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(continued from part one)
Stuart O. Hale included this excerpt in Narragansett Bay: A Friend's Perspective Williams wrote: Mishoon an Indian boat or Canow made of a Pine or Oake, or Chestnut-tree: I have scene a Native goe into the woods with his hatchet, carrying onely a Basket of Come with him, and stones to strike fire when he hadJeld his tree (being a chestnut) he made him a little House or shed of the bark of it, he puts fire andfollowes the burning of it with fire, in the midst of many places. his come he boyles and hath the Brooke by him, and sometimes Angles for a little fish; but so tree continues burning and hewing untill he bath within ten or twelve dayes (lying there at his worke alone) finished and (getting hands) ranched his Boater with which afterward tree ventures out toflsh in the Ocean.... Some of lthe canoesl will not well carry above three or foure: but some of them twenty, thirty, forty men.... Their owne reason hath taught them, to pull of a Coat or two and set it up on a small pole, with which they will saile before a wind ten, or twenty mile.... It is wonderfull to see how they will Denture in those Canoes, and how (being oft overset as I have my selfe been with them) they will swim a mile, yea two or more safe to Land I having been necessitated to passe waters diverse times with them, it hath pleased God to make them many times the instruments of my preservation. and when sometimes In great danger I have questioned safety, they have said to me: Feare not, if we be overset I will carry you safe to Land.... I have knowne thirty or forty of their Canowes fill'd with men, and neere as many more of their enemies In a Sea-fight. English continued to evolve and now Williams’s writing is far removed from modern English. During the 17th century, American English was born. English colonists brought their own individual language nuances with them and according to The Story of English (1986) by Robert McCrum, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil, many of these early 16th and 17th century imported English terms have been frozen in time. British visitors can hear these preserved English terms when they visit. Archaic uses such as gotten, mad used as “angry”, platter for “dish”, fall for “autumn” and I guess from Chaucer are still spoken in America. But, American English didn’t completely stand still.
The copyright of the article 17th Century English in the New World, part two in Word Play is owned by . Permission to republish 17th Century English in the New World, part two in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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