The State Historical Society of Missouri holds numerous etymology, linguistic, foreign language study, and language collections that reflect the state and nation’s diverse cultural heritage. The collections and resources for language studies include the American Dialect Society Records, the Foreign Language Association of Missouri Records, and the Mid-America Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Records.
Articles from Missouri Historical Review and Missouri Times
- Baird, J. W. "The Origin of the O.K."
Missouri Historical Review 9 (October 1914): 50. - Crisler, Robert M. "Missouri’s 'Little Dixie.'"
Missouri Historical Review 42 (January 1948): 131-139. - DeMenil, Alexander Nicolas. "A Century of Missouri Literature."
Missouri Historical Review 15 (October 1920): 74-125. - DeWitt, Petra. "Drifting Back into Their Old Ways": Local Efforts to Banish the German Language During the Great War."
Missouri Historical Review 103 (April 2009): 161-187. - Eaton, David W. "How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named."
Part I: Missouri Historical Review 10 (April 1916): 197-213.
Part II: Missouri Historical Review 10 (July 1916): 263-287.
Part III: Missouri Historical Review 11 (January 1917): 164-200.
Part IV: Missouri Historical Review 11 (April-July 1917): 330-347.
Part V: Missouri Historical Review 13 (October 1918): 57-74. - Huber, Patrick, and David Anderson. "Butcherin Up the English Language a Little Bit": Dizzy Dean, Baseball Broadcasting, and the "School Marms' Uprising" of 1946."
Missouri Historical Review 96 (April 2002): 211-231. - Jolley, Laura R. "From the Stacks: A Man of Many Words: The Allen Walker Read Papers."
Missouri Historical Review 111 (October 2016): 67-70. - Lawson, John D. "A Century of Legal Literature."
Missouri Historical Review 15 (July 1921): 595-610. - Pentlin, Susan Lee. "The Study of German at the Warrensburg Normal School."
Missouri Historical Review 83 (July 1989): 395-416. - Powers, Ron. "Keeping History Alive in a Time-Present World."
Missouri Historical Review 85 (January 1991): 117-130. - Rahill, Peter, J. "New Language for St. Louis Cathedral."
Missouri Historical Review 69 (July 1975): 449-460. - Read, Allen Walker. "Attitudes towards Missouri Speech."
Missouri Historical Review 29 (July 1935): 259-271.
Catalog
Many of the State Historical Society’s holdings are included in the SHSMO online catalog. The State Historical Society holds numerous books on the history and study of language in Missouri, the Midwest, and the United States generally. The broadest term to search is the subject term “language” or “linguistics.” For a more specific search in Missouri, simply add the subject term “Missouri” to your search.
Manuscripts
The State Historical Society has many collections with primary source materials related to the study of language.
Newspapers
Oral Histories
Lance, Donald M. (1931-2002), Papers, 1938-2002 (C3992) - The papers of a University of Missouri English professor well known for his lectures on the pronunciation of “Missouri” and other dialect research contain extensive professional correspondence, research data, articles, presentations, teaching materials, and materials related to his work with professional organizations. Audio cassettes include interviews with Germans in Missouri and with decorated US Army Special Forces veteran Byrl D. Taylor, Missouri folk musicians, and examples of English language dialects.
Steinkuehler, Leland, German Dialect Collection, 2005-2008 (CA6096) - Recordings and accompanying paperwork of interviews conducted by Steinkuehler with Missourians of German heritage from Concordia, Loose Creek, Westphalia, and St. Elizabeth, Missouri, as well as visitors from Meerbusch, Germany. Includes a comparison of dialects between three interviewees. Recordings of a Lutheran Church service conducted in Low German and a narration with English translations by Reverend Alfred W. Rodewald were added in 2009.