N. American English

1. N. American English

2. European Settlement of N. America • Early Modern English – Shakespeare

3. Early Modern English – a reminder • Use of do as an auxiliary • affirmative: I do think • interrogative: do you think? • negative: I do not think

4. Early Modern English – a reminder • Use of do as an auxiliary • affirmative: v.common 1500-1700; died out in prose in 18th century She ded call after hym ryght pyteousli (Caxton 1489)

5. Early Modern English – a reminder • Use of do as an auxiliary • affirmative: to avoid inversion There did I see that low-spirited Swaine (Shakespeare) Not a single word did Peggotty speak (Dickens) Well do I remember the scene

6. Early Modern English – a reminder • Use of do as an auxiliary • affirmative: in Modern English only emphatic/repetitive: But we do want him

7. Early Modern English – a reminder • Use of do as an auxiliary 2 Interrogative. The original form was simple inversion: slæpest þú ‘do you sleep?’ What rowne ye with oure mayde ‘What are you whispering to our girl?’ (Chaucer) What tolde I thee ? (Chaucer)

8. Early Modern English – a reminder • Use of do as an auxiliary 2 Interrogative Shakespeare could use both simple inversion or do: Wash they his wounds with tears? Dost thou forget from what a torment I did free thee?

9. Early Modern English – a reminder • Use of do as an auxiliary 3 Negative héo ne lufode hine (OE) ho ne luvede him (early ME) sche ne luvede him noht (later ME) she loved him not (Shakespeare) (she did not love him) (Shakespeare) she did not love him (Modern English)

10. Early Modern English – a reminder • Use of do as an auxiliary 3 Negative Some verbs can still use simple “not”: I know not, it matters not, I think not won’t aren’t ain't

11. Early Modern English – a reminder • 2nd-person forms of address OE:   singular   þú þé þín             plural     gé éow éower There was also a dual:  git inc incer ME:   singular   þou þe þíne             plural     ye you your Late ME: ye you yourcame to be used as a polite form. Shakespeare had thou, thee, thine in singular; yeyou your in the plural and the polite form. Only you your remain today.

12. Early Modern English – a reminder • Fully rhotic farmer, Shakespeare, horse, heart, China • No FOOT-STRUT Split butcher, cut, love, brother • No BATH-TRAP Split fancy, dancing, laugh, ask, demand • Great Vowel Shift without later Diphthonging → → →

13. Great Vowel Shift without later Diphthonging

14. Great Vowel Shift without later Diphthonging tide house sweet moon clean stone name

15. Great Vowel Shift without later Diphthonging moon sweet tide house clean stone name

16. Middle English Great Vowel Shift Shakespeare British American R Dropping BATH Broadening Loss of distinctive length LOT Unrounding Later Yod Dropping T-Voicing S. Hem British Front Vowel Raising H-Dropping T-Glotalling L-Vocalization

17. Middle English Great Vowel Shift Shakespeare FOOT-STRUT Split NURSE Merger British American BATH Lengthening R Dropping BATH Broadening Loss of distinctive length LOT Unrounding Later Yod Dropping T-Voicing S. Hem British Diphthong Shift Front Vowel Raising H-Dropping T-Glotalling L-Vocalization

19. American English • Loss of distinctive length • LOT Unrounding • Later Yod Dropping • T-Voicing

20. American English • Loss of distinctive length • Effects BATH and CLOTH • BATH Lengthening disappears • CLOTH-LOT Split is no longer a length split • It may be that the CLOTH-LOT Split in America (“hot dog split”) and the CLOTH-LOT Split in England (now practically defunct) are 2 independent developments

21. American English • BATH • bath=trap in GenAm • bath=palm=start in RP

22. original BATH-TRAP Split

23. American English LOT Unrounding (Also in SW England and Ireland – independent? Or does Irish have an effect on American?)

24. American English LOT Unrounding • resulting in LOT-PALM merger

25. American English • Loss of distinctive length • LOT Unrounding • LOT-PALM Merger • LOT-THOUGHT Merger

26. trap bath palm (start) lot thought

27. LOT-THOUGHT Merger • Everywhere except in the East; is also spreading in the East (Wells 3 6.1.2 ) East: Minimal pairs in British English and in E. Am. Merged in Gen.Am and Scotland collar~caller don~dawn cot~caught knotty~naughty stock~stalk

29. American English • Loss of distinctive length • LOT Unrounding • Later Yod Dropping Earlier Yod Dropping in England: shrew rude blue

30. American English • Loss of distinctive length • LOT Unrounding • Later Yod Dropping Later Yod Dropping in America: tune student duke new numerous enthusiasm suit presume lewd allude

31. American English • Loss of distinctive length • LOT Unrounding • Later Yod Dropping Generalized Yod Dropping in Britain, E. Anglia few music cube Hugh

32. American English • Loss of distinctive length • LOT Unrounding • Later Yod Dropping • T-Voicing, NT Coalescence

33. American English • Loss of distinctive length • LOT Unrounding • Later Yod Dropping • T-Voicing, NT Coalescence latter ~ ladder carting ~ carding writer ~ rider partner or pardner ? internet ~ innernet, international ~ innernational wanna, gonna

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