Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-01-31
Speech i'm America.

What have been the forces working
to create American speechP The Pill
grims brought the English tongue with
them to New England in the seven
teenth century. The Dutch brought
their language TO New York; the
Swedes theirs to New Jersey. The
other colonies were peopled by En-
glishmen, among whom were distri-
buted a few Huguenots and Germans.
The Spaniards had occupied Florida
some time before. The French at an
early day peopled Louisiana. These
were the stems on which were grated
later changes and additions. The Dutch
speech gradually blended with the En-
glSh, conveying to the latter some of
It's corrupted words and phrases. The
Swedish, never an important element,
was absorbed, leaving a few traces.
The Spanish disappeared from Florida.
bequeathlng nOta great localisms.
Louisiana was 4 recent acquisition of
the union. The French language is still
spoken there. but many words and
phrases have been transferred from it
to the common tongue. There are two
distinct tendencies in colonial speech
an inclination to retain forms after they
have become obsolete in the mother
country and rapid coinage of terms
suggested by new circumstances or Dor
rowed from native tribes and uiven a
civilized impress. The last cause was
powerful in the American colonies.
The construction of New England
dialect began with the modification of
English provincialisms, the adoption of
Indian words and such verbal forms as
the new life on seaShore and in forests
and the ascetic religious practices of
the people made necessary. The evo-
luton of the new dialect WIS greatly
aided by a vivid Imagination and
quick sense of humor, the last quality
scarcely 10 be expected in n people so
glOomily devOut. Long before the rev.
OlutiOn it had taken definite Cnlloquial
form, though itlacked modes of literary
expression. Elsewhere in the colonies,
with the exception OF the district in
about New York, there was no form of
speech that had any characteristics of
a patOis. The language of Virginia
and the Carolinas had become some
what corrupted by the jargon of the
negroes, but we have no means of know
ING exactly the speech of the common
people. If we can trust the dialogue in
ThackeraY's ''Virginians, " the chivalry
of that State spoke the English Ian
guage with refinement Of expression
scarcely equaled by Addison.
After the revolution new causes and
influences came into operation. I'm
migration from several European coun-
tries began and continued steadily.
More Germans came to Pennsylvania
and some scattered through the differ
ent States. Irish Presbyterians came
in large numbers into western Pennsyl-
yania, and in the course of time broad
areas of country were settled by Scandi-
navians, Welsh, Germans, Irish Scotch,
and Italians. The annexation of Texas,
New Mexico, Arizona, and California
ingrafted on the language a fresh stock
Of words before unknown. The west
added its novelty of phrase and the
mining districts of California Joined
with Spanish in the creation of new
speech, that, united with much that
was pathetic and picturesque, furnished
suitable material to the apt stOry-teller.
As the result of all these causes and
influence we have the several dialects
which American and English noyelists
have used according to their knowledge
and ability. Properly speaking there
are but two, that of New England and
Of the south. The first is heard in alb
soIute purity only IN the most retired
towns OF New England, the other only
in the mountainous regions that runs
from Virginia down through the Caro-
linas, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
Texas and Arkansas may, perhaps, be
added to this list, for their population
is composed in q great measure of emf
grants from them, and in parts of In
diana, Illinois and Missouri, the speech
OF the Cumberland Mountains and
Blue Ridge is still heard with some of
its original flavor. The mining patois
so frequently used by Bret Harte is
really the dialect of the south, from
which the greater number of emigrants
came when gold was discovered, with
an admixture of Spanish and the preg-
nant terms that the rough occupation
and wild life originated. The New
England dialect has shown the greatest
powers of survival. 1t is still heard
with notifications in New York, Michi-
gan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wis
consin and Minnesota, along the lines
where its civilization flowed westward.
Its ancient features are found fairly en-
balmed in the widow Bedott Paper
and occasionally tales in the maya
zines.-Sa1, francisco Chronicle.