Three Types of English Colonization and Their Linguistic Effects

The process of colonization took different forms in different places. Britain and England were using Celtic and Latin during the Roman invasion, and after the Romans withdrew, Britain started focusing on their own language.

There are three types of English colonization, each with its own linguistic consequences. These forms of colonization went beyond the British Isles.

Displacement

Displacement is when a large number of first language English speakers settle in a new area. This settlement displaced the pre colonial population. For instance, in North America and Australia.

There was a variety of English in North America during the Early Modern period. Sometimes there were differences between American and British English. This can be explained by what’s called colonial lag. North America started developing its own dialects, and when they became more established, they created their own dictionary.

Subjection

Subjection happens when the colonial settlement keeps the pre colonial population. Some of them were allowed to learn English as a second or additional language through indirect rule. For example, Cameroon, India, and Nigeria.

They used to have many slaves, and later they decided to free them. They established Liberia for ex slaves and made it a homeland for Africans. The population was almost all African, so they learned English in addition to the languages they already spoke. Africans saw the difference in how white rulers treated the black population, so they stood for independence. Even though English became a second language, it didn’t replace their African identity, so they still kept their own languages besides English.

Replacement

Replacement is when the pre colonial population was replaced by new labor from elsewhere, mainly from West Africa. For instance, Barbados and Jamaica.

Jamaica was captured by the Spanish, and there were many English speakers there. But the slaves outnumbered them, which made the English speakers live in fear. The island had different languages, and people used these languages along with English, which led to the creation of their own dialect.