Tuesday, November 18, 2008

quicko: language

I had a bit of breakthrough tonight.

I don't know if it's scientific, factual or anything like that, but it sure makes sense. Here's the idea: Australian English is closer to British English than American English is because the majority of Australians who speak English as their native language come, historically, from Britain. However, the majority of Americans who speak English as their native language come, historically, from all over Europe. Thus, the American accent in its formative years would have been impacted by lots of various accents -- German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Dutch, French, Spanish, etc. -- that Australian English wasn't. And so, Australian English remains closer to British English, while American English drifts farther.

Is there a breakdown in the breakthrough?? Do tell!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

It also has to do with when the founding happened. America is several hundred years older than Australia and was founded by religious pilgrims rather than... convicts. The Pilgrims settled at Plymouth (I think) and set about being all puritanical and stuff, and keeping their language pure.

Meanwhile back in London (where the language is as pure as the driven slush) times were a-changin' and they ended up with a lower class city accent which became known as Cockney. Most of the convicts had that accent, along with a few Irish and other stuff.

So... it's theorised that the US accent around areas where the puritans got a stranglehold is actually closer to what UK English used to sound like than contemporary UK English is. So there you go.

Anonymous said...

Well, that makes sense to me. I wonder what Bill Bryson has to say about it? If anyone is an authority on the topic, I would imagine he is the one.

Laetitia :-) said...

I think a lot of those who went from the UK to the USA also must have come from the "West Country" - think Bristol and south west. When we lived in Portishead (6 miles NW of Bristol) we noticed a lot of people, particularly those from the southern side of the river in Bristol, had accents similar to ones from the USA.

In comparison, a large chunk of the early Australian non-indigenous populace came from London as Garry said.