Are Americans trashing the English language?

Summary

The video explores the influence of American English on British English, featuring language expert Lane Greene. It discusses the historical origins of words and the blending of the two dialects. Despite some British resistance to Americanisms, Greene argues that many 'American' words have British roots. He concludes that British English remains robust, with language evolution being a sign of richness, and Americanisms are actually enriching the English language rather than detracting from it.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The script discusses the influence of American English on British English, highlighting the debate over the adoption of Americanisms in the UK.
• 📚 Language expert Lane Greene, an American living in London, is introduced as a commentator on the evolution of English.
• 🇬🇧 British slang and expressions are noted, with examples like 'motor' for car, showing the cultural differences in language.
• 🤔 There's a noted resistance among some Britons to the influx of American words and phrases into British English.
• 📖 The term 'Americanisms' originally referred to words found in the Americas by British settlers but later evolved to mean words from America that entered British English.
• 🎭 The influence of American media, such as Hollywood and television, is cited as a significant factor in the spread of Americanisms.
• 📝 Noah Webster, an American lexicographer, is credited with standardizing American spellings, which differ from British English.
• 🌐 The script suggests that the global dominance of American culture contributes to the spread of American English worldwide.
• 🧳 Despite concerns about the dilution of British English, many American words have British origins, indicating a shared linguistic history.
• 🌍 Lane Greene argues that British English is in good health and that the adoption of new words, including Americanisms, is a sign of a rich and evolving language.
• 🌐 The script concludes that Americanisms are not destroying the English language but are instead enriching global English, contributing to its diversity.

Q & A

What is Lane Greene's profession and area of expertise?

Lane Greene is an American living in London and is a language expert, particularly interested in the history of words and their origins.

What is the general sentiment of some Britons towards Americanisms in British English?

Some Britons express a general dislike for American words and expressions entering British English, considering it a form of cultural encroachment.

What does the term 'Americanisms' originally refer to?

Originally, 'Americanisms' referred to things found in the Americas by British and other colonists and settlers, such as 'moccasin' and 'canoe'.

How did Americanisms come to be associated with words arising in America and later entering British English?

Over time, the term 'Americanisms' evolved to refer to words that originated in America and were later adopted into British English as new words.

Who was Noah Webster and what was his influence on American spellings?

Noah Webster was an American lexicographer who decided on the spellings of many words, such as 'center' with an 'er' instead of 're', and removing the 'u' from words like 'color'.

What impact did Hollywood and later television have on the adoption of Americanisms in British English?

Hollywood and later television popularized Americanisms, making it fashionable to speak like American movie stars, which led to a significant increase in the adoption of American words and phrases.

How does the presence of Americanisms in British English reflect on the language's evolution?

The presence of Americanisms reflects the dynamic and evolving nature of the English language, indicating its adaptability and richness.

What is Lane Greene's perspective on the future of British English in relation to Americanisms?

Lane Greene believes that British English is in good and healthy shape and that the adoption of new words, including Americanisms, is a sign of a rich and evolving language.

What is the significance of the sidewalk example in the script?

The term 'sidewalk', despite being considered an Americanism, originated in Britain in the early 1800s, illustrating the complex and intertwined history of English words across different regions.

What does the script suggest about the future of English dialects and the potential homogenization of language?

The script suggests that despite the influence of Americanisms, British English and other dialects are not likely to be homogenized into a single global variety, as languages naturally evolve and maintain regional differences.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Americanisms in British English

The paragraph discusses the influence of American English on British English, as observed by Lane Greene, The Economist's language expert. Greene, an American living in London, is intrigued by the history of words and their origins. He notes a British resistance to Americanisms, with some Britons expressing a dislike for American words and phrases infiltrating British English. The term 'Americanisms' originally referred to items found in the Americas by British settlers but has evolved to mean words that originated in America and later entered British English. The influence of American English is attributed to various factors, including Hollywood and the internet, which have made American expressions more prevalent. Greene points out that many American words are of British origin, such as 'sidewalk' and 'mad' (meaning angry), which have been used in Britain for centuries. Despite some Britons' disapproval, Greene believes that British English remains healthy and that the adoption of new words signifies a rich, evolving language.

05:01

🌍 Diverse English, Global Influence

This paragraph emphasizes the diversity of British English and argues against the notion that it is being homogenized into a predominantly American version of the language. The speaker acknowledges that British English is not a monolithic entity, with different dialects and variations existing within England itself. The paragraph suggests that the influence of Americanisms is enriching the English language rather than detracting from it. The speaker concludes that the adoption of Americanisms is not a negative development but rather a testament to the dynamic nature of language, which is constantly evolving and adapting to new influences.

Keywords

💡Americanisms

Americanisms refer to words or phrases that originated in America and have been adopted into other varieties of English, such as British English. In the video, the concept is explored through the lens of cultural and linguistic exchange, highlighting how American words are perceived by British speakers and how they influence the English language. The script mentions how some Britons express a dislike for Americanisms, yet others argue that these terms actually have British origins.

💡British English

British English is a major dialect of the English language, with its own set of vocabulary, spelling, and grammar rules. The video discusses the impact of Americanisms on British English, suggesting a blending of the two dialects. It also touches on the historical use of certain terms in British English that are now associated with American English, such as 'sidewalk'.

💡Cultural Influence

Cultural influence is the effect one culture has on another, often through the exchange of ideas, language, and customs. The video script examines how American culture, particularly through media like Hollywood films and television, has influenced the use of language in Britain. It suggests that the spread of Americanisms is a reflection of broader cultural trends and the dominance of American media.

💡Noah Webster

Noah Webster was an American lexicographer who played a significant role in standardizing American English. The script mentions Webster's decisions to alter spellings of certain words, such as 'center' and 'color,' which contributed to the differentiation between American and British spelling. His work is a key point in the discussion of the evolution of American English and its impact on other English dialects.

💡Homogenization

Homogenization refers to the process by which diverse elements become more uniform or similar. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the concern that the global spread of Americanisms could lead to a loss of linguistic diversity, making all English dialects sound more like American English. The video argues against this notion, suggesting that languages naturally evolve and borrow from one another.

💡Evolving Language

An evolving language is one that is constantly changing over time, incorporating new words and phrases while discarding or modifying others. The video script uses this concept to argue that the incorporation of Americanisms into British English is a natural part of language evolution and not a degradation of the language. It suggests that change is a sign of a healthy and vibrant linguistic culture.

💡Linguistic Borrowing

Linguistic borrowing is the process by which one language adopts words or phrases from another. The script discusses how many Americanisms have British origins but were later adopted and popularized in the United States. This concept is used to illustrate the fluid nature of language and how terms can move between dialects and languages over time.

💡Slang

Slang refers to informal language, often characterized by new or unconventional words and phrases. The video touches on the use of slang in both American and British English, noting how certain slang terms are associated with specific regions or cultures. It also highlights how slang can be a point of contention in discussions about language purity and the influence of Americanisms.

💡Language Expert

A language expert is someone with extensive knowledge of language, often specializing in areas such as linguistics, etymology, or dialectology. In the video, Lane Greene, an American living in London, is introduced as a language expert who provides insights into the use and perception of Americanisms in British English. His perspective adds authority to the discussion and offers a nuanced view of linguistic change.

💡Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a comprehensive historical dictionary of the English language, detailing the meanings, origins, and historical usage of words. The script references the OED to provide historical context for certain words, such as 'mad' being used to mean 'angry' dating back to around 1400. This underscores the importance of the OED in understanding the evolution of language.

Highlights

The Economist's language expert Lane Greene discusses the influence of American English on British English.

Lane Greene is an American living in London and has become accustomed to British English slang.

Britons often complain about American words and expressions entering British English.

Americanisms originally referred to things found in the Americas by British colonists.

Over time, Americanisms came to mean words that arose in America and later entered British English.

The Queen's English seems to be giving way to American English, which some see as a decline of British identity.

Noah Webster, an American lexicographer, influenced American spellings significantly.

The 1930s saw a peak in Americanisms due to the influence of Hollywood.

The advent of 24-hour television and the Internet has made the spread of Americanisms overwhelming.

Many American words are actually of British origin, such as 'sidewalk' and 'mad' meaning angry.

Lane Greene believes that British English is in good health and that languages naturally evolve and adopt new words.

The adoption of new words is a sign of a rich, evolving language, according to Greene.

British English has its own dialects, especially within different parts of England, including London.

Americanisms are enriching the English language rather than trashing it, according to Greene.

British English is not likely to be homogenized into a global American variety of the language.

The influence of Americanisms is part of the natural evolution of language and does not signify a decline.

Transcripts

are Americans trashing the English

language The Economist's language expert

Lane Green knows a thing or two about

English this is lanes office

these are some of the books he might

review

Lane is a fan of words lots of words

what interests me is the history of the

words where they come from and Lane is

an American living in London he's become

accustomed to British English slang

harbors of Bo's are that's what we're

or car is a motor

but Lane often hears Britons complain

there are too many American words and

expressions creeping into British

English there are some expressions that

I don't like okay that's a good example

do the math most British people are of

course polite enough not to mention

their feelings about American English

directly to me but I do see a general

dislike of American words and American

phrases these are cooled Americanisms

originally Americanisms were four things

that were found in the Americas by

British and other colonists and settlers

things like moccasin canoe

but over time Americanisms came to refer

to words that arose in America and later

entered British English as new words

[Music]

the Queen's English

seems to be giving way to the Yanks

English

so some people that represents the

gentle decline of an old idea of Britain

British writer Matthew Engel we can't

stand Americanisms being used in Britain

and even wrote a book about the

grassroots spin-doctors lobbyists slush

funds everything conspires to make the

world speak the language of the world's

dominant country that is a step to a

rather homogenized and boring world

American spellings derive entirely from

the opinion of one man Noah Webster was

an American Dictionary writer a

lexicographer it was Webster who decided

that words like Center should be spelled

with an ER rather than with the re he

took the you out of words like color

words like music were then still written

with an icy K he decided that K could go

there was a huge peak in the 1930s after

Hollywood came in it became immensely

cool to speak just as the movie stars

dead now them have 24-hour television

and coming out of 500 channels you have

the Internet something that had been

manageable has become completely

overwhelming certainly now Americanisms

are entering British English and they

are influencing the language you might

hear people talking about fries instead

of chips

but ah Americanisms thrashing British

English

according to Lane many of these American

words

are actually British in origin

we took Lane out to pound the sidewalks

of London to see if Londoners knew the

origins of their words won't you call

this that we're walking on right now

Pitman okay now I said the word sidewalk

what would that make you think of

America I hold it a pavement okay if I

said sidewalk what would that make you

think of America sidewalk is an obvious

Americanism except that it originated in

Britain it was being used already in the

early 1800s to describe the footpath

along the Westminster Bridge if I said

someone was mad what would that make you

think of

probably insane insane but if I if I

said they were angry and that's how they

were mad

mad yeah that makes me mad that's a pure

American usage man meaning angry goes

all the way back to at least about 1400

according to the oxford english

dictionary

matthew is not impressed with this

argument he thinks that once British

words go to America they should stay

there if someone whose ancestors

emigrated to America centuries ago they

can't turn up at Heathrow and say I'm

British let me in strangely though for

an American Lane is more sanguine about

the future of our native tongue British

English is in very very good and healthy

shape languages change at every level

and they do it all the time the adoption

of new words is a sign of a rich

evolving language we have our own

dialect within different parts of

England especially London we caught me

right miss lane for example I like

America

and they say there is by language they'd

have [ __ ] around people like

belonging to groups that make them

different that is certainly true British

English and this is another reason why I

don't see British English or any other

kind of English being blandly

homogenized into one global mostly

American variety of the language far

from trashing the English language

Americanisms are enriching the way in

which we speak whichever side of the

pond you're on

[Music]

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