Accents.....How do they occur?

[Nelli]

How did accents in different areas of the world and countries r. e.g when the british first landed in America they must have had British accents, what happened to give their voices that twang?

[good2skull]

I have heard these theories: First, the "New World" English accents are not far removed from the English accent during the time of the colonisation of the new worlds. It's actually our accent that has changed more than theirs. Second: they are derived from Irish/Scottish/Welsh accents. A lot of the original colonials were from these countries. I understand that the accents in some areas of Newfoundland retain quite a Celtic lilt. Not really an answer then, just some ideas. Over to you Indobrit.....

[incitatus]

Just him? Isolated communities develop accents by a sort of inbreeding. It is quite wrong to say that the american accent has stood still and we have changed. Both sides of the atlantic have moved on. Many of the regional oddities of yorkshire speech crop up in american usage, as well as yiddish idion and a good deal of italian. Local changes are reinforced by isolation. Think of it as an advanced form of chinese whispers.

[good2skull]

Of course, one hears Yiddish and Italian words sprinkled throughout the English as spoken in North America, but is that the same as accent ? Surely one can say Italian or Yiddish words in a variety of accents. I imagine the word chutzpah sounds different in Salford than in Seattle, and that is down to accent (although we know where the nasal Salford accent came from). I don't doubt the Chinese whispers thing though or that one accent has remained completely static. What do you think Incitatus ? p.s. No offence intended over the Indobrit thing, just that he's the cunning linguist.

[incitatus]

Cunning indeed. OK the words would sound different but the accentual input of non-english speakers on isolated communities of english speakers is well known. An example is the royal family, about as isolated as you get. If you listen to that distinctive royal accent you can detect germanisms in the word inflections. This is an inheritance from Prince Albert and Alexandra. The circle of royalty is small enough to perpetuate the effects. Similarly the new york accent, whilst complex, can be thought of as a synthesis of irish, yiddish and italian english speakers. Think about it, watch a few NY based series and Im sure youlll see what I mean.

[Nelli]

One thing worth mentioning is the actual physiological differences. For instance, ever wondered why the Welsh, Scots, or our Northern friends have such good sining voices, it is because their resonance chambers in their face, and chest are enlarged when compared to Londoners say. If two Welsh parents have a child that child will have the same resonance chambers. However this STILL doesn't explain how the accent arrived there in the FIRST PLACE!

[incitatus]

I thought we'd got there. Gradual change in isolation!

[indobrit]

Hearken unto me, my people! It is hugely flattering to be singled out for attention, on the basis that "all publicity is good publicity". Accents develop for many and diverse reasons: physiology, class, the influence of "those odd folk from across the border", incoming migrants in sufficient numbers, and methods of teaching. This last is especially true in the English of Canada and the USA (but not Australia or New Zealand, where societies developed along very different lines). The thinking is roughly as follows: in the early days of non-English migration to North America, the newcomers had to be taught English fast, to enable them to function in the new land. They were taught phonetically, thus leading to such oddities of pronunciation as "Thee Ayzores" for the Azores. With increasing influxes of non-Engoish speakers, the number of first-language users of English available to teach and correct the newcomers became smaller and smaller, so vaguely competent newcomers were pressed into service - remember, we are now talking about teachers of English for whom it was at most a second (if not third) language. With time, what started out as mispronounced English became enshrined as regular usage... and so it goes. In much of Canada and in almost the whole of the USA, what we have today is an odd situation whereby many people have English as their first language of acquisition, but who have in fact acquired it in the same way and to the same level as you would acquire Ancient Zulu at a local evening class, i.e. badly. Still, all is not lost. It is better for a language to survive in *some* form, than not to survive at all... or is it? Your thoughts would be welcome.

[papertiger]

Come on, is our English truly that awful? Americans get no credit, but I find our version very direct. Let us not forget, also, the profound effect that Africans have had on American English. Slaves were not assimilated here at all, giving an oral flavor to our English. We, as a result, have many colorful words synthesized out of the black, southern oral culture. Also, our inflections are different on the whole as a result of this process.

[jemmachan]

I reccomment reading a book called 'Made in America' by Bill Bryson if you're interested in this. It's an entertaining read and it gives some good illustrations of how British and American English have grown.

[inachis]

when the venerable essex boat appearred of the shores of america sailors said Gor Blimey Luva duck ...and to this day these same lands are still known by the same name

[Laetitia]

Like many, i think that the accent depends on the mother tongue. I have lived in cities all over asia since i was little. I speak english fluently and usually with an undeniably american accent. This accent switches when i speak with other nationalities. e.g a chinese accent when i speak with a chinese and an almost british accent when i speak at formal functions. the accents developed based on comfort and familiarity. I grew up repeating the scripts of american cartoons and movies but i spoke to all sorts of people with different english backgrounds and accents. sometimes an accent may be a fad or an act of individuality. Maybe when the british settlers in America chose to stay there, they chose to acquire a different way of speaking, to be different. this is my personal opinion.