n. american english
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N. American English. European Settlement of N. America. Early Modern English – Shakespeare. Early Modern English – a reminder. Use of do as an auxiliary affirmative: I do think interrogative: do you think? negative: I do not think. Early Modern English – a reminder. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
N. American English
European Settlement of N. America
• Early Modern English – Shakespeare
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Use of do as an auxiliary
1. affirmative: I do think
2. interrogative: do you think?
3. negative: I do not think
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Use of do as an auxiliary
1. affirmative: v.common 1500-1700; died out in prose in 18th century
She ded call after hym ryght pyteousli (Caxton 1489)
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Use of do as an auxiliary
1. affirmative: to avoid inversion
There did I see that low-spirited Swaine (Shakespeare)
Not a single word did Peggotty speak (Dickens)
Well do I remember the scene
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Use of do as an auxiliary
1. affirmative: in Modern English only emphatic/repetitive:
But we do want him
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Use of do as an auxiliary
2 Interrogative. The original form was simple inversion:
slæpest þú ‘do you sleep?’
What rowne ye with oure mayde ‘What are you whispering to our girl?’ (Chaucer)
What tolde I thee ? (Chaucer)
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Use of do as an auxiliary
2 Interrogative
Shakespeare could use both simple inversion or do:
Wash they his wounds with tears?
Dost thou forget from what a torment I did free thee?
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Use of do as an auxiliary
3 Negativehéo ne lufode hine (OE)
ho ne luvede him (early ME)
sche ne luvede him noht (later ME)
she loved him not (Shakespeare)
(she did not love him) (Shakespeare)
she did not love him (Modern English)
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Use of do as an auxiliary
3 Negative
Some verbs can still use simple “not”:
I know not, it matters not, I think not
won’t aren’t ain't
Early Modern English – a reminder
• 2nd-person forms of addressOE: singular þú þé þín
plural gé éow éower
There was also a dual: git inc incer
ME: singular þou þe þíne
plural ye you your
Late ME: ye you your came to be used as a polite form.
Shakespeare had thou, thee, thine in singular; ye you your in the plural and the polite form.
Only you your remain today.
Early Modern English – a reminder
• Fully rhoticfarmer, Shakespeare, horse, heart, China
• No FOOT-STRUT Splitbutcher, cut, love, brother
• No BATH-TRAP Splitfancy, dancing, laugh, ask, demand
• Great Vowel Shift without later Diphthonging → → →
• Great Vowel Shift without later Diphthonging
tide
sweet
clean
name
house
moon
stone
• Great Vowel Shift without later Diphthonging
tide
sweet
clean
name
house
moon
stone
• Great Vowel Shift without later Diphthonging
Middle English
Great Vowel Shift Shakespeare
BritishAmerican
R DroppingBATH Broadening
BritishS. Hem
Front Vowel Raising H-Dropping T-Glotalling
L-Vocalization
Loss of distinctivelength
LOT Unrounding Later Yod Dropping
T-Voicing
Middle English
Great Vowel Shift Shakespeare
BritishAmerican
R DroppingBATH Broadening
BritishS. Hem
Front Vowel Raising H-Dropping T-Glotalling
L-Vocalization
Diphthong Shift
FOOT-STRUT SplitNURSE Merger
Loss of distinctivelength
LOT Unrounding Later Yod Dropping
T-Voicing
BATH Lengthening
American English
• Loss of distinctive length
• LOT Unrounding
• Later Yod Dropping
• T-Voicing
American English
• Loss of distinctive length– Effects BATH and CLOTH– BATH Lengthening disappears– CLOTH-LOT Split is no longer a length split
• It may be that the CLOTH-LOT Split in America (“hot dog split”) and the CLOTH-LOT Split in England (now practically defunct) are 2 independent developments
American English
• BATH
• bath=trap in GenAm
• bath=palm=start in RP
originalBATH-TRAP
Split
American English
LOT Unrounding (Also in SW England and Ireland – independent? Or does Irish have an effect on American?)
American English
LOT Unrounding– resulting in LOT-PALM merger
American English
• Loss of distinctive length
• LOT Unrounding – LOT-PALM Merger– LOT-THOUGHT Merger
trap bath palm (start) lot thought
LOT-THOUGHT Merger
collar~caller don~dawncot~caught knotty~naughtystock~stalk
Everywhere except in the East; is also spreading in the East (Wells 3 6.1.2 )
Minimal pairs in British English and in E. Am.Merged in Gen.Am and Scotland
East:
American English
• Loss of distinctive length
• LOT Unrounding
• Later Yod DroppingEarlier Yod Dropping
in England:
shrew rude blue
American English
• Loss of distinctive length
• LOT Unrounding
• Later Yod DroppingLater Yod Dropping
in America:
tune student duke
new numerous
enthusiasm suit presume
lewd allude
American English
• Loss of distinctive length
• LOT Unrounding
• Later Yod DroppingGeneralized Yod Dropping
in Britain, E. Anglia
few music
cube Hugh
American English
• Loss of distinctive length
• LOT Unrounding
• Later Yod Dropping
• T-Voicing, NT Coalescence
American English
• Loss of distinctive length
• LOT Unrounding
• Later Yod Dropping
• T-Voicing, NT Coalescencelatter ~ ladder carting ~ carding
writer ~ rider partner or pardner ?
internet ~ innernet, international ~ innernational
wanna, gonna
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