© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Th12/6/12 Distribution of English Language Speakers (Ch. 5.1 – pp....
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Transcript of © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Th12/6/12 Distribution of English Language Speakers (Ch. 5.1 – pp....
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
Th12/6/12
Distribution of English Language Speakers
(Ch. 5.1 – pp. 133-143)
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
I. Origin and Diffusion of English
• English as 1st language – 328M ppl.
• Primary language in 57 countries
A.English colonies– North America – VA, NE– initial competition w/ Fr., Sp.– Canada, USA, Ireland, India/South Asia,
South Africa, Australia, etc.– US diffusion - Philippines
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
I. Origin and Diffusion of English (cont.)
B. Origins of English– Many influences in Britain – Gaelic, Latin,
German, French– German invasions (5th Cent. A.D.)
• post-Roman invasions – Angles, Jutes, Saxons• Germanic languages• England = Land of Angles
– Norman invasions (1066 A.D.)• French influence – official language (~300 yrs)
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
II. Dialects of English
• Dialect = a regional variation of a language– Isogloss = a word-usage boundary– Standard language = a well-established
dialect– British Received Pronunciation (BRP) =
“proper English”
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
II. Dialects of English (cont.)
A. Dialects In England– Dialects of Old English (“Beowulf”)
• Depended on distribution of German Invasions • Northumbrian – Northern England (Angles)• Kentish – SE England (Jutes)• West Saxon – N & W England (Saxons)• Mercian – central England• Old English → Middle English → Modern English
• Beowulf → Canterbury Tales → Shakespeare• Beowulf Spoken; Canterbury Spoken; Shakespeare Spoken• Brief History of Shakespeare• History of English Language
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
II. Dialects of English (cont.)
B. Major Regional Dialects In England– 5 main regions
– strong influence of London & universities
– impact of printing press, grammar books
– persistence of regional dialects• Northern, Midland & Southern
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
II. Dialects of English (cont.)
C. Differences b/w British & American English– impact of Atlantic Ocean – isolation
– vocabulary • new items, encounters, inventions = new words
– spelling • Noah Webster’s dictionary & agenda
– pronunciation• less change in America than in England
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
II. Dialects of English (cont.)
D. Dialects in the United States– Settlement in the eastern United States
• NE, SE, Mid-Atlantic
– Current differences in the eastern United States
• Northern, Midlands, Southern• isolation of rural areas• Ex: soft drinks
– Pronunciation differences• Southern, New England, “standard American”,
New York