Western American English
Encyclopedia
The west
was the last area in the United States
to be reached during the gradual westward expansion of English-speaking settlement and its history shows considerable mixing of the linguistic patterns of other regions. As the settlement populations are relatively young when compared with other regions, Western American English is a dialect area in formation.
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
was the last area in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to be reached during the gradual westward expansion of English-speaking settlement and its history shows considerable mixing of the linguistic patterns of other regions. As the settlement populations are relatively young when compared with other regions, Western American English is a dialect area in formation.
Vocabulary
- baby buggy as opposed to baby carriage (more common east of the Mississippi RiverMississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, mixed in the region between the Mississippi and Appalachian MountainsAppalachian MountainsThe Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, rare east of the Appalachians) - buckaroo: cowboy. Originating in California, it is an Anglicization of the Mexican vaquero; the corresponding term which originated in Texas is "wrangler" or "horse wrangler", itself an Anglicization of the Mexican caballerango.
- gunnysack as opposed to burlap bag (the later more common east of the Mississippi)
- hellaHella (word)Hella is a word associated with Northern California used throughout the United States and Canada. It is a contraction of the phrase "hell of a" or "hell of a lot [of]"....
: adverb; very, adjective; much many - mud hen: a common term for the American cootAmerican CootThe American Coot is a bird of the family Rallidae, inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies. Measuring in length and across the wings, adults have a short thick white bill and white frontal shield, which usually has a reddish-brown spot near the top of the bill between the eyes...
- shivareeShivareeShivaree may refer to:* Shivaree , a clamorous salutation made to a newlywed couple* Shivaree , an American band formed in 1997* Shivaree , a play by William Mastrosimone...
as opposed to belling or serenade ("shivaree" is the more common usage east of the Mississippi and in Kentucky and Tennessee; "belling" is the more common usage in Ohio, while "serenade" is the more common usage in Atlantic states—except New York and Connecticut—and the Appalachians)
Phonology and phonetics
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- Unlike the Inland North (or Great Lakes), cot–caught merger and no Northern Cities Shift.
- Unlike the South, no glide deletion of /ai/.
- The Western dialect is not clearly distinct from either CanadianCanadian EnglishCanadian English is the variety of English spoken in Canada. English is the first language, or "mother tongue", of approximately 24 million Canadians , and more than 28 million are fluent in the language...
or Midland American EnglishMidland American EnglishThe Midland dialect of American English was first defined by Hans Kurath as being the dialect spoken in an area centered on Philadelphia and expanding westward to include most of Pennsylvania and part of the Appalachian Mountains...
:- less Canadian raisingCanadian raisingCanadian raising is a phonetic phenomenon that occurs in varieties of the English language, especially Canadian English, in which certain diphthongs are "raised" before voiceless consonants...
of the /au/ diphthong than in Canada, but, like Canada, widespread raising of the /ai/ diphthong. - like in Canada and much of the Midland, /ɑ/ allophones may be either rounded or unrounded due to a lack of phonemic distinction between /ɑ/ and /ɒ/, and these are further back than in the Great LakesInland Northern American EnglishThe Inland North dialect of American English is spoken in a region that includes most of the cities along the Erie Canal and on the U.S. side of Great Lakes region, reaching approximately from Utica, New York to Green Bay, Wisconsin, as well as a corridor extending down across central Illinois from...
. - Unlike the Highland South, /ou/ is conservative (little fronting) and the cot–caught merger is complete (except in San Francisco).
- less Canadian raising
- But /u/ is being fronted like in most of North America.
- A minority of speakers have the pin–pen merger.
Local dialects
- California EnglishCalifornia EnglishCalifornia English is a dialect of the English language spoken in California. California is home to a highly diverse population, which is reflected in the historical and continuing development of California English.-History:English was first spoken on a wide scale in the area now known as...
- Utah English
- Wyoming English
- Idaho English
- BoontlingBoontlingBoontling is a folk language spoken only in Boonville in Northern California.-History and description of Boontling:Although based on English, Boontling's unusual words are unique to Boonville, California. Scottish Gaelic and Irish, and some Pomoan and Spanish, also influenced the vocabulary of the...
- Hawaiian English
- Pacific Northwest EnglishPacific Northwest EnglishPacific Northwest English is a dialect of the English language spoken in the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest is defined as an area that includes the American states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, western Montana, southeastern Alaska, northern California, the Canadian provinces of British...