Программа дисциплины л л е е к к с с и и к к о о л л о о

dogged, doggedly, doggedness, dog-days, dog-biscuit, dogcart, etc. 
Тема 11. Национальные варианты английского языка. 
English is the national language of the population of the British Isles. But English is 
spoken not only 
on
the British Isles but also in many other countries. 
In the I7th, I8th and I9th centuries, England was one of the strongest countries in the 
world; it had the best fleet, which penetrated into different parts of the world, and the 
English conquered and colonized many countries in Asia, Africa and America. English 
was brought into these countries and it became either the national language, or the state 
language, or the language of the trade there. 
English is spoken in Great Britain (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales), the Isle of 
Malta, Gibraltar, America (the USA, Canada, Jamaica), Asia (India, Pakistan, the 
Philippines), Africa (the Union of South Africa and other former British colonies), 
Australia, New Zealand and so on. English is not spoken with uniformity in these 
countries. Thus on the British Isle, Standard English as such is spoken only in England. In 
Scotland, Ireland and Wales English is greatly influenced by the native tongues. 
In Scots pronunciation we find some peculiarities. Scottish speech is more monotonous, 
and words are not strongly stressed, so that it seems unemphatic and emotionless. In 
grammar some irregular verbs have forms like regular verbs: to tell – telled. Some verbs 
change their root-vowel but differently from English: to speak — spak. Some Scottish 
words have been borrowed into English: lassie – девушка , laddie – парень, billy – 
товарищ, приятель. Some English words have become polysemantic or acquired new 
meanings in Scottish: short –грубый, silly – слабый (физически), gate – дорога.
Irish English also differs from English in some peculiarities of pronunciation. Irish speech 
is higher pitched than English speech; it has a wider range and a sharp rise and fall of 
tone. In grammar some regular verbs. Have forms like irregular ones: to sleep – slep, to 
creep – сrep.Perfect tenses are not used and are replaced by: to be + before (after)+ the 
gerund of the notional verb: I am after writing a letter. I am after seeing him today, or by 
the Past Indefinite Tense: An hour before you came I finished my work. Will is used for all 
persons: Will I sing you a song? If I go without an umbrella, I will get wet.Shall expresses 
obligation. Some Irish words have been borrowed into English e.g.: whiskey – Виски, 
shamrock – клевер, Трилистник. Blarney – лесть, льстивая речь 
Welsh speech has its own peculiarities in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary e.g.: 
(bus [bu:s]), which are caused by the influence of the national tongue. However, these 
differences do not stand in the way of understanding between Englishmen, on the one 
side, and Scots, Welshmen and Irishmen, on the other side. Educated people in these parts 
of Great Britain speak correct literary English, and there is a probability that in future the 
influence of English will go deeper and wider through the schools, the cinema, radio, 
television and literature. In England, English is not spoken with uniformity either. Four 
local dialects are distinguished in England: Northern – between the rivers Tweed and 
Humber, Midland, Eastern – between the river Humber and the Thames. Southern – south 
of the Thames. 

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These dialects are remnants of Old English dialects. In old times the territorial dialects 
varied greatly, because they represented different peoples, different tribes which саше to 
the British Isles from the continent and settled there. By the 17
th
century these dialects 
were predominated over by the London dialect which formed the basis for the national 
English language. Little by little, social, political and cultural changes brought the local 
dialects closer to one another. Cockney is the dialect of the poor, uneducated people of 
the East End in London. Their language is a spoilt, vulgar English. The local dialects 
came under the influence of the Literary English language, and this domination resulted 
in the gradual obliteration of local peculiarities by the literary language. The local 
differences have become less obvious, so that nowadays, when intercourse between 
people living in different parts of England has become easier, and the influence of school, 
radio, television, internet, cinema and literature popularizing standard English have 
become greater, we can no longer speak of local English dialects, but of local or regional 
variants, which are not numerous or important. Territorial dialects have no chance of 
surviving and developing into independent languages, because in the course of time they 
will be completely ousted by the standard language.
Besides these local, territorial or inner variants inside England, there are outlying dialects 
or variants of English which are found in other countries. 
American English. In 1620 the first English colonists came to America on board the ship, 
‘the Mayflower’. They brought the English language of the 17
th
century with them, and
this language, with its local and general English peculiarities, formed the basis of 
American English. 
Now then we analyze American English, we immediately point out some of its striking 
features: [h] – is pronounced before [w] in words beginning with wh (what – [hwat] ,