Vocabulary of American English

Vocabulary differences between British English and American English are most pronounced.

Quite often American English displays its conservatism in this sphere too. In the United States, some words have preserved the meanings they had in England in the XVII c., whereas in Great Britain these meanings are now expressed differently. Here belong such words as «fall» replaced in England by «autumn», «guess» by «think», «baggage» by «luggage», «druggist» by «chemist», «homely» by «ugly», «to loan» by «to lend», «sick» by «ill» (in the predicative function), «mad» by «angry», «sidewalk» by «pavement», etc.

On the contrary, some words, preserved in BrE, went out of use in AmE. Here belong: a fortnight (two weeks), porridge, heath, moor, ironmonger, cock (AmE rooster).

At the same time, new words were borrowed from the languages with which AmE came into contact. Later most of them crossed the Atlantic and penetrated into the vocabulary of BrE.

From various Indian dialects came:

(1) geographical names (in French spelling and pronunciation as once some territories belonged to French colonists), e.g. Mississippi [̗misi ′;sipi], Chicago [òi ′;kɔ:go:], Michagan [ ′;miòigən], Illinois [ili ′;nɔi], Siox [su:], Arkansas [ ′;α׃kənsɔ:] (state) but [α׃ ′kænsəs] (city)

Note ch in French denotes [ò], s in the final position is silent.

(1) names of plants, e.g.

hickory, sequoia [si ′;kwɔiə], persimmon [pə: ′;simən];

(2) names of animals, e.g.

moose, skunk, cariboo [ ′;kæribu:];

(3) objects and aspects of Indian life, e.g.

wigwam [ ′;wigwæm], squaw [skwɔ:], tomahawk [ ′;tɔməhɔ:k], pemmican [ ′;pemikən], mocasin [ ′;mɔkəsin], caucus [ ′;kɔ:kəs], pow-wau [ ′;pauwau]

 

Though most of these words are also used in England, some of their meanings are typical of the USA, e.g. pow-wau is used in the meaning «political meeting», to pow-wau means «to confir, to discuss»; caucus means «an elective party committee», to caucus means «to hold a caucus meeting»; to skunk means «to defeat completely», etc

A few words were borrowed from the languages of European colonists.

From Spanish come: (1) geographical names, e.g.

San Francisco [sænfrən ′;siskou], Los Angeles [lɔs ′;ænʤili:z], Santa Fe [sæntə ′;fei], etc

(2) topographical names, e.g.

Sierra Nevada, Sierra Madre, El Paso, Llano Estacado, Punta Rasa, canyon [ ′;kænjən] etc.

(4) objects and phenomena of everyday life, e.g.

hacienda [hαsi ′;endə] (estate), rancho, sombrero [sɔm ′;brεəro(u)], tornado [tɔr ′;neido(u)], plaza [ ′;plα׃zə], adobe [ə ′;doubi] (a mixture of mud and straw), padre [ ′;pα׃drei], quadroon [kwɔ ′;dru:n] (< Sp cuarteron), cafeteria [kæfə ′;tiəriə] (a restaurant where people serve themselves)

Note The last word is built after the Spanish pattern (barberia, carniceria, panaderia). After the same pattern new hybrid words chocolateria, fruteria, sodateria were built.

 

It is not clear how the Spanish loanwords creole, alligator, mosquito, cockroach (< Sp cucaracha) penetrated BrE: from AmE or through British sailors.

Dutch loanwords denote:

(1) some geographical names, e.g.

Brooklyn (Breuckelen), Bowery (< bouweru - estate), Catskill (< kill - canal);

(2) some aspects of life, e.g.

boss (< baas - master), dollar, dope (< doop), waffle (< wafel), stoop (< stoep - a doorstep), cookie, Santa Claus (< Sant Klaas – Saint Nicholas).

German loanwords denote:

(1) mostly «food», e.g.

hamburger [ ′;hæmbə: gə] – a steak, pretzel, noodle, sauerkraut, bock-beer, lager-beer, leberwurst, frankfurter and some shops, institutions and objects connected with them e.g. beer-garden, stein, Delikatessen, kindergarten (BrE infant’s school), seminar, etc.

French loanwords are represented by such words as prairie [ ′;prεəri], rapids, Detroit [də ′;trɔit].

Many derivatives, compounds and stable word combinations were formed in the USA. Some of them were later adopted in England, e.g. a cablegam (BrE a telegram), a high school (BrE a secondary school), high-ball – whiskey or other liquer mixed with water, soda or ginger ale and ice, a high-hat – US slang (BrE a top-hat), hijack - US slang (to rob automobiles), chewing gum, trucker – a lorrydriver, etc.

It is easy to see the difference between BrE and AmE if we compare pairs of words and word combinations denoting the same thing.

In Britain an information bureau is an inquiry office, a ticket agent is a booking clerk, and a freight car is a goods wagon. Dessert in Britain means fruit; in the USA you must use sweet if you want a dessert; if you ask for buiscuits you will get crackers. The British equivalent of a cigar store is a tobacconist’s. The British billion is American trillion, and milliard should be used to signify American billion.

You can see that the above divergencies between BrE and AmE are not differences between two languages. Both «ticket agent» and «booking clerk» and all the other examples consist of English words formed and connected in typically English ways. In general, the minor differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary conceal the fact that the Americans and the British speak essentially one language; use the same grammar, practically the same phonetic and orthographic systems and overwhelmingly the same vocabulary.