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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 8.3 | Chapter 8.4.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is the author of "Travels in North America," published in 1827?
(a) Henry Alford.
(b) Basil Hall.
(c) Louis Untermeyer.
(d) Charles Astor Bristed.

2. What purpose does Miss Wittmann say is served by the shortening of word forms?
(a) Creativity.
(b) None.
(c) Convenience.
(d) Color.

3. What does Mencken list as dominant the English alternative for the word "mail"?
(a) Letters.
(b) Postals.
(c) Shipping.
(d) Post.

4. What does the English "secondary school" correspond to in American?
(a) College.
(b) High school.
(c) Elementary school.
(d) Middle school.

5. Which European language has exerted the most influence on the American language?
(a) Spanish.
(b) French.
(c) German.
(d) Italian.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following did the African slaves NOT introduce to American English?

2. Which of the following groups of foreign immigrants does Mencken not attribute influence over American English in Chapter 6.4?

3. According to Mencken, the English opposition to American spelling transcends the academic and takes on the character of what?

4. Which Founding Father is said to have sought to establish a new American alphabet?

5. Which 1914 English dictionary made many important concessions to American spellings?

(see the answer key)

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