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language of the United States is English, of the
subtype American English. Other major languages are Spanish (due to the
proximity of Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries of Central and
South America and the culture crossover of the borderlands), Hawaiian,
Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Tagalog, and to a certain extent French
(primarily in far north New England and Louisiana, due to the
Acadian-Canadian influence). There are more than 300 languages besides
English which can claim native speakers in the United States--some of
which are spoken by the indigenous peoples (about 150 living languages)
and others which were imported by immigrants. Homegrown creoles include
Gullah and Cajun, both spoken in the southeastern United States. Deaf
people and their affiliates primarily communicate via American Sign
Language.
The demographics of the United States illustrate why American English is
largely rhotic; the letter "R" gets pronounced in most words with that
letter, which is due to the splitting off from Britain in the 1600s when
English was still rhotic. During this time, the King James Version of
the Bible was written, and is referred to as such in the United States,
not the "authorized version." Somehow the specific King James Version
phrases, like the words of Shakespeare and the British units of measure,
still resonate for most Americans.
There are four major dialects in the United States--northeastern, south,
inland north and midlands. The midlands accent extends from what were
once the "Middle Colonies" across the Midwest to the Pacific.
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