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Old 05-10-2014, 01:57 PM
 
284 posts, read 637,621 times
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such as the london accent....
in shakespeare's time or when queen victoria reigned, is the accent we hear today,the way they spoke centuries ago also?
which country in the uk throughout history has had more influence on the accents/dialects we hear today?
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Old 05-10-2014, 02:01 PM
 
Location: Glasgow Scotland
18,438 posts, read 18,551,251 times
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No I dont think it would be the same, in fact Id think it would be near impossible for us to understand most of it.



http://twentytwowords.com/performing...nglish-accent/
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Old 05-11-2014, 01:05 PM
 
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The Black Country accent is the most closely related to olde english so they reckon
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Old 05-17-2014, 08:39 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mach234 View Post
such as the london accent....
in shakespeare's time or when queen victoria reigned, is the accent we hear today,the way they spoke centuries ago also?
The accent in Shakespeare's day is often called the "Original Pronunciation" or OP.


Pronunciation of Henry V in OP

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,
Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment.
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Old 05-17-2014, 08:41 AM
 
Location: Melbourne, Australia
9,744 posts, read 20,666,753 times
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No. English, like all languages, is not a static entity and has evolved over time. The UK already has many accents, so you have to ask yourself WHICH accent? Received pronunciation/the Queen's English/Oxford English is a relatively new thing, probably assuming it's familiar form by the early 19th century. The prestige dialect in Shakespeare's day was much different to what we're used to hearing on the stage...
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Old 05-17-2014, 08:47 AM
 
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Sonnet 116 is even more dramatic
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Old 05-17-2014, 09:39 AM
 
Location: North West Northern Ireland.
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Not really when I watch recordings of the BBC news from the past the news readers sound significantly different!
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Old 05-17-2014, 09:42 AM
 
Location: The State Line
2,621 posts, read 4,017,219 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PacoMartin View Post
The accent in Shakespeare's day is often called the "Original Pronunciation" or OP.


Pronunciation of Henry V in OP

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,
Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment.
Ben Crystal can't keep a straight face whilst speaking "Shakespearian!"
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Old 05-19-2014, 10:32 PM
 
31,598 posts, read 26,439,483 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mach234 View Post
such as the london accent....
in shakespeare's time or when queen victoria reigned, is the accent we hear today,the way they spoke centuries ago also?
which country in the uk throughout history has had more influence on the accents/dialects we hear today?
There really isn't such a thing as a "London" accent as the city both past and present has always been a cosmopolitan mix.

The higher one went up the social, education and status ladder accents changed. Indeed the whole point of received pronunciation was to remove any regional or local "twang" in one's voice so everyone (at least the upper classes) sounded the same.

If you were poor and or uneducated you spoke the English you learned from your parents and or the area. This is where the common quote that you tell where an Englishman or Englishwoman was from within <five minutes of hearing their voice.

Even within the classes accents have changed over the years. When you watch films from the 1930's such as those by Noel Coward or hear those such as Leslie Howard speak it is a very different posh/RP accent than you hear today.
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