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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!fortune!polard
From: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry Polard)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Who speaks the King's English??
Message-ID: <3923@fortune.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-Aug-84 13:52:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: fortune.3923
Posted: Thu Aug  2 13:52:21 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Aug-84 00:07:07 EDT
References: <370@iheds.UUCP>
Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA
Lines: 25



American English is not necessarily closer to the King's (or Queen's)
English.  First, there is no single way of speaking English that is American
English - there are several dialects that diverge considerably one
 from the other.  Bostonians might have difficulties understanding any of
 the Appalachian dialects.
      This is because the settlers from England came mainly from the
classes that did not speak "cultured" English.  If I remember correctly,
Mencken's The American Language points out that most of the dialects
 of American English on the eastern seaboard can be traced to coastal
of England.  The situation is complicated by the fact that the richer
American families sent their children to England to be educated.  Their
 speech was looked up to and imitated, and became the prestige dialect
 in the richer urban centers like Boston and New York.

Most of the discussion about English on the net has been speculative
 (my postings included).  Further discussions should be
 reseached and documented - but I fear I am bordering on heresy.

"real" is a four-letter word.

-- 
Henry Polard (You bring the flames; I'll bring the marshmallows.)
{ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard