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not much evidence pointing to the fact that the
aristocrats spoke any English. The children of the
English aristocracy began speaking English as their
first language t the end of the 12th Century.
In 1204, the English aristocracy forfeited their
estates in France and began speaking English
partly as a matter of national pride. forfeit (v.):
perder
11. Differences between American and British
spelling are largely credited to Noah Webster,
born in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1758. He
believed that the USA, a vast and developing
nation, had need of a language of its own: American
English. Webster thought that the British nobility
had corrupted the English found in the textbooks
of the time, and that there was too much French
and Classical influence He wanted to write
American English books for American learners,
and to represent a new and forward-thinking
nation. He wrote three books for American school
children about the English language between
1783 and 1785. There were 385 editions of his
Speller published during his lifetime. Later editions
modified the spelling o color from the British
version, colour, and that is how it is spelled in
the USA today. Other words whose spelling was
changed include center instead of the British
centreand traveler instead of traveller. Webster
thought spelling should be more logical, the correct
style for a nation that was founded on forward-
looking principles. This is one of the rare examples
of the author of a dictionary trying to change the
English language rather than
describe it.

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