Back then, residents of what is now the ofGermanic languages (which we consider the roots of modern English), earlyFrench, and Latin. Spelling and grammar weren’t standardized, and words withsimilar Latin roots might be spelled either the French way or the Latin way. Inthe 18th and 19th centuries, influential dictionaries helped orchestrate thestandardization of the English language. In 1755, Samuel Johnson published thefirst widely used British dictionary. Johnson preferred spellings based on aword’s roots, favoring French spelling, since, as he wrote, “the Frenchgenerally supplied us.” Standard British spelling
still follows this course. Want to master freelance writing? Signup for early access Chinese Thailand Phone Number List to our course. Learn to future-proof against AI, commandhigher rates, and land your dream jobs. Noah Webster, whose famous dictionarywas published in 1828, tended to choose spellings based on common use andpronunciation rather than history, setting the trend for American spellings.Now that we’ve seen how these regional variants were born, let’s get down tothe nitty-gritty differences between American and British English so you cannail those overseas job proposals. American vs British English: Usage andVocabulary It’s been suggested that
when you pit British English vs American English, differences invocabulary are focused around three areas: clothing, food, and transportation.It certainly seems that our terms for these common items are wildly different.Here’s a quick chart so you don’t get caught out wondering what “boot” means inAmerican English... or vice-versa. American vs British English: Food AmericanUsage British Usage arugula rocket candy sweets cilantro coriander cookiebiscuit cotton candy candy floss cupcake fairy cake eggplant aubergine Frenchfries chips French toast eggy bread jello jelly pickle gherkin potato chipscrisps squash marrow zucchini
|