I suppose the underlined word is transition. The phrase that most nearly defines it is "<span>from the basement to back home", as transition means change or alteration in state or condition. In this case, Boo's location is changed from one place to another - basement to home.</span>
Because of the immigration from Scandinavia, the language the newcomers spoke had a big influence on the English language. It is difficult to say if it was the Danes or Norwegians who affected the English language the most because the two languages are so similar.