One of the reasons American English uses -er spellings (center, theater) where British English uses -re spellings (centre, theatre) is because of an early American desire to “de-Britishify” after gaining independence. Noah Webster had much to do with this, and changed many other spellings from British English to a newly forming American English.
One of the reasons American English uses -er spellings (center, theater) where British English uses -re spellings (centre, theatre) is because of an early American desire to “de-Britishify” after gaining independence. Noah Webster had much to do with this, and changed many other spellings from British English to a newly forming American English.
I wonder if Webster’s “anti-British” sentiment was (part of) the instigation of “American uniquism.”
To this day, whatever the world does, the US does it differently, almost as a knee-jerk reaction.
Also consider that a whole lot of the world was “British” when the US broke away.
Still is. The real distinction is between American English and the rest of the English-speaking world.
Or for non-language issues…
American units vs. metric, used by almost every other country on the planet.
American rules for a given sport vs. every other country on the planet.
American WHATEVER vs. every other fucking country on planet earth.
Colourful reply!
Loyalist!