Within the framework of language varieties, language contact and bilingualism in the United States, the subject to be studied closer in this paper will be the kind of English that has been spoken in the areas of the U.S. that are characterized by large-scale Scandinavian immigration. The question will be if the English language that already prevailed in these areas might have been influenced in any way by the language of the new settlers and what exactly can be traced of this interference.
As there are a lot of different aspects to this subject, some restrictions regarding which of these to concentrate on will have to be made. The most important restriction is that focus will lie on Norwegian and Swedish aspects, though Danish issues are considered in passing rather than in depth. With respect to a limited extent of this paper Icelandic and Finnish issues will not be dealt with at all. These and some other considerations will be resumed after a more general introduction to Scandinavian immigration to the U.S. In the next chapter a short account will be given of the historical development of the immigration process, settlement patterns as well as characteristics of the people and cultures that have come into contact during this process.
The third chapter treats some theoretical ideas and concepts which are useful in this kind of study, whereas the fourth chapter eventually deals with findings and conclusions made by researchers in this field of study. An overview of researchers’ opinions and descriptions of this linguistic phenomenon will round off this report.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introductory notes
- Scandinavian immigration
- Immigration and settlement patterns
- Historical-political background
- The Danes
- The Norwegians
- The Swedes
- Characteristics of the Scandinavian immigrants
- Immigration and settlement patterns
- Studying bilingualism
- Features of Scandinavian-American language mixing
- Development of language contact
- Phonetic interference
- Syntactic and grammatical interference
- Lexical interference
- Concluding remarks
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper investigates the influence of Scandinavian languages on English in areas of the United States with high Scandinavian immigration. It explores whether English spoken in these regions was affected by the languages of the new settlers and what traces of such interference can be found.
- Scandinavian immigration patterns and settlement history
- The role of bilingualism in language contact and interference
- Phonetic, syntactic, and lexical influences of Scandinavian languages on English
- The evolution of language contact and interference
- The impact of Scandinavian immigrants on American culture and society
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introductory notes: This chapter sets the context of the study, focusing on English varieties, language contact, and bilingualism in the United States. It outlines the research question: the potential impact of Scandinavian languages on English in areas with large Scandinavian immigrant populations.
- Scandinavian immigration: This chapter provides a historical overview of Scandinavian immigration to the United States, highlighting immigration patterns, settlement history, and the cultural and linguistic dynamics of the process. It focuses on the historical-political background, the experiences of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish immigrants, and the characteristics of the immigrant communities.
- Studying bilingualism: This chapter discusses theoretical concepts and approaches to studying bilingualism, providing a framework for understanding the mechanisms of language contact and interference.
- Features of Scandinavian-American language mixing: This chapter delves into the specifics of language contact and interference between English and Scandinavian languages, examining phonetic, syntactic, and lexical influences. It explores the development of language contact and the mechanisms of language interference.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The study focuses on key concepts such as language varieties, bilingualism, language contact, interference, Scandinavian immigration, settlement patterns, cultural contact, phonetic influence, syntactic influence, and lexical influence. It explores the development of Scandinavian-American English and the impact of language contact on linguistic and cultural dynamics.
- Citar trabajo
- Anja Klein (Autor), 1998, Scandinavian-American English - Tracing Influences of the Scandinavian Immigrants Languages on English in the United States, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/6446
