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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. Which of the early presidents does Mencken identify as archetypal of the new American?
(a) Andrew Jackson.
(b) George Washington.
(c) Thomas Jefferson.
(d) James Monroe.

2. According to the tale spread by William Gifford, what language was supposed to be substituted for English during the Revolutionary War?
(a) French.
(b) Hebrew.
(c) Spanish.
(d) Latin.

3. What is the American substitute for the English word "tin"?
(a) Bucket.
(b) Cup.
(c) Dish.
(d) Can.

4. How is the "portmanteau-word" formed?
(a) By blending two words.
(b) By finding the true root in the word.
(c) By mixing parts of words with the same meaning in different languages.
(d) By onomatopoeic creativity.

5. According to Mencken, the English opposition to American spelling transcends the academic and takes on the character of what?
(a) The ethical.
(b) The political.
(c) The religious.
(d) The patriotic.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What does Mencken list as dominant the English alternative for the word "mail"?

3. Which is the second factor that Mencken identifies as an impediment to the growth of the American language in Chapter 3.1?

4. What word best describes the English attitude towards the adoption of foreign loan-words, in contrast to the American attitude?

5. Which is the first factor that Mencken identifies as an immediate impediment to the growth of the American language in Chapter 3.1?

(see the answer key)

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