Book contents
- The Emergence and Development of American English
- The Emergence and Development of American English
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 The Idea of American English
- 2 Emergence
- 3 Old World Origins for American English
- 4 The Colonial Period (1600–1800)
- 5 The National Period (up to the Civil War, 1800–1865)
- 6 Gilded Age to World War II (1866–1945)
- 7 The Information Age (1945–Present)
- 8 Regions and Localities
- 9 African American English
- 10 Social Differences in American English
- 11 Heritage Languages and American English
- 12 Standard American English
- Appendix 1 Terms and Concepts for Studying the English Language: Expression of Words with Sounds
- Appendix 2 Terms and Concepts for Studying the English Language: Beyond Expression to Content
- Appendix 3 The Linguistic Atlas Project and Excel: Working with Survey Data
- Glossary
- References
- Index
- References
12 - Standard American English
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 June 2026
Book contents
- The Emergence and Development of American English
- The Emergence and Development of American English
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 The Idea of American English
- 2 Emergence
- 3 Old World Origins for American English
- 4 The Colonial Period (1600–1800)
- 5 The National Period (up to the Civil War, 1800–1865)
- 6 Gilded Age to World War II (1866–1945)
- 7 The Information Age (1945–Present)
- 8 Regions and Localities
- 9 African American English
- 10 Social Differences in American English
- 11 Heritage Languages and American English
- 12 Standard American English
- Appendix 1 Terms and Concepts for Studying the English Language: Expression of Words with Sounds
- Appendix 2 Terms and Concepts for Studying the English Language: Beyond Expression to Content
- Appendix 3 The Linguistic Atlas Project and Excel: Working with Survey Data
- Glossary
- References
- Index
- References
Summary
Standard American English is not the same as varieties of English that have emerged from the complex system of the language. It is an institutional construct, to the extent that schools convey the idea of a standard and attempt to teach prescriptions about the language. Usage manuals do not agree about what issues to cover. Some kinds of standardization of language, like standard spelling, are useful for the purposes of electronic communication, and standardization may make it easier to communicate across time and distance. What is more important is the idea of standards, and how that idea plays a role in social relations.
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- The Emergence and Development of American English , pp. 252 - 269Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
References
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