The Colonisation of the New World

1600

Background

In the late 16th century, Walter Raleigh's expeditions lead to the first settlement in America in 1607

In 1620, the Mayflower arrives in Cape Cod, and by 1640 around 25,000 people have settled there

By 1700, inhabitants in the region were more than a quarter of a million

The Elizabethan age witnesses the rapid geographical expansion of English in the New World

People who were immigrating were the French, Dutch, Black slaves as well as Americans

Influences

1600 The English colonisation of North America

resulted in the creation of a distinct American variety of English

Some expressions that the British call "Americanisms" are in fact original British expressions that were preserved in the colonies while lost for a time in Britain

Spanish also had an influence on American English, with words like canyon, ranch, and stampede. These are examples of Spanish words that entered English through the settlement of the American West

French words and West African words also influenced American English

Reason for Changes

1604 Robert Cawdrey's 'A Table Alphabeticall‘

(which listed the meanings of over 2,500 'hard words‘) was published and this was the first English dictionary

Across the Atlantic, the surge of immigrants from all over the British Isles influenced the development of different American accents

The early incomers came from the west of England; the 'Pilgrim Fathers' from Norfolk. To this day, fragments of these accents can be differentiated in these particular areas

Therefore, due to the immigration during the 1600s, there was a change in the English language

Lexemes

Many so-called 'Americanisms' today are actually remnants of Middle English that

crossed the Atlantic at this time.

Here are a few examples:

English AmericanGot Gotten

I think I Guess

Cooker Stove

Petrol Gas

Toilet Bathroom

Trousers Pants

Campsite Campground

Sounds

Pronunciation and accents play a big part in how words sound. Even if both American and Englishman was saying the same word, it can sound

completely different.Here are some examples:

Word English Sound American Sound

Potato ‘puh’ ‘tate’ ‘o’ ‘poh’ ‘tat’ ‘o’

Pyjamas ‘per’ ‘jar’ ‘mers’ ‘per’ ‘jam’ ‘as’

Tomato ‘tom’ ‘ar’ ‘toe’ ‘tom’ ‘ate’ ‘o’

Aluminium ‘al’ ‘u’ ‘min’ ‘e’ ‘um’ ‘al’ ‘loo’ ‘min’ ‘um’

Mobile ‘moe’ ‘bile’ ‘moe’ ‘bull’

Water ‘war’ ‘ter’ ‘wah’ ‘der’

Adidas ‘add’ ‘e’ ‘das’ ‘adee’ ‘daz’

Spelling

English American

Analyse Analyze

Defence Defense

Metre Meter

Plough Plow

Moustache Mustache

Aluminium Aluminum

Licence License

Just like the sounds of lexemes, spelling can be used to distinguish an English and American apart. Both American and Englishman can be

saying the same word, yet it can be spelt differently.

Here are some examples:

Quiz

R A C A P E C O D K N H M

I O Z O X Q V F T G I E A

D V B W N A C I R F A R Y

G T R E T L A W Z H P U F

F A M E R I C A N I S M L

J F U H C T U D C E B J O

A K C I T N A L T A L I W

C O L O N I S A T I O N E

I M D N A L G N E S G Q R

R H S F B T K L O F R O N

E C E Q J Z H C N E R F D

M I B L A C K S L A V E S

A N A H T E B A Z I L E Y

• Norfolk• Americanism

s• May Flower• Cape cod• Elizabethan• Atlantic• Black Slaves• African

• Robert• Colonisatio

n• Walter• America• England• Spain• French• Dutch

List of Words