The American Language by H.L. Mencken
Talking Back: H.L. Mencken’s Unapologetic Defense of American English
When H.L. Mencken published The American Language in 1919, he wasn’t just cataloging peculiarities of American English—he was launching a full-scale rebellion against the cultural hegemony of British linguistic norms. In this seminal work of sociolinguistic criticism, Mencken argues that American English is not a corrupted dialect or a provincial backwater of British English, but rather a fully independent, dynamic, and evolving language in its own right—one that better reflects the character of its speakers and the tumult of the American experience.
At the heart of Mencken’s thesis is the claim that American English has “set up for itself and is tending steadily away from the parent stem.” Drawing on an eclectic mix of examples—slang, idiom, pronunciation, grammar, and spelling—he traces the development of a distinct linguistic identity forged in the crucible of frontier life, political revolution, immigration, and cultural pluralism. His book is not merely descriptive; it is polemical. Mencken takes aim at the linguistic purists, the Anglophilic snobs, and the prescriptive grammarians who dismiss Americanisms as ignorant or vulgar.
Structured thematically rather than chronologically, the book spans topics ranging from the evolution of American spelling (e.g., color vs. colour) and pronunciation, to regional dialects, neologisms, and the unique ways Americans name places, professions, and even themselves. Along the way, he explores the influence of German, Dutch, Yiddish, Spanish, and African languages on American speech, underscoring the melting-pot nature of the nation’s vernacular.
Though not a trained linguist, Mencken was one of the most influential public intellectuals of the early 20th century. As a journalist, editor, and cultural critic, he brought a rigorous and skeptical mind to every subject he approached, and The American Language is no exception. His erudition is apparent in the scope of his sources: dictionaries, grammars, newspapers, personal letters, government documents, and popular literature.
Mencken’s work predates much of modern linguistics, yet his method is impressively empirical. He provides ample citations, examples, and etymological explanations—though his reliance on anecdotal evidence and contemporary newspaper slang occasionally risks overgeneralization. That said, his instinct for linguistic patterning and social implication is keen and prescient. He anticipates many insights that would only later be formalized in sociolinguistics and dialectology.
Mencken’s prose is, as ever, caustic, vibrant, and immensely readable. His irreverence for academic pieties is balanced by an infectious enthusiasm for language in all its unruliness. He delights in the vitality of street speech, the invention of colloquialisms, and the democratic reshaping of vocabulary. Readers will find themselves alternately amused, provoked, and illuminated.
Though the text occasionally lapses into tangents or labyrinthine sentences, it remains largely accessible to the lay reader. He explains linguistic phenomena with clarity and humor, often illustrating points with pithy or comical examples that stick with the reader. His style may alienate those looking for dry objectivity, but it is precisely this spirited approach that makes the book so enduring.
Among the book’s enduring strengths:
Cultural insight: Mencken uses language as a lens through which to view American character and society.
Lexical range: His inventory of words, phrases, and idioms is impressively comprehensive.
Boldness of argument: He champions linguistic descriptivism long before it became fashionable.
However, there are limitations:
Anecdotal data: Some claims, particularly about regional dialects or social tendencies, are thinly substantiated.
Temporal bias: The first edition reflects the early 20th-century linguistic landscape; subsequent updates (through 1948) refined but did not radically expand the scope.
Cultural blind spots: While Mencken celebrates diversity, his treatment of African American vernacular and other non-European influences is sometimes patronizing or stereotyped by modern standards.
The American Language is both a pioneering work in American linguistic identity and a cultural artifact in its own right. It has inspired generations of linguists, writers, and critics to take American English seriously. In comparison to later works—such as David Crystal’s The Stories of English or Bill Bryson’s Made in America—Mencken’s stands as the foundational text, the unruly, brilliant ancestor to more systematic studies.
Its relevance persists in debates over prescriptive vs. descriptive grammar, linguistic nationalism, and the politics of language. It remains a touchstone for understanding not just how Americans speak, but why.
H.L. Mencken’s The American Language is a triumph of intellectual curiosity and cultural defiance. While it reflects some of the biases and limitations of its time, it remains a compelling, witty, and deeply informative exploration of how a nation forged its own voice. Ideal for lovers of language, historians of American culture, and anyone intrigued by the protean power of words.
Highly recommended.
—N3UR4L Reviews
