Canadian English

• Close to AmE
• Commonwealth spelling
• Pronunciation is closer to AmE
• Many words known as americanisms are also found in Canada

Major dialects are Newfounland, Eastern Canadian, Quebec, Central / Western, Ottawa Valley Twang

Canadian English/ Newfounland

Elements from European Languages of 15-17th centuries non-existent in Europe. Spanish, French, Irish, English

Spoken very quickly, not intelligible

• Canadian English/ Eastern
• Close to Am E, considered as Canadian English in the USA
• Quebec
• Strong French accent, Throaty sounds
• Canadian English/ western
• 60% population, close to northern US accents
• Canadian English/ Ottawa
• 1.3 million people, Impact of Scottish and French, Irish
• American English
• Northern is not to be confused with political North during the Civil war, historically it is New England
• Southern – coastal areas of Waryland, Virginia, Georgia, Gulf States
• Midland – area extending through all the country
• Sing/ Plural coordination
• BrE The team is …/AmE The team are
• 2. Past Simple in AmE with words already, just, yet
• 3. Get –passive is more common in AmE
• Subjunctive mood is more common in AmE
• BrE He suggested they should apply…
• AmE He suggested they_____ apply..
• 5. Irregular verbs in AmE form past tense forms as regular verbs (learned, leaped, spelled)
• Usage of prepositions: AmE to meet with someone
• Monday to Friday, AmE Moday thru Friday
• In Churchill Street, AmE on Churchill Street
• BrE toward s, backward s AmE toward__
• AmE divided highway
• BrE dual carriageway

• Many americanisms have become comprehensive thanks to Hollywood

biscuit cookie

queue line

flat apartment

fancy-dress party costume party

Pensioner retiree

lorry truck

football soccer

trousers pants

crisps potato chips

British and American automobile vocabulary

British American

windscreen windshield

bonnet hood

wing fender

quarterlight wing

boot trunk

indicator turn signal

hazard lights flashers

running lights parking lights

Tyre tire

n Among the countless American coinages are these:

radio, disc jockey, waterfront, right away, get along with, fall for, make the grade, get around to, babysitter, boyfriend and girlfriend, knowhow, in the red, hitchhike, show business, merger, publicity, executive, hindsight, commuter etc.

British VS American English / Corpus Linguistics contribution.