California English collectively refers to varieties of American English native to California. As California became one of the most ethnically diverse U.S. states, English speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds began to pick up different linguistic elements from one another and also developed new ones; the result is both divergence and convergence within Californian English. However, linguists who studied English before and immediately after World War II tended to find few, if any, patterns unique to California, and even today most California English still exhibits a General or Western American accent.
Image: LA freeway 2009
Image: Interstate 80westernend
Spanish language in California
The Spanish language is the most commonly spoken language in California after the English language, spoken by 28.18 percent (10,434,308) of the population. Californian Spanish is a set of varieties of Spanish spoken in California, including the historical variety known as Californio Spanish.
The name of California and its ruler Queen Calafia, originate in Las Sergas de Esplandián, a 1510 Spanish chivalric epic written by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.
The first book published in California: "Manifesto a la República Mejicana" by José Figueroa, 1835.
Californian women's suffrage pamphlet written by María de López in 1911.
Bilingual sign where English and Spanish are displayed equally in size and font; the Colorado Desert in Southern California.
