The United States of English
The American Language from Colonial Times to the Twenty-First Century
Rosemarie Ostler
29 November 2023
ISBN: 9780197647295
240 pages
Hardback
210x140mm
Description
The United States of English tells the story of how American English grew and changed from colonial times to the present, exploring how the American language is different from British English and how it got that way. From the English of the colonists to slang, regional dialects, African American English, the internet, and "political correctness," Rosemarie Ostler shows how the language has evolved and is still evolving today. Written for non-specialists, it is filled with colorful examples of past and present English that bring the language to life.
- Explains how our language came to be distinctly American
- Traces accents and dialects back to our colonial origins and forwards to the internet, politics, and COVID-19
- Describes language change clearly and accessibly, without jargon
About the Author(s)
Rosemarie Ostler, Freelance Writer
Rosemarie Ostler is a freelance writer with a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Washington. She is the author of five books about the history of American English and numerous articles on language-related topics. Her work has appeared in American History, The Saturday Evening Post, Christian Science Monitor, Time.com, Atlas Obscura, and The Writer, among others.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
Chapter 1: The Beginnings of American English
Chapter 2: Early Regional Dialects
Chapter 3: Building the Vocabulary
Chapter 4: American Grammar and Usage
Chapter 5: The Spread of Regional Speech
Chapter 6: Ethnic Dialects
Chapter 7: Language Innovation outside the Mainstream
Chapter 8: The Social Life of American English
Chapter 9: American English Today
Afterword: American English Tomorrow
Appendix: American Vowels
Endnotes
Select Bibliography
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