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Accent

(147 Posts)
whitewave Thu 14-Apr-16 16:04:10

Following on from what class are you, and thinking of Pygmallion what if any accent do you have?
I have a Cornish accent

Maggiemaybe Thu 14-Apr-16 16:06:31

Mostly Geordie, though I haven't lived up in God's own country since I was 17.

tanith Thu 14-Apr-16 16:07:41

Mines London not sure if that means Cockney or not..

Lona Thu 14-Apr-16 16:13:01

Cheshire with a hint of Mancunian! Got a posh phone voice! ?

Gracesgran Thu 14-Apr-16 16:14:27

I don't think I have an accent - does it matter? smile

Anniebach Thu 14-Apr-16 16:15:23

Difficult, Wales has many accents , so nearest is Merthyr accent but not strong

NotTooOld Thu 14-Apr-16 16:16:52

Mine's London, too. I love regional accents.

Falconbird Thu 14-Apr-16 16:22:31

Mine's Dorset with an overlay of W. Country (they are different) and a touch of the extremely posh. I grew up with a little girl who had just come back from India.

I think accents are dying out which is a shame,

My son moved to London at 20 and he rapidly acquired a London Accent.

Alea Thu 14-Apr-16 16:24:02

It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him wrote George Bernard Shaw.
I think this is indeed an Engish issue and preoccupation.
Other nationalities even within the United Kingdom are much more tolerant of provincial accent and idiom.
Like "class" - goodness how hung up on that do some people get?

Gracesgran Thu 14-Apr-16 16:27:09

I am beginning to feel I am missing something sad The occasional Yorkshire phrase pops into my conversation (I have live here for quite a long time) - will that do?

whitewave Thu 14-Apr-16 16:37:25

No of course it doesn't matter gracesgran but I love regional accents and can now imagine how people might sound when they post. Of course it used - and probably still is associated with class. Private education always seems to produce a particular way of speaking with a particular accent, which is fine, except it seems a shame to iron out individuality.

Anniebach Thu 14-Apr-16 16:40:36

I have no idea of England's preoccupation with accents Alea but you are correct about other UK nationalities , in Wales we just accept different parts of the country have different accents but we class them together as Welsh accent , not one accent is thought of as posh, just means one knows which part of Wales a person comes from

mrsjones Thu 14-Apr-16 16:42:46

I used to have an East London accent as I was born there but I sound quite posh now.

whitewave Thu 14-Apr-16 16:46:21

What is a posh accent? Do other nationalities have posh accents?

kittylester Thu 14-Apr-16 17:00:49

If anything I expect I've got a Derbyshire accent. I do hope I haven't acquired a Leicester accent despite living in the county (and loving it!) for nearly 50 years.

Anniebach Thu 14-Apr-16 17:02:33

Wales doesn't have posh accents , just what is posh accent ?

matson Thu 14-Apr-16 17:04:57

Pure northern accent, proper Yorkshire lass .

fiorentina51 Thu 14-Apr-16 17:08:20

Yes Whitewave they do! My mother was an Italian from Tuscany and I was informed that Tuscan Italian is on a par with Oxford English as far as correct pronunciation is concerned. My mother was a peasant farmer's daughter so her version of Italian was riddled with local dialect. However everyone looked down on the southern Italians who spoke with a very strong regional accent, in the same way that the Birmingham accent is regarded over here. A bit unfortunate really as I happen to have a Brummie accent myself!?

Kittye Thu 14-Apr-16 17:08:28

Northern accent despite living in the south for more than 40 yrs. When I first moved down south a shop assistant told me I sounded like Hilda Ogden... I was horrified shock

Bellanonna Thu 14-Apr-16 17:09:23

No Whitewave, I don't think they do. In Italy they speak with regional accents and every region is proud of its dialect. This is regardless of how they perceive themselve socially. The distinction probably lies in use of vocabulary. I love ourBritish regional accents and hope they last forever.

ninathenana Thu 14-Apr-16 17:11:59

Kentish which according to my Bristolian mum who despite living in Kent from the age of 12 never lost her Somerset accent is cockney, er no mum. smile A true cockney is born within the sound of Bow bells, which applies to H.

Bellanonna Thu 14-Apr-16 17:12:40

Just seen your post fiorentia. Didn't mean to contradict. We just x'd

Lillie Thu 14-Apr-16 17:15:11

Maybe there's a difference between "posh" and "pure" when it comes to accent. When I was studying French we were told the Loire valley had the purest French accent ...... maybe because all French kings hung out there.

I have a London accent through and through.

FarNorth Thu 14-Apr-16 17:21:31

Scottish people often think I have an English accent.
English people often think I have a strong Scottish accent.
I think I have a mild Central Scotland accent.

fiorentina51 Thu 14-Apr-16 17:22:52

That's OK Bellanonna. ?