Why Do Americans Color But the British Colour? Thank Noah Webster

Why Do Americans Color But the British Colour? Thank Noah Webster

Some people collect stamps. Others collect coins. Noah Webster, Jr. collected words.

He did not save just the words, of course, but also their meanings and spellings. His collection became the basis of today’s American English.

Who was Noah Webster?

Webster was born October 16, 1758, on a farm in West Hartford, Connecticut. His family came from the early European colonists¹ of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Webster was interested in language even as a child. He learned to read before he started school.

Most children at the time stopped their education after only a few years. But Webster continued his. He attended college at Yale University in New Haven², Connecticut.  

During the four years Webster studied at Yale, the American colonies separated from Britain in the Revolutionary War. People at the time argued about the language of the newly independent states. Should it be English or German? After all, 10 percent of the population spoke³ German.

Others said Hebrew should be the common language. Many schools taught Hebrew so students could read the original Judeo-Christian Bible.

Webster thought the language of the American states should be English. But not British English. American English. The only problem was that such a language did not yet formally exist. People in different American states used different words, different spellings and different pronunciations. 

The American Spelling Book

By this time, Webster was a teacher. Most schools taught Latin, and students wrote or made oral presentations in Latin.

But Webster argued that it was more practical for “merchants, mechanics, planters, etc.” to know their own language well. If they learned another language, he said, it should be a living language such as French, Italian, Spanish or German.  

Webster believed improving children’s education could help build a stronger nation. In an essay, Webster wrote that Americans should study other countries’ histories and governments. That way, Americans could avoid mistakes, advance the sciences, and “add dignity” to the United States and human nature.

Young Americans should also learn to use a standard and pure language, Webster said. So he decided⁴ to write a series of textbooks: a speller, a reader and a grammar. Webster published the first book, which came to be called the Blue-Backed Speller, in 1783.

Webster worked hard to promote the book. He invented the modern book tour. He traveled around the country, bringing books to his public speeches.

The speller immediately became a best seller. Soon it was used in schools in every state. In 1787 Webster changed the book’s name to The American Spelling Book.

An important part of the method Webster taught for spelling was to divide a word into its sounds, or syllables⁶. Thomas Dilworth’s British spelling books said that people should pronounce “ti” before a vowel⁷ as a separate syllable⁵. That rule made them say nation as “na-ti-on” and motion as “mo-ti-on.” Webster thought the correct pronunciation was “na-tion” and “mo-tion.”

Webster also thought some British spellings did not make sense. He preferred variations that some Americans were already using. So in his works, he changed musick to music and plough to plow⁸.

Some of the changes he suggested did not stay – such as changing tongue to tung and women to wimmen. But many others remained.

American writer H. L. Mencken wrote in the early 20th century, “The influence of his Speller was really stupendous. It … maintained its authority for nearly a century.”

In the 100 years after the Blue-Backed Speller came out, the only book to sell more copies in the U.S. was the Bible. Webster’s speller helped unify⁹ the written language of the United States.  

The American Dictionary of the English Language

Webster used the money he was able to earn from his speller to begin another project: a dictionary.

He believed Americans needed a dictionary that reflected their own geography, political system and history. His first version, published in 1806, included about 40,000 words.

His second, called the American Dictionary of the English Language, included 70,000 words. To create it, Webster learned at least the basics of over 20 languages.

He also defined words that were new to American English. Many were borrowed from Native American languages, such as “skunk¹⁰” and “squash.” He also gave the pronunciation of words as Americans said them.

One of his definitions showed how proud Webster was of his country. He included a quote from its first leader, George Washington.

After the word “American,” Webster wrote: “A native of America; originally applied¹¹ to the aboriginals¹², or copper-colored races, found here by the Europeans; but now applied to the descendants of Europeans born in America. ‘The name American must always exalt¹³ the pride of patriotism¹⁴.’ Washington.”

Webster’s dictionary came to be a symbol of the country’s new national identity. The website ConnecticutHistory.org points out that Webster’s efforts also marked the last time one person created a major dictionary alone.

A few years after Noah Webster died, at the age of 86, two brothers gained the rights to the American Dictionary. George and Charles Merriam owned a printing and bookselling business. They were able to make, update and sell the dictionary at a less expensive price than the Webster family had.

The reference book became increasingly popular in schools and homes across the U.S. Like Webster’s speller, Webster’s dictionary became the authority on American English – not just in the 19th century, but today. For example, if you are reading this article on a computer, point the mouse to any word in the story. You will see a definition from – you guessed it – Merriam-Webster.      

Words in This Story

standard – adj. regularly and widely used, seen, or accepted; not unusual or special

pure – adj. not mixed with anything else

syllable – n. any one of the parts into which a word is naturally divided when it is pronounced

variations – n. something that is similar to something else but different in some way

stupendous – adj. so large or great that it amazes you

version – n. a form of something (such as a product) that is different in some way from other forms

skunk – n. a small black-and-white North American animal that produces a very strong and unpleasant smell when it is frightened or in danger

aboriginals – n.  the original people to live in an area

exalt – v. to raise (someone or something) to a higher level

1 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 syllable   

n.音节；vt.分音节

参考例句：

• You put too much emphasis on the last syllable.你把最后一个音节读得太重。
• The stress on the last syllable is light.最后一个音节是轻音节。

6 syllables   

n.音节( syllable的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a word with two syllables 双音节单词
• 'No. But I'll swear it was a name of two syllables.' “想不起。不过我可以发誓，它有两个音节。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

7 vowel   

n.元音；元音字母

参考例句：

• A long vowel is a long sound as in the word"shoe ".长元音即如“shoe” 一词中的长音。
• The vowel in words like 'my' and 'thigh' is not very difficult.单词my和thigh中的元音并不难发。

8 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

9 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

10 skunk   

n.臭鼬，黄鼠狼；v.使惨败，使得零分；烂醉如泥

参考例句：

• That was a rotten thing to do, you skunk!那种事做得太缺德了，你这卑鄙的家伙！
• The skunk gives off an unpleasant smell when attacked.受到攻击时臭鼬会发出一种难闻的气味。

11 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

12 aboriginals   

（某国的）公民( aboriginal的名词复数 )； 土著人特征； 土生动物（或植物）

参考例句：

• He remained fascinated by the Aboriginals' tales. 他一直对澳大利亚土著居民的传说极感兴趣。
• They drove the aboriginals out of their lands at sword point. 他们以武力将土著人赶出他们的家园。

13 exalt   

v.赞扬，歌颂，晋升，提升

参考例句：

• She thanked the President to exalt her.她感谢总统提拔她。
• His work exalts all those virtues that we,as Americans,are taught to hold dear.他的作品颂扬了所有那些身为美国人应该珍视的美德。

14 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。