Movement of the People

The eighteen-forty-niners are an example of a great immigration that occurred in the United States. The gold rush made many people go west and therefore created something known as “gold fever”. This mania had its own in pact in American way of talking. For example, I have heard my mother use the words “panning out” when we wait to see if something happens. This saying is associated with those that went west looking for gold since they use pans to check if there is any gold in the dirt.

The American west also gave rise to the cowboys. The language of cowboys was affected by Spanish. The cowboys that reside in these areas now speak Spanish and English. They make both of these languages and create a frontier of language change. Also in this areas is where the pale face and the Native Americans met for the first time and created saying like “no can do” with the pidgin English they used. This phrase is used by many people I know, as well as myself from time to time.

The train also had an effect on language: “Letting off steam” is something that came from the creation of the railroad and even though today the saying might have changed, it is still around.  Metaphors also came about because of the trains like “ a single track mind” was back then when there was only one track for the train to travel on.

On the East Coast, New York was attracting millions with the promise of freedom and a good life. The Italian immigrants gave new words, mostly involving food and creating a very Italian American accent. The German immigrants, as well as bringing cuisine, gave us new words such as “dumb” or “fresh”. The Jewish immigrants brought a different German dialect called Yiddish. Television helped make Yiddish one of the most influential languages in America.