Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog Project Gutenberg 2013-08-01 Public domain in the USA. 3217 Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis) 1880 1956 Mencken, Henry Louis Hatteras, Owen Mencken, Henry L. The American Language A Preliminary Inquiry into the Development of English in the United States Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Language Produced by Bruce Albrecht, RichardW and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The American Language" by H. L. Mencken is a critical inquiry into the development of English as it is spoken in the United States, written in the early 20th century. The book explores the distinct differences in vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and usage between American English and British English, as observed by the author through his extensive experience as a journalist and editor. It aims to address the lack of comprehensive literature on the subject, filling a gap by articulating the unique features that define American English. At the start of the work, Mencken delves into his motivation for writing, noting the inadequacy of existing literature regarding the differences between American and British English. He references historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson and Noah Webster, who anticipated the evolution of a distinctly American dialect, emphasizing the influence of American culture, environment, and innovation. Mencken outlines the neglect of American vernacular by scholars and the need for a deeper understanding and acceptance of American English as a legitimate and evolving language distinct from its British roots. The opening sets the stage for a thorough exploration of topics such as pronunciation, slang, and the impact of immigration on the language. (This is an automatically generated summary.) file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/43376/43376-h/images/cover.jpg Reading ease score: 62.9 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en English language Americanisms Names -- United States Names, Personal -- United States PE Text Category: American Literature Category: Language & Communication 1514530 2025-08-17T12:26:01.479341 text/html 1363443 2024-10-23T17:32:02 text/html 502594 2025-08-17T12:26:34.206177 application/epub+zip 534137 2025-08-17T12:26:06.745404 application/epub+zip 518222 2025-08-17T12:26:03.933381 application/epub+zip 1125497 2025-08-17T12:26:51.501124 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1106210 2025-08-17T12:26:31.803206 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1084524 2022-09-19T18:36:31.779544 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 931784 2025-08-17T12:25:54.996394 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 911966 2024-10-23T17:32:02 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17467 2025-08-17T12:26:51.709087 application/rdf+xml 20288 2025-08-17T12:26:04.474403 image/jpeg 2532 2025-08-17T12:26:04.199320 image/jpeg 468423 2025-08-17T12:26:01.588326 application/octet-stream application/zip en.wikipedia