Father of American dictionary

Some of you word geeks might find this interesting: Yale salutes father of American dictionary.

I had no idea that back in the Revolutionary days only 60% of the country spoke English.  According to the article, back in the day, everyone else spoke German, Swedish, and Dutch.  Noah Webster was the one who unified the country through language.  It says:

A teacher after the Revolutionary War, Webster believed that Americans should have their own textbooks rather than rely on English books. He created a speller that taught students to read, spell and pronounce words and traveled around the country to promote the book.

His dictionary, and earlier spellers and readers widely used in schools, would help a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.

“He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity,” said Joshua Kendall, who is working on a biography about Webster. “Webster at last bonded us through our language.”

This one is funny:

Webster’s speller made it easier for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded. The French version of words like “centre” became “center,” and he dropped the British “u” in words like colour” and the redundant “k” in musick and other words.

So that’s how and why we spell everything differently (and more logically!).  From the news story, it seems language back then was a matter of national independence.

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