《英语词汇学》（英文版）Chapter 17 American and British Englishes

Unit 17 British and American English

Unit 17 British and American English

1. Morphology In American English. a number of irregular verbs have become regularised while remaining irregular in British English a)In many instances, it is only the voicing of the past tense morpheme -(ed which has been changed to regularise the verb

1. Morphology In American English, a number of irregular verbs have become regularised, while remaining irregular in British English: a) In many instances, it is only the voicing of the past tense morpheme -(e)d which has been changed to regularise the verb:

British english American English Present Past or Past or Past Participle Past Participle burn burnt burned dwell dwelt dwelled learn earnt earne d smell smelt smelled elI spel spelt spelled spill sp spilled spoil spoilt spoiled

British English American English Present Past or Past or Past Participle Past Participle burn burnt burned dwell dwelt dwelled learn learnt learned smell smelt smelled spell spelt spelled spill spilt spilled spoil spoilt spoiled

b)In some irregular British English verbs, there is a vowel change from /i/ in the present to / e/ in the past participle forms. The American English forms retain the present tense vowel in the following cases as well as voicing the ending

b) In some irregular British English verbs, there is a vowel change from /i/ in the present to /e/ in the past participle forms. The American English forms retain the present tense vowel in the following cases, as well as voicing the ending

British English American English Present Past or Past or Past Participle Past Participle dream dreamt/dremt/ dreamed/drimd Knee knelt /nelt/ kneeled/ni: Id/ lean leant/lent leaned/li:nd/ p ea leapt/lept/ leaped/li pt/

British English American English Present Past or Past or Past Participle Past Participle dream dreamt /dremt/ dreamed/drimd/ kneel knelt /nelt/ kneeled/ni:ld/ lean leant/lent/ leaned/li:nd/ leap leapt/lept/ leaped/li:pt/

c) The past participle "gotten "is not used in British English. In American English, it was formerly restricted to being used in the sense of " obtain"or acquire I've gotten a new car since i last saw you

c) The past participle " gotten " is not used in British English. In American English, it was formerly restricted to being used in the sense of " obtain" or " acquire": I've gotten a new car since I last saw you

Now, however. gotten" can be used in all meanings except for have in American English We have gotten home late again They have gotten me into trouble again We had already gotten off the train when it was hit

Now , however, " gotten" can be used in all meanings except for "have" in American English: We have gotten home late again. They have gotten me into trouble again. We had already gotten off the train when it was hit

I have got plenty to eat I have got the idea now ( understand

I have got plenty to eat. I have got the idea now. ( understand )

2. Derivational Two verb-forming affixes which are somew hat more productive In American English than British English are fy: citify, humidify, uglify Ze: burglarize, decimalIze, hospitalize, rubberize, slenderize

2. Derivational Two verb-forming affixes which are somewhat more productive In American English than British English are: -ify: citify, humidify, uglify -ize: burglarize, decimalize, hospitalize, rubberize, slenderize

b) Another way of forming new words is by simply changing a words grammatical class gain, there Is more of a tendency to form new words in this way in American English than in british English, e. g

b) Another way of forming new words is by simply changing a word’s grammatical class. Again, there is more of a tendency to form new words in this way in American English than in British English,e.g: