English appeared in Canada in the 17th cent. with the British colonizers, who met there not only the native people - Red Indians and Eskimos, but with the French colonizers as well, who settled in Canada even earlier – in the 16th cent. Consequently there appeared “French Canada” and “British Canada”. Since the second half of the 18th cent. there enforced immigration of Englishmen and Americans. Besides, quite a large group of Scots and Irish moved to Canada, who settled the province of Nova Scotia.
Modern Canada is a federal state which consists of ten provinces and two territories. The population of Canada is mixed: the main part consists of British Canadians (one half) – the descendants of the British and American settlers, French Canadians (one third of the population) – the offsprings of the first settlers of Canada, and representatives of other nations – Slavonic, Germans, Dutch, Italians and the native people – Indians and Eskimos.
The mixed character of the population naturally finds its reflection in the language. Canadian lexis has much in common with general American, as well as with British. The Canadian vocabulary is comprised of borrowings from the Indian languages and from French, by the way of new coinages from English with the help of different word-forming means, as well as by giving new meaning to old words.
The Indian languages gave names to animals, birds, fishes plants, etc., and also to objects and phenomena which were new for the colonizers: barboka – ïðèñïîñîáëåíèå äëÿ æàðåíèÿ èëè êîï÷åíèÿ ìÿñà, dunch – íåäîïå÷åííûé õëåá, huggerum buff – ïîäæàðåííàÿ ðûáà ñ êàðòîôåëåì, çàïå÷åííûå â ëåïåøêó, lassie loaf – õëåá ñ ïàòîêîé, dwy – íåîæèäàííàÿ áóðÿ ñî ñíåãîì èëè ñ äîæäåì, shad – íåáîëüøîé ñíåã, rampole, rampike – ñóõîé ïåíü, pack - óäàð, abito, bito, abordeau - øëþç, frazil – ëåä íà äíå ðåêè, bog-slad – ñàíè äëÿ ïåðåâîçêè áðåâåí, shack - õèæèíà, gobby – ïîìåøàííûé íà ÷åì-ëèáî, puckerin – áîëüíîé , cowly - æåñòîêèé, liverish - òîøíîòíûé, muckered - óñòàëûé, slinky - òîíêèé, slovey – íåæíûé, ìÿãêèé, lund - ñïîêîéíûé, to douse - îäóðà÷èâàòü, to glutch - ãëîòàòü, to heck – èäòè áûñòðî, moolie , mulley – áåçðîãàÿ êîðîâà.
Most of the geographical names in Canada are also borrowed from Indian and French. In the parts of the country inhabited by the French, there are English and French names at the same time: Trois-Rivieres or Three Rivers.
Some English words acquired new meaning in Canada: airsome - õîëîäíûé, cozy - ýíåðãè÷íûé, proud - äîâîëüíûé, tidy - áûñòðûé, fist - õâàòàòü, to saddle - ñîãëàøàòüñÿ, hocks - ñàïîãè, raw – íåîòåñàííûé ïàðåíü, rack - ãðåáåíêà, smack – êîðîòêîå âðåìÿ, scheme - íåñ÷àñòüå, batch – ñèëüíûé ñíåã, pandy - ïî÷òè, lop - âîëíà, frog – íàçâàíèå íàïèòêà.
In Canadian slang there are many lexemes made from the material of the English language, as well as hybrid compounds or collocations: bake, white nose - íîâè÷îê, corner-boy - ãîðîæàíèí, merry-me-got – âíåáðà÷íûé ðåáåíîê, omaloor – íåóêëþæèé ïàðåíü, hang-ashore - áðîäÿãà, hardware – ñïèðòíûå íàïèòêè, drop-ball – ñåðüãè; to go on the breese – íàïèòüñÿ ïüÿíûì, to go to oil – ñòàòü íè÷òîæåñòâîì, to live fast (against) – ñåððäèòüñÿ íà êîãî-ëèáî, to make wonder - óäèâëÿòüñÿ, on a pig’s back – â õîðîøèõ óñëîâèÿõ, to make fire – ñêàíäàëèòü.
The words used in Canada are called canadianisms (by analogy with Americanisms and Briticisms).