A History of English Language

The english language in america
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in name, as well as in power, from the mother tongue.” With most, however, the spirit of
conformity prevailed. Even so original a thinker as Franklin was ready to accept English
usage as his own guide. Acknowledging a criticism of Hume’s, he wrote: “I thank you for
your friendly admonition relating to some unusual words in the pamphlet. It will be of
service to me. The pejorate and the colonize, since they are not in common use here [in
England], I give up as bad; for certainly in writings intended for persuasion and for
general information, one cannot be too clear; and every expression in the least obscure is
a fault. The unshakable, too, tho clear, I give up as rather low. The introducing new
words, where we are already possessed of old ones sufficiently expressive, I confess must
be generally wrong, as it tends to change the language…. I hope with you, that we shall
always in America make the best English of this Island our standard, and I believe it will
be so.” 54
The first dictionary of Americanisms was published in 1816 by John Pickering under
the title A Vocabulary, or Collection of Words and Phrases which have been supposed to
be Peculiar to the United States of America. Although the work of an American, it is
thoroughly English in its point of view. Both in the introductory essay that accompanies
it and in the comment throughout the body of the glossary Pickering shows clearly that he
has been inspired by a desire to purify the language of his countrymen by pointing out all
departures from English usage and persuading them that only by strict accord with that
usage can they hope to write pure English. This attitude aroused the wrath of Noah
Webster, who felt that his own position had been attacked. With manifest effort at selfcontrol
he replied in a published Letter to the Honorable John Pickering on the Subject of
His Vocabulary (1817). “With regard to the general principle,” he wrote, “that we must
use only such words as the English use let me repeat, that the restriction is, in the nature
of the thing, impracticable, and the demand that we should observe it, is as improper as it
is arrogant. Equally impertinent is it to ridicule us for retaining the use of genuine English
words, because they happen to be obsolete in London, or in the higher circles of life.”
“Let it be further observed,” he said, “that the charge against the people of this country,
of introducing new words, is, to a great degree, unfounded. Your own researches have
proved this fact. I question whether ten words can be found among men of reputable
character in the United States, which are not authorized by English usage, either general
or local. But whether the number is ten or fifty, is not material. New words will be
formed and used, if found necessary or convenient, without a license from Englishmen.”
The battle was on.
54 Writings, ed. A.H.Smyth, IV, 83–84. In the same place Franklin says: “Yet, at the same time, I
cannot but wish the usage of our tongue permitted making new words, when we want them, by
composition of old ones whose meanings are already well understood….”