Religion in the usa

In matters of religion the US has always been one of the most pluralistic of nations. This is the country, where the first immigrants came with the aim of escaping religious prosecution in their own countries. Organizing their own societies, they interacted with representatives of probably all the word’s denominations. Thus, from earliest times religion has offered strength and solace to American’s of many faiths. It has also been a factor in shaping the nation’s history. The lack of a national religion has resulted in religious freedom which was recognized in the Bill of Rights attacked to the original Constitution.

People in the USA are free to choose their religion in practice, this was true for much of the population but not for Native Americans where legislation for lade their choice of religion and mandates Christianity.

The percentage of American going to Church (or temple or mosque) at least once a weak is significantly higher than is almost all Europe countries. The major religions in the US are: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Mormon, Eastern Orthodoxy, Jewish, Muslim.

The major Protestant denominations are: Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), Church of Christ, Congregational. The majority of the population belongs to one of the 1,000 of Protestant, Churches. Nearly a quarter of the present population are Catholics and there are also about 6 millions Jews.

The thing that strikes one in America is that whenever you feel an urge to play, the door of the church of whatever denomination it represent is always open and waits for you. Another thing is that every church sponsors different actives like choir concert, organ and piano concert, charity fairs, of various kinds; one-day festivals to focus on children or invalids, parties and get-together for young people and so on church and state are separated. The government has always encouraged religion. The Congress, f.e. has an official chaplain who opens its sessions with a player. The motto “In God we trust” is printed on American coins.

Church is separated from school, but many ministers and preachers nowadays are worried about the decline in church members among teenagers and young people. In many parts of the country, occultism, astrology, witchcraft and even devil-work are going influence among the youth.

Language

The USA has no official language, but English is used de facto national. Spanish is the second language and it is estimated that around 20% of Americans speak Spanish as their first language .

American English or U.S. English is the diverse form of the English language used mostly in the USA. According to the 2004 censes, more then two-thirds of native speakers of English use the American dialect, although most for whom English is a second language around the world prefer Anglo-English.

The English language in America has been influenced by American Indian languages and by all the ethnic groups that have emigrated to the US over the years.

The tem “americanism” was first used by John Witherspoon, president of Princeton University, in 1781. It designates a) any word or combination of words which, taken into the English language in the US, has not gained acceptance in England, or if accepted, has retained its sense of foreignness; and b) any word or combination of words which, becoming archaic in England, has continued in good usage in the US.

The first class is the larger and has longer history. The earliest settlers in Virginia and New England, confronted by plants and animals that were unfamiliar to them, either borrowed the Indian names or invented names of their own. Examples are: raccoon , chinkapin (карликовий каштан), opossum (опосум, сумчастий щур), squash (гарбуз, кабачок), woodchuck (сурок лісовий), among Indian words and bullfrog (бик жаба), canvas-back (жирок), catbird (дрізд американський), live oak (дуб віргінський) among inventions. Many other words came in as the pioneers gained familiarity with the Indian life. Such words as hominy, pone (кукурудзяний корж), tapioca (крупи з крохмалю), remain everyday Americanism.

The archaisms showed more slowly. They had to go out of use in England before their survival in America was Noticeable.

“I guess” was already an Americanism by the end of 18^th century, though it had been in almost universal use in England in Shakespeare’s day.

One of the best examples is “fall” – autumn. The word was used by Shakespeare, but since his time practically all speakers of Britain English have used the word “autumn”.

American English borrowed words from the non-English setters, and developed many new words of its own.

The American variety of English has borrowed many words from the vocabulary of the French, Dutch, Spanish and German-Speaking settlers.

The French following are a member of words pertaining to exploration and travel, or descriptive features of the landscape.

The most productive one of the latter is “prairie” which can be found in more than 80 combinations in Webster (prairie-chicken (степовий тетерук), prairie – dog (степовий собака), prairie-wolf (койот).

The Spanish colonial occupation of North American territory is reflected, through the words, “ranch”, “rodeo”, cafeteria, lasso. Among the widely used words of Dutch origin are “Yankee”, “boss”, “cookie”, “Santa Claus”. The words of German origin are: “semester”, “seminar”. “Hippie” is probably African in origin.

The native coinages were large in number: back wood (глушина, необжите місце) half-breed (метис), hired-girl (робітниця на фермі), spelling bee (конкурс на кращий правопис), moss-back (житель півдня, що ховався від служби в армії під час громадянської війни), stamping – ground (місце водопою, пасовисько; американською – місце, яке часто відвідують).

A number of important words, in daily use, began to show meanings in England and America. Some familiar examples are store, rock, lumber, corn.

Some Americanism were easily accepted in BE: commuter, trailer, know-how, milk shake, baby-sit, congressman, Secretary of State.

The chief differences between the British Received Pronunciation and a variety of American English are the pronunciation of certain vowels, in stress, accent, intonation.

AE more extensively uses the suffix wise in the meaning of “with regard to” or “in terms of” (instructionwise, taxwise, pricewise, weatherwise). also popular is the prefix super (superhighway, superweapon). Compound words: mastermind - геній, gangland – злочинний світ, trigger-happy – агресивно налаштований, forming nouns with the help of verbs followed by adverbs: walk-up – будинок без ліфту, shut-out – перемога з сухим рахунком.

Numerous are examples when the ranges of meanings of the same word in both variants differ (e.g. AE “gun” means not only “cannon” and “rifle” but also “pistol” and “revolver”).

The meaning of pie in BE is narrower, it implies the meaning “meat pie” if not proceeded by some specifications as in “apple pie”.

There are numerous cases of different phrases with verb-adverb combinations (AE to fill out a blank, BE – to fill in a form, AE to be filled up (about a hotel), BE: to be fill up; AE wash up: BE: wash your hands) as well as divergences in phrase structure (e.g. AE go get it: BE go and get it). The most famous of all American dictionary-makers, Noah Webster was as influential in the history of American English as G. Washington in the American Revolution. From his “Dissertations on the English language” in 1789 to his great monument of 1828, an American Dictionary of the English Language (referred to simply as “Webster’s”), his work is a real landmark in American history.

Webster’s influence on American spelling was enormous. It is to him that Americans owe “color”, “fiber”, “tire” etc. Webster’s dictionaries had a great influence on American speech rhythms, and resulted in the remarkable uniformity of much American speech.