Why does the U.S. have many different ascents?

Answer 1

I'm guessing you mean 'accents'

English is the language spoken in America, after being originally settled by Puritans from Britain. (this is the short story, k? don't give me problems). When people from other countries came to America, they, too, had to learn English. As people of different countries came here, though, they usually settled with other people from their country, and as populations got bigger, more people picked up the accent.

Answer 2

In the mid-eighties or so, Robert McNeil (of the formerly titled McNeil Leher Report on PBS) did a wonderful documentary called The Story of English.

Dunno if it's on dvd or not (I have the tape). Interesting and very fun. He covers English all over the world, and devotes quite a lot of time to North American varieties of English and slangs.

The English who settled the north and south east coasts were from different areas of England, with different accents.

These differences survive today.

Then you got Scotch-Irish settling, adding their bit.

Whenever populations are isolated, they develop different accents from those they don't have contact with.

Finally, there are a lot of people here from a lot of different places, who brought their accents with them.

But the US is hardly unique in having different accents, as others have pointed out.

Knowing which different accents (regional, or just all the different accents all the people have?), and why you ask would have helped.

Answer 3

There are so many ascents and Nationalities, because the door to American soil is open and all emmigrants need to come in the door and be Legal. My Norwegian Ancestors came to the shores of America and could not speak English. They could only speak Norwegian. But once they came to the shores of America, they had to learn English. They had to be Legal. America consists of all ascents.

Answer 4

It amazing that we don't have different languages in various states. We started out with the New York area speaking Dutch when it was ruled by Dutch colonials in the 1600's, Florida, California and several southwestern states speaking Spanish during their early colonization by Spain, and Louisiana speaking French during Frances' early rule. Virginia was settled by the English and many parts of West Virginia and Virginia speak with accents derived from 17th English pronunciation. Slavery brought a variety of African speech patterns to the south. Much of the Midwest was settled by influxes of Irish, German and Scandinavian settlers and in some Midwestern states you can still hear those speech patterns. But the Midwestern "flat" accent is becoming the norm for news commentators and audio media, so the variety of regional accents in the US is losing its visibility.

Answer 5

No matter where on earth you o to even if they speak the sma elanguage if two places are far away they tend to have peopel with differnt accents and differnt slangs....language seems to evolve the main language stays the same.Its because people are widely spread and develope slangs slurrs even in England, Australia, South AFrica diffent places have differnt Accents of the same language.

Answer 6

Because it was a new land, invaded and settled by people from all over the globe, many who did not speak english as a first language.

Answer 7

The US is huge and some regions had different mixes of immigrants. Makes sense the US has different accents.

Heck, in UK, London had tons of different accents

Answer 8

Because every different culture in every region of the world has a different accent.

Answer 9

We have people from many different countries living here. Additionally, we have regional accents.

Answer 10

EVERY COUNTRY has many different accents! whats the big deal??