The United States of English

Abstract

Abstract The United States of English tells the story of American speech from its earliest beginnings to its current state. Topics covered include the following: the foundations of American English, beginning with the earliest word adoptions; the origins of regional dialects; how the vocabulary developed; an exploration of American slang and language creation outside the mainstream, including Internet-related; typical American grammatical structures and how they differ from those of British English; how regional dialects spread across the country and their defining features; the origins and main features of African American English, Chicano English, and Native American English; social aspects of American English use, including controversies over grammar and usage, and issues of language and gender and language and identity; the current state of the language and where it might go from here; and the place of American English in the world. Written with nonspecialists in mind, the book provides a broad overview, yet with enough detail to guide interested researchers to more in-depth information. It presents the evolution of American English not as a dry collection of linguistic facts, but as an ever-changing story that’s part of the country’s larger cultural and political history. Numerous example quotations from historical sources bring earlier American English to life and show how it has changed over time. The book has an introduction, nine chapters, and a brief afterword, and totals about 90,000 words of text.