iversity in the English Language

             Any new coming freshman to West Virginia University is certain to hear a larger variety of accents and dialect in the English language than they have ever before encountered. West Virginia University has a diverse student body, which includes students from all fifty states and over one hundred different nations. West Virginia University's webpage statistics show that approximately twenty-nine percent of the students are non-residents of West Virginia, and five percent of the students are from other countries. What makes West Virginia University's speech so unique in character is the overwhelming variety in the English language to which its students contribute.
             As students from different areas of the country communicate with one another for the first time, they begin to notice a significant amount of variation between their dialects. For instance, many people disagree about the proper term for carbonated beverages. A majority of students from states such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia believe "pop" is the only correct expression, while students from New Jersey or New York claim it to be nothing else but a "soda." Words like "grinder," as they are dubbed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are referred to as "hoagies" in Pittsburgh and "subs" in Ohio. While the majority of the country adds the finishing touch of "sprinkles" to their ice cream, people from Pittsburgh top it off with "jimmies." Pittsburgh natives have many strange words and phrases in their dialect. For example, while shopping in an office supply store, instead of searching for "rubberbands," which appears on the label, Pittsburghers are on a mission to come across "gumbands." Another odd phrase used throughout the surrounding Pittsburgh area is "red up." Anyone living outside of the vicinity will almost definitely question the expression. The term ...

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iversity in the English Language. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 17:11, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/50891.html