Any language has to be flexible enough to adapt, and to adopt words from other cultures or from other languages, and english is no exception. Especially in these times, in an era of globalization, where the entire world is a global village.
After the British established their colonies in North America, the english spoken by the colonizers began to change. To begin with, the Americans began to borrow words from the Red Indians – words that described the geography and the environment in which they were living. Examples of such words are wigwam, tomahawk and raccoon.
People of different backgrounds, and from different parts of the old continent – from Germany, France, Italy, Ireland and Scandinavia – went to America, the land of freedom, hope and opportuniy, to make a new beginning. Their ideas and ideals also influenced American English.
The new language that evolved was similar to the old language in many ways. Grammar and sentence formation remained more or less intact. However, differences in the lexicon (in the words being used) soon became apparent. Pronunciation and spelling also varied. In general, it has been observed that the American spelling of the word is simpler and more logical than the original spelling of the word.
Lastly, new discoveries and inventions in the field of science also made their presence felt in the emerging language.
Some examples of common words where the American usage differs from the British usage are given below:
Appartment instead of flat,
Automobile instead of car,
Candy instead of sweets,
Closet instead of cupboard,
Drapes instead of curtains,
Elevator instead of lift.
Interestingly enough, the evolution of American English has many parallels with the evolution of english in the other lands of the Commonwealth (Australia, South Africa, Jamaica, Canada, and even India). Wherever english came into contact with other cultures, and non-english speaking peoples.
In India, both British english and American english are spoken. Whereas the earlier influence was from Britain; lately, the influence is more from America, especially in the form of trade, commerce and call centres. The problem arises in not knowing which is which, and in mixing both versions of the language!
More summaries about the Article: British and American English