Origins And Evolution To The American Southern Dialect

Origins and Evolution to the American Southern Dialect North America is home to a large variety of English dialects and accents. Dialects may be separated by area, referred to as regional dialect. These regions may be plotted geographically, such as done in “The Atlas of North American English”.

Figure 1

Provided by “The Atlas of North American English Methods and Findings.” Ash S.

This research analysis will touch upon the American dialect of the Inland South, a region considered to be home to one of the most unique forms of English dialects in the world (See figure 1). This region consists of the states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and

North American colonies consisted primarily of English, Spanish, French, and German speaking settlers. The most influential of the four were those from Great Britain. Most dialects across the nation stem primarily from this group. Today, speakers of the American Southern dialect are believed to be the most accurate reflection of the dialect of these original settlers. This is because written language is thought to obscure and transform language, and many southern colonies were illiterate. They relied mostly on spoken word as the only form of communication, and as a result, the American Southern dialect contains a more preserved form of sixteenth century English than any other English dialect analyzed to date.

The American Southern dialect is considered one of the most complex English dialects in current use. Therefore, it is difficult for linguists to interpret every pattern and rule accurately. The following report touches upon only the most distinctive features of the dialect, as well as the known origins of

The American Southern dialect is unique in terms of grammar usage, as many rules have no equivalent among other regional English dialects. Again, these features are attributed to those who originally settled in the area, but the preservation of such rules can be credited to cultural consciousness. The Civil War is thought to intensify some characteristics of southern language, as confederate states took pride in their differences from the North. Awareness of language is believed to result in the dramatization of many features, as well as a lack of dialect leveling between southern speakers and the rest of the