Americanism 的词源

1781年，约翰·威瑟斯庞（John Witherspoon），普林斯顿学院院长，创造了这个词，用于指代在北美使用的、与英国英语不同的单词或短语，构成方式是 American + -ism。根据韦伯斯特的记录，American English（美式英语）作为“在美国使用的英语”这一说法早在1806年就已出现。Americanism（美国主义）在1797年被托马斯·杰斐逊的著作中用来表示“对美国的忠诚或偏爱”。

I have been not a little disappointed, and made suspicious of my own judgment, on seeing the Edinburgh Reviews, the ablest critics of the age, set their faces against the introduction of new words into the English language; they are particularly apprehensive that the writers of the United States will adulterate it. Certainly so great growing a population, spread over such an extent of country, with such a variety of climates, of productions, of arts, must enlarge their language, to make it answer its purpose of expressing all ideas, the new as well as the old. [Jefferson to John Waldo, Aug. 16, 1813] 

我看到《爱丁堡评论》这些当代最杰出的评论家们反对在英语中引入新词，感到非常失望，甚至对自己的判断产生了怀疑。他们特别担心美国的作家会污染英语。毫无疑问，随着如此庞大的人口分布在广袤的土地上，面对多样的气候、产品和艺术，语言必然会发展壮大，以便能够表达所有的思想，包括新旧观念。[杰斐逊致约翰·沃尔多，1813年8月16日] 

Jefferson, as if disposed to assail the sovereignty of the English tongue as well as the sovereignty of the English sword, never hesitated to coin a word when it suited his purposes so to do; and though many of his brood are questionable on the ground of analogy and as intermixing languages; yet they were expressive, and became familiar. [Hugh Blair Grigsby, "The Virginia Convention of 1776," 1855]

杰斐逊似乎不仅想挑战英语的主权，还想挑战英国剑的主权。他从不犹豫地创造新词，只要能满足他的目的。尽管他的许多新词在类比上可能存在争议，且可能会混合不同语言，但它们都很生动，并且逐渐被人们接受。[休·布莱尔·格里格斯比，《1776年弗吉尼亚大会》，1855年]