The American Language
- First published
- 1919
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The American Language" by H. L. Mencken is a book published in 1919 that examines English as spoken in the United States. Inspired by street argot and Mark Twain, Mencken defended American speech against British critics who dismissed it as a corruption of proper English. He argued that American English was more colorful and creative than its counterpart across the Atlantic. The work explores American variations, names, and slang, challenging prescriptive grammar rules and celebrating how language evolves independently of textbooks.
- English language
- Americanisms
- Names
- Names, Personal
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #43376. The American Language on Wikipedia.
