The English Vocabulary

Englishes Around the World

Varieties of English

extended circle

outer circle

inner circle
Ebonics (African-American English)

is a variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of

American English, most commonly spoken today
by urban working-class and largely bi-dialectal
middle-class African Americans.
 “Ah ain’t got tuh do nuthin’ uh de
kin’— fact is Ah ain’t got tuh do nothin’
but die. Taint no use uh putting on airs
makin’ out lak you skeered uh dat
snake—he’s gointer stay right heah tell
he die. He wouldn’t bite me cause Ah
knows how tuh handle ‘im. Nohow he
wouldn’t risk brekain’ out his fangs ‘gin
yo skinny laigs.”
(exceprt from Zora Neal Hurston's Sweat)
 Di Naat Win an di Son did a kos bout
wich wan a dem chrang-ga wen dem si
wan man a kom wel rap op ina wan sitn
we luk lak-a wan winta kluok. Dem
disaid se di fos wan we get di man fi tek
aaf ihn kluok a di chrang-ga wan. Di
Naat Win den staat fi bluo haad haad
bot di haa-da ihn bluo di tait-a di man
rap op i kluok roun im. Di naat win jos
disaid se ihn kudn bada. Den di son
staat fi shain an di man di afi tek aaf ihn
kluok sed taim.
 The North Wind and the Sun are
discussing which one of them is stronger
when they see a man coming, wrapped in
a winter cloak. They decide that the first
one who takes off his cloak is the stronger
one. The North Wind starts to blow hard
and hard but the harder he blows the
tighter the man wrap his cloak around
him. The North Wind decides he couldn't
do any better. Then the Sun starts to shine
and the man takes off his cloak at the same
time
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
CLOTHING
HOMES & BUILDINGS
TIME
Philippine
English
 bottomless
calling card
carnap
chancing
coupon bond
CR
dormer
duster
eat-all-you-can
 fill-up
from (college, university)
gimmick
hand carry
officemate
owner
pentel pen
polo
remembrance
 revival
rubber shoes
rugby
sala
sign pen
Sir/Ma’am (name)
slippers
“You’re not gonna change any of them by
talkin’ right, they’ve got to want to learn
themselves, and when they don’t want to
learn there’s nothing you can do but keep
your mouth shut or talk their language.”

- Harper Lee “To Kill a Mockingbird”