Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-27
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
OUR AMERICAN LANGUAGE
BY MARK TWAIN

Mark twain vss the pen-naule Of Samuel
LanEhorne Clemens. ls35-IaiU. an Americ IN
nesf known works are the novels Of hoy
hood featuring Tom sa~yer and Huckie-
There WAS an Englishman In our
compartment and he complimented
rne on-on WHAT But you would
never guess. He complimented me an
my English He said Americans in
general did not speak the English IAN
g1age a. correctly as | did. ! said /
was obiiyed TO him for his compliment.
since ] knew he meant il for me. but
that ] was rot fairly entitled 10 il. for
] didn't speak English at ALL only
spoke American.
He laughed and said IL was dis
tinction without q difference. ] said
no. the difference WIS not prodigious.
blst still il was considerable. We fell
into friendly dispute over the mat
ter. ] pur my case as well as | could.
end said:
The languages We're identical sew.
eral generations ago. but Our changed
conditions and the spread IF oar peo
lse far 10 the South and far 10 the
West ha We made many alterations IN
our pronunciation. and have intro
dueed new words among us and
hanged the meanings OF many old
ores. English people talk through their
noses: We DO not. We say know.
English people say mao We say COW.
the Eriton says 'kaow.' we
oh. eDrne. that is pure Yankee:
everybody knows that
Yes. IL is pure Yankee: that rs
true. One cannot hear il in America
outside NJ the little corner called New
England. which is Yankee lani. The
a A s.. Il
20 years age, and therf It remains:
4; has neYer spread. But Eng nd
talks through her nose yet: the Lon
6oneY and the backwoods New Eng
lander pronounce know and COW
siike, end then The BFjfon uncon.
seiouslv ssaiifizes himself bv making
fun Of The Yankees pronunciation.
We argued this poin, at some
length. s3obo1y won.
'.Yoai conferred your "a upon New
Tngta nd. too. and there IL remains; it
has moi traSeIed oaIt ~ the narrow
limits ~ those 2lz little States in sll
fnese go years All England uses IL.
Kew EneianG X small population Uses
IL but Sc have many other millions
VINO DO not tire H. You sa 'giahs of
.yawtafs' 80 does New England. 81,
least. yesS EngIa nd says 'Rlahs.
America 81 large fatfens he Il and
saws glass ri water These sounds
are pleaasa nier than yours. you may
sbink they sre not right. but in
America theT are.
YOU ray 'fahsk' and 'iiahsket' ard
'fackslies': We ray fash. basket =
'5srkaes sounding the n ar II il ia
'asll0w.' 'faIow an6 20 az In fhs
American Language fhc h. il respe"'ed
the IA ii MT dFgpfsed Or added ina.
properly.
aT'ne tame IL the sase IN England "a
he said = fDe3n among the educated
cIasses. ~ course.
"Yee. that ~ true bot nation 5
Language IN q very large matter. II IL
,.os simply q manner - speech uis
tanning atnoTg the educated handful
the manner obtaining an@HR the Nast
,.edsnafed Bultits9e must be cou
eiHeted aiso. Your unedUcaied masses
s.eak Engjlah. sou Will uDt deny thYf
,gty une98osfe mss SeF hpeak Aguet1
eau~~it wont bs fair for you ~ d"rt
,.as f1r Y0u see yourself, hai whef
<-a.tg esa{gtei5DF So 81 l%ut he ut1
sng that uGis tbf ofse biit int
INNER. 'sFpus aujufr an ~" arr
s5gfa@sy 8E1 our etsbieiog make
ne same remark Withp0f sDfp8tlna
single n these NO I5eDpIe @te man
fa.tRs- f8lis,Hg $50 different aD aae*
"Baa If tie signs afe - be ttIstea
.s.e,a v0uF eG3leaseq riaasts used s,
d,on sin, h ghe$ zfH htln}tie upv
at,d 3lsft,i' sod 'tst@,ic -" t9t
s,,dge fi4st they used H. drop thor
sn,s beaatlse your #tjteFs si3j kf"i
Ia, tie fashion ~ nuttlrR 'hp bttpf'
tlosa pesds ltate8d ~ y TDis il
a ,,st Mf D8fAjh might call ''Hdi
gn.utafy' sign tt4ai an @aa }ta'iiolt
.,n.s. aBd useful Misu t.4sjg educate
.taNs4s uA.d 20 hay linbIe an'
.ero3c ana ihtstloai.' fortTt writer
If tie American language % not pa
an l,efgsf llIDse ~DrGS
The EDziisi gentlemen haG s'1ne
fftuz 10 - upon this Hs't't. ~
Yer mind wbat be s3bo q !tn -"
arguing hIk 'aHN. ! Aad hl1 a.
a.rsdva nfaue HDM. ptocoeded:
10 KhkiaHd yoV fnr"HiBF" I"
o,.for Iy s&.l4InntHg 'Byaab Uy"hh
Ne DronoUnce u teet jD SONS re-
ssnus aver i'll oth.ts. nHa go 81 hii
.a., uh.tes dD not ray h:ab Nit
ra,netng the 50 = DAe The = "a ~
have Aeat9 Eus'isA ioG'es go 3@s