from English ancestors, have, in consequence of common school education and the use of the same standards, fewer dialectical peculiarities than the people of England.

Whatever may be the correct answer to the question at the head of the last paragraph, it must be granted that there are certain local peculiarities which distinguish, 1. The people of New England. 2. The people of the Southern States. 3. Some of the Western States.

The people of New England, especially those who live in the interior, have inherited marked peculiarities of pronunciation and phraseology, which distinguish them from the people of other parts of the country, though these peculiarities, constantly diminishing, are not as great as similar ones existing in some counties of the mother country. A distinguished English scholar informed the writer that the peculiarities attributed to the people of New England were constantly met with in Suffolk, where he was bred and born. The drawling pronunciation of the Yankees has an equivalent in the "Suffolk whine."

The people of the Southern States have a more full, and open, and mellifluous pronunciation than the people of New England, though they do not articulate the consonantal sounds so distinctly.

The people of the West have great variety in their peculiar style of expression and in their pronunciation, which is extensively similar to the districts from which they or their ancestors emigrated.

SPECIMENS OF

=

AMERICANISMS.

=

=

§ 96. ABOVE MY BEND=out of my power. ABSQUATULATE= to run away. ALL-FIRED=very. To ALLOT UPON to intend. AMAZING=wonderfully. AMOST-almost. ANY HOW YOU CAN FIX IT any rate whatever. ANY MANNER OF MEANS any means. TO APPRECIATE to raise the value of, or rise in value. ANY= either. AVAILS profits or proceeds. AWFUL disagreeable, ugly. BACK AND FORTH=backward and forward (New Eng.). BACKWOODSMAN=an inhabitant of the forest on the western frontiers of the United States. TO BACK OUT to retreat from a difficulty. BAD BOX=bad predicament. BALANCE=the remainder (South). BANG=excel; as, "This bangs all things."

=

=

BANKABLE=receivable at a bank. BANK-BILL=bank-note. BARK UP THE WRONG TREE= mistake one's object or cause. BARRENS= plains upon which grow small trees, but never timber. BEE= a collection of people who unite their labors for an individual or a family, as a quilting-bee. BEE-LINE a straight line from one point to another. BETTER, for more; as, "It is better than a year since we met." BETTERMENTS improvements on hew land. B'HOYs=noisy young men in the city of New York. BIG BUGS=people of consequence. BIME-BY= in a short time. BLAZE=mark on trees for guiding travelers. BLOW-UP-a quarrel. To BLOW UP to scold. BOBOLINK=Skunk black-bird= rice bunting. BOGUS MONEY=counterfeit money. Boss= =master. Bossy, a name applied to a calf. BOTTOM LAND, a term applied to low land on the bank of a river. BREACHY, a term applied to runaway oxen. BREADSTUFF bread, corn-meal, or flour. BROTHER CHIP=person of the same trade. BUNCOMBE is a term applied to speeches made for electioneering purposes. CALCULATE=expect or believe (N. E.). TO CARRY ON = to frolic. CAUCUS=private meeting of politicians. TO BE A CAUTION=to be a warning. TO CAVE IN to give up. CHAY=chaise (N. E.). CHICKEN FIXINGS chicken fricasseed. CHIRP lively (N. Eng.). CLAM-SHELL=

=

=

=

=

==

CONSO

To CHOMP to champ. CHORE=small work. lips or mouth. TO CLEAR OUT to take one's self off. CLEVER= good-natured or obliging. CLEVERLY well. CLIP-a blow. To CONDUCT to conduct one's self. CONSIDERABLE=very. CIATION is the fellowship or union of churches by their pastors and delegates. COOKEY a cake. a cake. CORDUROY ROAD is a road made of logs laid together over swamps. CORN maize. CORNDODGER is a cake made of Indian corn. or fancy. CRACKER is a small hard biscuit. CURIOUS-excellent (N. E.). TO CUT DIRT to run. CUTE sharp, cunning (N. E.). DARKEY, a term for negro. DEADENING=girdling trees. To DEED to convey by deed. DEMORALIZE=to corrupt the morals. DESK=pulpit. DICKER to barter. DIFFICULTED=

=

=

=

TO COTTON To is to like

perplexed. DIGGINGS = neighborhood or section of the country (West.). DONATE to give as a donation. DONE GONE=ruined. DONE BROWN thoroughly. DONE FOR cheated. Do DON'T= do not (Ga.). DON'T do not, sometimes improperly used for does not. DO TELL! is it possible! (N. E.) DRUMMING=SO

=

=

=

=

liciting of customers. E'EN A'MOST almost. To ENERGIZE= to give active vigor to. EVERLASTING=very. To FALL= to fell, to cut down, as to fall a tree. TO FELLOWSHIP WITH to hold communion with. ON THE FENCE means to be neutral, and to be ready to join the strongest party. FIRST-RATE=superior. Fix a condition, a dilemma. FIXINGS arrangements. A FIXED FACT=a well-established fact. TO FIZZLE OUT to prove a failure. To FLARE UP to get excited suddenly. To flat out= to prove a failure. TO GET THE FLOOR to be in possession of the house. TO FLUNK OUT to retire through fear. FoGy=a stupid fellow. TO BE FOREHANDED to be comfortably off. To TO FOX BOOTS to foot boots. FRESHpay over. the overflowing of a river. FULL CHISEL at full speed. FULL SWING= full sway. GAL-BOY is a romping girl. TO GIVE HIM THE MITTEN is to discard a lover. GO AHEAD= =to go forward. TO GO BY to call, to stop at (So. & West.). TO GO IT STRONG = to act with vigor. To GO THE WHOLE FIGURE= E=to go to the greatest extent. GOING the state of the road. GOINGS-ON= behavior. GONE GOOSE ruined. GREEN inexperienced, English, verdant. GUESS think, believe. GRIT courage. GUL

FORK OVER= = to

ET=

for have not (N. E.).

=

=

=

=

=

LY is a channel worn in the earth by a current of water. HAIN'T, To get the HANG of a thing is to get the knack. TO HAPPEN IN to come in accidentally. HARD RUN= to be hard pressed. TO HAVE A SAY to express an opinion. To HEAD OFF to get before. HEAP = a great deal. HELP servants. HET heated. HIDE to beat. HITCH HORSES TOGETHHOE-CAKE is a cake of Indian meal. To HOLD

=

=

ER to agree.

ON to stop. HOLP=helped (So.).

houses (N. E.). HOVE = heaved.

stripping off husks from Indian corn.

=

HUSKING=

IMPROVE to occupy

=

(N. E.). INDIAN FILE=single file. To JUMP AT to embrace

with eagerness. TO KEEP COMPANY the sitting-room (N. E.).

=

=

to court. KEEPING-ROOM is KINK a knot, a notion. KNOCKED INTO A COCKED HAT=knocked out of shape. LAY=share. LEGGINS are Indian gaiters. LENGTHY having length. To LET ON to mention. TO LICK to beat. LIKELY handsome. LIMPSEY flexible. To LIQUOR to take a dram. LOAFER= an idle lounger. To LOBBY is to endeavor to exert an influence on a legislative body. Lor a number. LYNCH LAW is punish

=

=

=

=

=

TRACKS to leave. some special purpose. MIGHTY=great, very.

=

ment executed by the mob, without legal forms. To MAKE MASS-MEETING is a large meeting called for MEECHIN=a person with a downcast look. MUSH is Indian meal boiled in water. Muss disorder. NARY ONE = neither. NON-COMMITTAL = that does not commit itself to a particular measure. NOTIONS=Small wares or trifles. HADN'T OUGHT is used improperly for ought not. ONTO for on. OUT OF SORTS=out of order. OUT OF FIX=disordered. To PEEK to pry into. PURT=perk=lively. PESKILY= extremely. PESKY=very. PESKY very. PICKANINNY a negro or mulatto infant. A PICK-UP DINNER=a dinner made of fragments. PIMPING= little. ON A PINCH on an emergency. PIT a kernel. PLAGUY SIGHT=a great deal (N. E.). TO PLANK=to lay. PLEAD or PLED is used improperly for pleaded. PLENTY for plentiful. PLUNDER=personal baggage (So. & West.). POWERFUL=very great. PRETTY CONSIDERABLE=very (So.). To STAY PUT=to remain in order. To QUALIFY to swear to perform the duties of an office. RACE is a strong current of water. TO RAKE AND SCRAPE to collect. REAL = really. TO RECKON to think. RESULT=the decision of a council or assembly. RICH=entertaining. RISKY dangerous. Rock=a stone (S. & W.). RowDY riotous fellow. RUN OF STONES two mill-stones.

=

LICK=a saline spring. falling with the waves.

=

=

=

=

=

=

SALT

SAWYER a tree in a river rising and SCREAMER is a bouncing boy of girl. SETTLE=to ordain in a parish. SHANTY=a hut. SHORTS = the bran and coarse part of the meal. SLICE a fire-shovel. SMART CHANCE=a good deal. TO SLICK UP to dress up. TO SNAKE OUT=to drag out. SNICKER to laugh slily. SNOOZE=to sleep. SOZZLE is a sluttish woman. SPARKING=courting. SPLURGE= a blustering effort (S. & W.). SPRY=nimble. TO SQUAT = to settle on new land without a title. TO STAVE OFF to delay. STICKLING delaying. To FEEL STREAKED to feel confused. TO SUCK IN to deceive. TO TAKE ON to grieve. TALL excellent, fine. TELL a saying. TIGHT=close, parsimonious. TORE dead grass that remains on the ground. To TOTE=to UGLY ill-tempered (N. E.). USED TO COULD could former

=

=

convey (So.). TRAPS=goods. UPPER-CRUST the aristocracy.

=

=

=

=

=

ly (So.). VARMINT vermin. WALK INTO get the upper hand of. YANK to twitch powerfully.

TENDENCIES OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN

AMERICA.

§ 97. The dialectical varieties of language in England have chiefly been transmitted from former generations. The dialec tical varieties of language in America have, on the other hand, for the most part, sprung up recently: they are the product of that growth of language which can not be repressed, any more than can the general activity of the human soul. In this country, in this "wilderness of free minds," new thoughts, and corresponding new expressions, spring up spontaneously, to live their hour or to be permanent. As our countrymen are spreading westward across the continent, and are brought into contact with other races, and adopt new modes of thought, there is some danger that, in the use of their liberty, they may break loose from the laws of the language, and become marked not only by one, but by a thousand Shibboleths.

Now, in order to keep the language of a nation one, the leading men in the greater or smaller communities, the editors of periodicals, and authors generally, should exercise the same guardian care over it which they do over the opinions which it is used to express; and, for this purpose, they should be familiar with works which treat of its analogies and idioms, that they may understand what are the laws of normal and of abnormal growth, and by their own example and influence encourage only that which is strictly legitimate. See Preface.

The apprehension has sometimes been expressed that, in the progress of time, the Americans would, in their ready invention and adoption of flash words and slang, so change and corrupt their mother tongue, that they would speak, not the English, but an American language; while among themselves great diversities would exist, as now exist in the counties of England. This apprehension, whether on this side of the Atlantic or the other, seems to be passing off. It is getting to be understood that the existing dialectical differences are not so great as in the mother country, while the increasing intercourse between the two nations, and the increasing interchange of the literary productions of each, will help to preserve the oneness of the language. "You Americans," said a distinguished foreign scholar to the present