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The English language has been greatly enriched by the Americans.
Since the 18th century, Americans have created new words or changed
and added new meanings to British English words. The British
are sometimes critical of American English, often without realising
how many words they commonly use owe their origin to the United
States.
Euphemisms
There is a slightly comical tendency of Americans
to use somewhat pompous or wordy language in order to make
their utterance less
offensive, banal or negative. For example, an airline crash was
described as "the involuntary conversion of a Boeing 727".
An American hospital invented the phrase "negative patient
outcome" for a death. The Pentagon once described toothpicks
as "wooden inter-dental stimulators".
Fortunately we can thank the Americans for a much more positive
contribution to the English language. They have invented many
new words which have helped to keep the English language a flexible,
expressive and precise tool.
New words
Did you know that the following common words were coined (or
adopted from other languages) by Americans?
| hangover |
commuter |
hamburger |
motel |
restaurant |
| escalator |
hotel |
airbrake |
fountain pen |
In addition, Americans have proved adept at giving new meanings
to old words. For example, they took the simple three-letter
word "fix" and gave it so many uses that the dictionary
of American English has seven columns of text and 5,000 words
of elucidation to discuss these uses.
Here are a few examples:
I fixed (arranged) my hair before going out.
She fixed a meal for us.
They are fixing (getting ready) to go out tonight.
We fixed up (repaired) our house over Easter.
American English contains many instances where speakers have
changed nouns into verbs. Examples include: to interview,
to package, to corner, to engineer, to notice, to advocate.
Conservation
It is also fascinating to realise that Americans have preserved
words that have long since lapsed in Britain. Americans, for
example, continue to use the word fall (autumn) which
was in common use in Britain until the end of the last century
and is now no longer used there. On the other hand, there are
words whose use in the UK lapsed but which were kept alive in
the USA and which have once again entered British English: to
wilt (to droop), or to drool (to salivate with excitement).
Reading for meaning
When you read an article, you can often guess the words you
do not know from the context.
Find words or expressions in the above article which have
the following meanings:
Notes on American English
There a few grammatical differences between the ways that Amercians
and British use English.
Simple past v. Present perfect
Americans tend to use the simple past for talking about new
and recent information particularly when just, already and yet are
included.
British:
They have just opened a new factory.
American:
They just opened a new factory.
Prepositions
| 1. |
Americans use on rather than in or at with
certain nouns:
British:
in the team
American:
on the team
British:
in Surrey Street
American:
on Surrey Street
British:
at the weekend
American:
on the weekend |
| 2. |
Americans generally omit to after the verb write:
British:
I wrote to the authorites.
American:
I wrote the authorites. |
| 3. |
Americans use with after the following verbs:
meet, speak, talk
British:
We are meeting the authorites next week.
American:
We are meeting with the authorities next week. |
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