Author Description
When did English become American? What distinctive qualities made it American? What role have America's democratizing impulses, and its vibrantly heterogeneous speakers, played in shaping our language and separating it from the mother tongue?A wide-ranging account of American English, Richard Bailey's Speaking American investigates the history and continuing evolution of our language from the sixteenth century to the present. The book is organized in half-century segments around influential centers: Chesapeake Bay (1600-1650), Boston (1650-1700), Charleston (1700-1750), Philadelphia (1750-1800), New Orleans (1800-1850), New York (1850-1900), Chicago (1900-1950), Los Angeles (1950-2000), and Cyberspace (2000-present). Each of these places has added new words, new inflections, new ways of speaking to the elusive, boisterous, ever-changing linguistic experiment that is American English. Freed from British constraints of unity and propriety, swept up in rapid social change, restless movement, and a thirst for innovation, Americans have always been eager to invent new words, from earthy frontier expressions like "catawampously" (vigorously) and "bung-nipper" (pickpocket), to West African words introduced by slaves such as "goober" (peanut) and "gumbo" (okra), to urban slang such as "tagging" (spraying graffiti) and "crew" (gang). Throughout, Bailey focuses on how people speak and how speakers change the language. The book is filled with transcripts of arresting voices, precisely situated in time and space: two justices of the peace sitting in a pumpkin patch trying an Indian for theft; a crowd of Africans lounging on the waterfront in Philadelphia discussing the newly independent nation in their home languages; a Chicago gangster complaining that his pocket had been picked; Valley Girls chattering; Crips and Bloods negotiating their gang identities in LA; and more. Speaking American explores--and celebrates--the endless variety and remarkable inventiveness that have alwa
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the historical evolution of American English, questioning how the language transformed from its British roots into a distinct, heterogeneous national dialect. Richard W. Bailey, a noted scholar in the field of linguistics, utilizes a chronological framework to analyze how social, political, and geographic factors influenced linguistic development. By examining specific American urban centers and cultural hubs, the author argues that the democratization of the United States and its diverse population were the primary drivers of linguistic innovation. The text synthesizes historical records, transcripts of speech, and etymological data to demonstrate the fluid nature of American English.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological analysis of American English from the 17th century to the present day.
- A geographic framework organized by influential centers including Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
- Primary source transcripts capturing diverse voices, from early colonial settlers to modern urban subcultures.
- Etymological exploration of regional slang, frontier expressions, and loanwords from various immigrant and indigenous populations.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts in the field of linguistics frequently cite this work as a comprehensive and accessible survey of American English development. Readers often note that the book successfully balances academic rigor with engaging, anecdotal evidence that illustrates the living nature of the language.
Page Count:
224
Publication Date:
2012-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199913404
ISBN-13:
9780199913404
History
Americanisms
English
Language
American History
American Studies
English & College Success
Linguistics
United States
Sociology
Community Tags
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