How'd We Lose Our English Accent (years, Americans, accents, Africa)

[SmerkyGrl]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

I read an article back in college from a noted linguist. The so-called "Southern Accent" of places like Georgia, Virginia, etc., actually comes from the so-called "British accent" of the British gentry -- broader vowels, loss of the R-sound, etc. Spanish had no influence on it whatsoever. Spanish had no real influence in southern regions until you hit the Southwest -- with the exception of Florida.

I'm not sure about the "northern accent," though there's lots of variation there. Even here in New England, people in Maine sound different from people in Boston who sound different from people in Vermont. Go to New York and the accent changes yet again.

Television is changing this, eroding accents. People are less isolated than they used to be, and it's affecting the language.

This is true. Many people nowadays are starting to develop the ...middle-america middle class white accent is the best I can describe it. Not being racist or anything and I'd be open to suggestions for alternative descriptions. I was raised in the south and think southern drawls are cute...kind of saddens me there are many people I knew that are trying to get rid of the drawl

[RRBC]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

I read an article back in college from a noted linguist. The so-called "Southern Accent" of places like Georgia, Virginia, etc., actually comes from the so-called "British accent" of the British gentry -- broader vowels, loss of the R-sound, etc.

I heard similar to this also. That the U.S. southern accent is similar to what the English accent was, but then (similar to fashion) as a way of differentiating themselves the upper class started speaking in a form similar to the current "English Accent" which then spread and evolved. It was one of my theater teachers who mentioned this, commenting along the lines of Shakespeare plays would sound southern, and such.

[Southlander]

There are different Southern accents...coastal accents are MUCH different from Southern Highlands accents (there you have the influence of the Scots)...New Orleans accents show influences from the Italian immigration of the 19th century, as well as French...which was probably accented differently than today's French...fun topic! I majored in English in college and was looking forward to a senior-level course in linguistics. It was very interesting, but the bottom line was that it doesn't matter what kind of accent you have or what kind of grammar you use as long as other people can understand what you mean!

[6 FOOT 3]

Anyway to all the posters on here who responded to this thread i started i just wanted to say how educational this has been for me and i've learned alot about this question and even the other accenrs that are mentioned on here as i've pondered this for years.

So again i just wanted to say thanks everyone.......

6'3

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by SmerkyGrl

This is true. Many people nowadays are starting to develop the ...middle-america middle class white accent is the best I can describe it. Not being racist or anything and I'd be open to suggestions for alternative descriptions. I was raised in the south and think southern drawls are cute...kind of saddens me there are many people I knew that are trying to get rid of the drawl

If it makes you feel any better, I've got that banal middle class white accent but since living here I feel a bit of a drawl coming on. I can't help it, I tend to be a chameleon-type person and if there is an idiom to pick up or an inflection to take on, I do it.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by 6 FOOT 3

I've always wondered about this question.The English Colonist first came over and founded Jamestown in Virginia and Plymouth Mass in the early 1600's and from there they slowly inhabited the original colonies so i wonder when and/or how did we lose the English accent. I know other countries that speak English sound different than Great Britian but Austrailia and even some African countries that speak English sound closer to the motherland than our American English accent.

Anythoughts ??

Because British people didn't talk like that back then either.

[oldgattonian]

English has evolved over many centuries and depending on where you lived, and who you were, would depend on the way you spoke, and how you spelt. Take London for example and forgetting for the moment the influx of immigrants in recent years and just look at the native population.

• You have people who talk pure English or the Queens English.
• If you live in West London then Generally you will speak not so posh but nicely
• SW London varies depending on the area from Cockney to Nice and clear
• East London is where the true Cockney’s come from and there you will find the real “cor blimey mate” stuff
• South Londoners are more like East-enders
• North Londoners speak more like West Londoners but with a slightly different accent

You only need to travel say 50/60 miles from London into rural England where you will start hearing accents which can be hard to understand and the further west you go they have accents very similar to Americans. I do believe, but may be wrong that a lot of the early settlers the New World were from the West of England so that might explain why you talk as you do.
I now live in SW London and have been here so long now, that I talk and sound just like everyone else. I was born and raised in West London and spoke with a clear accent using no slang at all.
To give you an example of how spellings for places have changed with the years here is a simple one: The Town in London I live in is called Mitcham, but 300yrs ago it was called Mecham.
There is one thing I do get offended at, is when you talk of British English, there is no such thing. English is the languages that is spoken in England, never mind the different accents.
I do hope this is a helpful to you all.

Happy thanksgiving day to you all.

[oldgattonian]

Originally Posted by 6 FOOT 3
I've always wondered about this question.The English Colonist first came over and founded Jamestown in Virginia and Plymouth Mass in the early 1600's and from there they slowly inhabited the original colonies so i wonder when and/or how did we lose the English accent. I know other countries that speak English sound different than Great Britian but Austrailia and even some African countries that speak English sound closer to the motherland than our American English accent.

Anythoughts ??

Because British people didn't talk like that back then either.
.................................................. ..
We were not British then as the act of Union didn't happen till 1707. Read some Shakespeare and the way the King James Bible is written, that was the way people spoke then. Go back earlier to 1215 when Magna Carta was drawn up and you will hardly understand any of the words that are written down.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by oldgattonian

We were not British then as the act of Union didn't happen till 1707. Read some Shakespeare and the way the King James Bible is written, that was the way people spoke then. Go back earlier to 1215 when Magna Carta was drawn up and you will hardly understand any of the words that are written down.

How terribly pedantic. Immigrants to the colonies came from all over the UK, not just England, so it's easier to use the catch-all term "British" to compare the same groups' accents.

I've studied linguistics, so I'm familiar with the evolution of Old English to Middle English to modern English.

[6 FOOT 3]

Originally Posted by oldgattonian

Originally Posted by 6 FOOT 3
I've always wondered about this question.The English Colonist first came over and founded Jamestown in Virginia and Plymouth Mass in the early 1600's and from there they slowly inhabited the original colonies so i wonder when and/or how did we lose the English accent. I know other countries that speak English sound different than Great Britian but Austrailia and even some African countries that speak English sound closer to the motherland than our American English accent.

Anythoughts ??

Because British people didn't talk like that back then either.
.................................................. ..
We were not British then as the act of Union didn't happen till 1707. Read some Shakespeare and the way the King James Bible is written, that was the way people spoke then. Go back earlier to 1215 when Magna Carta was drawn up and you will hardly understand any of the words that are written down.

Well didn't modern English come into its own around Queen Elizabeth's time in the middle/late 1500's if i'm correct on that. So by the 1600 and 1700's wouldn't english already been the modern type.

Something else i didn't think about until now and i don't believe anyone has mentioned but what about the interrelationships with the Native Americans as this may also had an effect on this subject.