Relation of the American nation to England (especially after 1776)

1
Relation of the American nation to England
(especially after 1776)

• Schizophrenic!
• - Violent rejection of English tyranny
• - Acute nostalgia for English culture

2
Pronunciation

• British speakers Received Pronunciation (RP),
  Oxford English, Public School English, BBC
  English, standard British English (around 3 of
  the population use RP)
• American English has no official standard

3

• RP developed at the end of the 18th century,
  during the period of the American Revolution
• Until the 18th century everyone in both Britain
  and America spoke a local dialect
• Difference between gentlefolks and commoners
• Dialect in novels in UK to mark class and region
  origins
• In America for comic effect
• Language of London prestige dialect

4

• Received pronunciation term introduced by John
  Walker (1791), received means generally
  adopted and approved, the best
• Main feature loss of the postvocalic r with
  lengthening of the vowel
• Ex (BE)
• - horse /h??s/
• - course /k??s/

5
Accents

• Fairfax, Virginia
• http//accent.gmu.edu/searchsaa.php?functiondetai
  lspeakerid110
• Hertfordshire
• http//accent.gmu.edu/searchsaa.php?functiondetai
  lspeakerid443

6

• Loss of r became the prestige norm US areas
  more exposed to British influence (New England,
  Old South) followed this innovation, other
  areas kept the r
• Not only in the US, but in other geographical
  areas distant from the linguistic center
  (Ireland, Scotland)
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vrNzPsfnN3sUfeature
  related