Table of Contents

1. External history John Algeo; 2. British and American, continuity and divergence John Hurt Fisher; 3. British and Irish antecedents Michael Montgomery; 4. Contact with other languages Suzanne Romaine; 5. Americanisms Frederic G. Cassidy and Joan H. Hall; 6. Slang Jonathan Lighter; 7. Dialects Lee Pederson; 8. African-American English Salikoko Mufwene; 9. Grammatical structure Ronald R. Butters; 10. Spelling Richard Venezky; 11. Usage Edward Finegan; 12. Canadian English Laurel J. Brinton and Margery Fee; 13. Newfoundland English William Kirwin; 14. American English abroad Richard Bailey.

Promotional Information

This volume traces the history of English in North America during the past 400 years.

About the Author

John Algeo is Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia.

Reviews

'The entire volume is written in a manner that makes the subject both interesting and attractive. The scholarship is there but is not in a form - so frequent in many linguistic works - that is incomprehensible to non-linguists. The contributors, editor and Cambridge University Press are all to be congratulated on another outstanding contribution to our understanding of what has become the world's language.' Contemporary Review 'Try volume VI of The Cambridge History of the English Language: English in North America, edited with great flair by John Algeo ... here you will find a delicious chapter on slang by Jonathan E. Lighter ... the most useful part of Cambridge's monumental effort is the glossary.' New York Times 'A work on language as a manifestation of cultures and their changes, English in North America is a magisterial achievement, and a fitting completion of The Cambridge History of the English Language.' Amerikastudien