American Dialect Society

American Dialect Society
FormationMarch 13, 1889; 135 years ago (1889-03-13)[1][2]
TypeNot for profit
Purpose"Study of the English language in North America, together with other languages or dialects of other languages influencing it or influenced by it."[3]
Location
Region served
North America
Membership
550[1]
Official language
English
President
Luanne Vonne Schneidemesser
Vice President for Communications and Technology
Grant Barrett
Executive Secretary
Allan Metcalf
Parent organization
American Council of Learned Societies (admitted 1962)[1]
Websitehttp://www.americandialect.org/

The American Dialect Society (ADS), founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it."[4] The Society publishes the academic journal American Speech.

Since its foundation, dialectologists in English-speaking North America have affiliated themselves with the American Dialect Society, an association which in its first constitution defined its objective as "the investigation of the spoken English of the United States and Canada" (Constitution, 1890). Over the years, its objective has remained essentially the same, only expanded to encompass "the English language in North America, together with other languages or dialects of other languages influencing it or influenced by it" (Fundamentals, 1991).[5]

  1. ^ a b c American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) (2012). "American Dialect Society". ACLS.org. www.acls.org. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  2. ^ "The American Dialect Society". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  3. ^ "Constitution and Officers". Americandialect.org. American Dialect Society. 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  4. ^ Flexner, Stuart B. (December 15, 1985). "One language, highly divisible". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
  5. ^ Auroux, Sylvain (2000). History of the Language Sciences. Walter de Gruyter, 2006. p. 2366. ISBN 3-11-016736-0.