Why Color vs. Colour?


Would you understand if someone asked you, “my flat is a mad ting, innit?” Most of us Americans would scratch our heads to try and decipher this coded message. However, we would completely understand if he would’ve asked, “my apartment is pretty messy, huh?” The United States and the Great Britain, once a colony and Mother country, developed distinct accents and slangs over the years. For me, this begs the question; “Is this a result of purely geographical separation or is there something more implied through the difference in language?”

Geographical distinction certainly results in variations in language- there’s even a word for this occurrence- dialect. Dialects are prevalent in every language: Canadian French vs. France French, Latin American Spanish vs. Spain Spanish, Southern dialect vs. Northern dialect, etc. It is natural for a secluded people to alter pronunciations and style to suit their daily lives better- busy New Yorkers spitting 200 words per minute and a southern farmer sipping on some iced tea on his 100-acre farm. On the other hand, I believe that language is also altered to represent sectionalism, the autonomy of a part of the nation.

Ever since independence, American linguists like Noah Webster urged a “standard spelling and grammar” for the “American English.” The correct “American” spelling of words were defined in the first Merriam-Webster dictionary. Significant changes like “colour” to “color,” “theatre” to “theater,” and “tonnes” to “tons” differentiated American text from British text. The distinct way of writing showcases the desire to separate culture/literature from its previous sovereign. The same argument can be made for Canadian French, Latin American Spanish, and even for the North and South through the Civil War.

Language is a way to celebrate the sectional history and culture- to emphasize strength of its autonomy. Although it is the daily lives that affect the way language is used, the people then take pride in their differentiated dialect and give it a new meaning of culture and pride.

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