we celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday, we should not forget the people who made our language what it is today. I have been working on this project for two years and believe this is a good time to share it with others. The articles on Americanisms in this series don’t follow a specific order, so jump in anywhere!  I'm really excited about these upcoming blog posts, and I hope you are too! 

Thanks for reading!~Pam  

The following posts are available now. Be sure to subscribe to my website for upcoming additions to this series! 

Timeline: Covers 1600 through the early 1900s, written for comparison purposes

The Evolution of Fix: Take a deep dive into the history of the suffix <fix> and the word "fix".

The Word Realtor and Other Job Titles: Read more about Americans' need to glamorize their job positions!

Coming soon!

Native American influences

Americanized Verbs

Hollywood Intonations

and so much more!