|
|
|
|
 |
Two Views of American and British English |
 |
|
The late eighteenth-century view, held on both sides of the
Atlantic, was that American English was diverging from the
standard language found in contemporary Britain. |
|
Late eighteenth-century British English |
 |
Late eighteenth-century American English |
|
A more accurate view emphasizes the common continuity between
these two varieties and older states of the language. From this
standpoint, it is not strictly proper to talk about 'British
English' until the seventeenth century, because only then is
there something to contrast it with. There was no 'American
English' previously. Before 1607 there was only 'English'– in
its various varieties within the British Isles. |
|
Seventeenth-century British English |
 |
Seventeenth-century American English |
|
Late eighteenth-century British English |
|
Late eighteenth-century American English |
|
The yellow arrows indicate the ongoing influence of Britain upon
America throughout the period. In the twentieth century, of
course, the direction of these arrows reversed: |
|
Twentieth-century
British English |
 |
Twentieth-century
American English |
|
|
 |
Copyrighted material |
 |
|
Source:
David Crystal. The Stories of English
(Penguin Books, 2005) |
|
|
|
|
