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By contrast the migrants to New England or [[Yankees]] came from the east of England, and brought along a different accent.
By contrast the migrants to New England or [[Yankees]] came from the east of England, and brought along a different accent.
In the 18th century the Scots arrived, from Scotland and Ulster (Northern Ireland), bring yet another dialect.
In the 18th century the Scots arrived, from Scotland and Ulster (Northern Ireland), bring yet another dialect.<ref> Michael Montgomery, "Voices of My Ancestors: a Personal Search for the Language of the Scotch-Irish," ''American Speech'' 2005 80(4): 341-365 in [[EBSCO]]</ref>
During the colonial era, there were also a few speakers in North America of [[Dutch]], [[French]], [[German]], [[Spanish]], [[Swedish]], [[Welsh]], [[Irish]], [[Scottish Gaelic]], [[Finnish]], as well as numerous [[Native American]] languages. To a very small extent, he American dialect spoken commonly throughout the USA comes from the intertwining of many of these languages and dialects.
During the colonial era, there were also a few speakers in North America of [[Dutch]], [[French]], [[German]], [[Spanish]], [[Swedish]], [[Welsh]], [[Irish]], [[Scottish Gaelic]], [[Finnish]], as well as numerous [[Native American]] languages. To a very small extent, he American dialect spoken commonly throughout the USA comes from the intertwining of many of these languages and dialects.
Today American English is simpler and more phonetic than British English. Sometimes as an expression of [[anti-American]] sentiment, however, non-Americans will insist that use of British English is exclusively proper English, the implication being that American English is somehow "non-standard". Linguists reject that nonsense. Both the British and American variants are standard.
Today American English is simpler and more phonetic than British English. Sometimes as an expression of [[anti-American]] sentiment, however, non-Americans will insist that use of British English is exclusively proper English, the implication being that American English is somehow "non-standard". Linguists reject that nonsense. Both the British and American variants are standard.
African American English is itself a dialect.
The North American Regional Vocabulary Survey collected lexical data from the 1990's to 2004 from regions throughout the U.S. and Canada.<ref> Charles Boberg, "The North American Regional Vocabulary Survey: New Variables and Methods in the Study of North American English," ''American Speech'' 2005 80(1): 22-60 in [[EBSCO]]</ref>
==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* Dillard, Joey Lee. ''Toward a Social History of American English'' (1985) [http://www.amazon.com/History-American-Contributions-Sociology-Language/dp/3110105845/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254397753&sr=1-12 excerpt and text search]
* Dillard, Joey Lee. ''Toward a Social History of American English'' (1985) [http://www.amazon.com/History-American-Contributions-Sociology-Language/dp/3110105845/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254397753&sr=1-12 excerpt and text search]
* Garner, Bryan A. ''The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style'' (2000) [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Dictionary-American-Usage-Style/dp/0195135083/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254398161&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
* Garner, Bryan A. ''Garner's Modern American Usage '' (2nd ed. 2009) [http://www.amazon.com/Garners-Modern-American-Usage-Garner/dp/0195382757/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254410304&sr=1-3# excerpt and text search]
* Mencken, H. L. ''The American Language'' (1936) [http://www.amazon.com/American-Language-H-L-Mencken/dp/1605206237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254397959&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search of abridged edition]
* Mencken, H. L. ''The American Language'' (1936) [http://www.amazon.com/American-Language-H-L-Mencken/dp/1605206237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254397959&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search of abridged edition]
* American English and British English" in ''Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language'' ed. by Tom Mcarthur. (1998) [Http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/entry.html?subview=main&entry=t29.e61 online at many libraries]
* American English and British English" in ''Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language'' ed. by Tom Mcarthur. (1998) [Http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/entry.html?subview=main&entry=t29.e61 online at many libraries]