Accent confusion

[viphi79]

It puzzles me greatly, so hope someone here can help, please forgive me if the words I use are not currently the ones that are politically correct, I mean no offense.
I would like to know......
Australia was originally only Aboriginal peoples who spoke thier own language(s) until the British "discovered it and had people go there by ship who presumably would've spoken with the regional accent from which ever part of Britain they came from, right? SO if that's the case, how did the Australian accent (I know there are slight variations to the Australian accent but for many it is indistinguishable) come in to being as we know it now? How long roughly did it take for that change to happen?

Also this kind of applies to the ways Americans speak how did it happen and over what sort of time period did it occur? In programmes/films such as little house on the prairie the characters all seem to have American accents already, surely if they were early settlers they would not have had those accents would they?

[rojash]

"surely if they were early settlers they would not have had those accents would they?"
Has it not occurred to you that the "English" accent will also have changed considerably since those times? In fact, if you watch an English movie from the 1930s or 40s you'll notice that accents have even changed since then.
It would hardly be feasible for every TV show or film to try to accurately portray the accents of the time - especially as there is no reference from times prior to the invention of sound recording.

[bednobs]

i once read that the early british settlers to australia had to screw up their eyees and face aginst the harshness of the sun they weren't used to, and therefore their facial muscles changed, and so did the way they spoke because they didnt hold their mouths in the same way..

Oh dear - i know what i mean anyway!

[Whickerman]

Firstly, it wasn't just Brits in either Australia or America (in fact in great swathes of America the language of choice was French, German, Irish, Chinese, Swedish, Spanish or Dutch). InAustralia - although it was a British colony there were loads of Irish and other Europeans. In both cases you're hearing what's the result of several hundred years of integration, all the accents mixing into what you now hear.

To be honest, I think it's even more interesting that there are so many dialects and accents in a small island like Britain

[Theland1]

De do don't de do?
De don't!
De do!
O de do den don't de?

[Octavius]

Original suggestions were that the accent evolved from the children of the early settlers made up mostly of Cockney British and Irish peasants, but new research suggests that other influences (as noted above) would also have played a apart.

The first bit makes sense because my accent is a cross between the two I mentioned and many many people in the UK often think I am Australian.

Research suggests that it took around 40 years for the �strine� to become established as a recognisable/locatable accent.

[JockSporran]

It is well established that the antipodean accent (Australia, New Zealand) evolved from the old cockney accent of the 19th century. The same goes for the English speaking accents of Southern Africa, but with the difference that it fused with the Dutch Boer (Afrikaaner) accent.

For many decades, posh Aussies would try to speak with an English or Anglified accent - received pronunciation, while working class Aussies would speak in Strine. Now all Aussies speak Strine, even if they're of posh background.

[JockSporran]

Ever seen the film 'Ned Kelly' (2003)?

This film is set in Australia in the 1870s, but you will not hear an Aussie accent anywhere throughout the film. Ned and his brothers speak with the Irish accent of their parents, while police and officials have English accents. I wonder how accurate that is?

[frodsham]

There once was an Australian soldier in the 2nd world war, who after being wounded was being cared for by an English doctor. The Aussie had to wait overnight to be treated,and when the doctor saw the severity of his wounds he exclaimed "oh dear old chap have you come here to die". The Aussie answered no mate I came here yesterdie.

[ll_billym]

Are the sure the doctor wasn't a Brummie asking if the soldier had "come here today?"

[JockSporran]

Yes, II-billym, that was the joke. Well done for getting it.

[coccinelle]

The Queen's accent has changed a lot since her first Christmas broadcast; this shows our own accents must be changing. If everyone continues watching Australian soaps what will the outcome be???!!!

[Segilla]

Not entirely sure where the influence comes from but anyone over say 50 pronounces 'you' as 'yoo'. But now it is more like 'yew'. Same with 'to' and 'too'. It was always 'too' or 'ter'. Now 'tew'. Maybe American crooners have something to do with that.
It's very difficult to suggest the phoenetic sound, but 'go' (as in 'oh'), now tends to sound more like 'gaey' (said quickly).
Listen to ordinary accents, (not posh ones) in old British films and you will hear just how far the changes have gone.