Yes. The stuff of dinner table conversation in the family. My mum did her masters degree on Old English and Old Norse. Dad spoke fluent cockney, english and lowland scots depending on context. Tell me about it.
Between 1400 and 1700, English went through a major vowel shift that changed the way words were pronounced. The pronunciation of Middle English long vowels changed into how we pronounce them today/has affected English worldwide, and well as consotant changes (silent letters come from this, knife used have the k pronounced, and this can actually still be heard in German as well. Kneipe (German for pub/bar), for eg, is pronounced with the k).
Example, in Middle English the word "house" was pronounced hu:s "hoos". With the Great Vowel Shift it changed to haΚs "howse".
My favourite pic displaying the evolution. Middle English is still almost parsable, but old english is basically old German haha
Also the change of implication. In middle English, God sets one down in the pasture, King James says God makes one lie in pastures, but Modern has God allows one to lay in the pasture.
And the change of feohland to pasture. I love this stuff so fucking much.
I can promise you that words changing meaning over time is not an "American Argument". Nothing to say what you mean by "American" (us, Canada, Argentina?) .
Language has changed all the time, via slang from the poorest, or the slang of the royals and powerful people throughout history.
We don't say *dyeu anymore, to refer to the sun-god of proto-indo-european times; we say "Zeus", "deity", "deva" or "Jupiter" (all come from *dyeu).
So I don't think the Americans had any say in that. Language and the evolution of language has happened endless times throughout history.
If served on a split long roll it is a hot dog. If you cut the roll horizontally it becomes a sub. Serve three cocktail frankfurts crosswise on a round roll and it is a burger. Sliced and served between two slices of bread it the only way it becomes a sandwich. Unless you then toast it and transform it into a toastie, or toast it in a special press and turn it into a jaffle. All completely different meals.
I'm just reminded of that clip from the UK talk show with the chef making a dish, and the host says it tastes like British carbonara. He basically implodes π