Can an accent ever be Lost ?

[LizzieW]

When we were in Canada a few years back we met a Scottish lady who lived there.  Her Scottish accent was still just that a Scottish accent, even though she told us she had left Scotland over 40 years previously.

I think I have a Northern accent, but it is not as strong as my few relatives who still live in the North, and in fact I've been asked many times if I come from Derby.   I did live there but only for about 5 or so years.

Our youngest son was born in Gloucester.  When he was 11 we moved to Surrey and his new friends asked him why he spoke like a country yokel.  When he was 16, we moved to Wiltshire and his new friends there asked why he spoke so posh.   It seems you just can't win.

Our son who has lived in USA for about 20 years has a slight American accent, but mainly because of the words he uses, but once back over here, he loses it totally and speaks normal English again.

Lizzie

[alftabor]

I am a South Australian
When speaking with Eastern Seaboard Australians several
sounds jar my ear
Dance My accent uses the long vowell
School My accent is different and the easterners sound like Skoo-ell
Grant is grarnt
Chant is charnt
The short A sounds very flat to my ear
My forebears were out of Wiltshire and god knows what they sounded like
Alf

[pennine]

Interesting topic. My son joined the army and every time he came home on leave we could tell what region his latest mate came from as our son 'adopted' their lingo, not deliberately, he just couldn't help it. His father used to say that if it was him he would have the whole regiment speaking like a true Yorkshire man instead of him imitating Scots, Geordie, Liverpudlian etc.

Also I lived my early years in Southern Ireland. All family accounts state that I had a 'soft Irish brogue' when I came back to England at the age of 4.
I know I speak with a broad Yorkshire accent now, though I do still get asked in some parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire where on earth do I come from. Strangely enough many new acquaintances have told me, without knowing my background that I have an 'Irish look about me'.
So what is that all about I wonder? What is an Irish look?

Pennine

[apanderson]

Pennine

What you said about having 'an Irish look' made me think about a phrase I remember my mum using years and years ago. She would say - "they've got a face like the map of Ireland". What exactly she meant I'll never know!

Anne

[mariahswind]

This is an interesting topic... I am an American who has lived in Australia for 10 years now. I find it interesting how to American's I sound a bit Aussie, but to Australian's its obvious I am North American... I say that because most of them think am Canadian! And truthfully there are some Canadian accents that arn't obviously much different from my Eastern Iowan accent, so even I can't tell LOL!

But what is funny is when sometimes I get asked if I am from Ireland! But this is usually when I am speaking in a certain way that I do when I am in a certain mood. It's not put on it's just me at times, hard to explain.

Accents vary from region to region depending on the predominate heritage of the inhabitants. So if an area is predominantly Scottish then the accent would make up a great deal of the new accent that get's created in that area. But say new people with different accents start to populate the area then this will be incorporated as down through several generations to 'evolve' the accent.

What I find interesting is that with Australia there are a great deal of accents and for me it's pretty hard to pin them down to regions, because to me everyone one seems to have a different accent... there are times when I encounter people unrelated in geographic location who to me sound the same. My husband for instance has a very mellow Aussie accent, by association with me most who don't know him assume he is American too. He has also been asked if he is French Canadian... which was interesting. After 6 mos in the states he will start sounding more American. I on the other hand have only picked up certain phrases and a few words that I purposely have changed how I pronounce because there is something about being too obviously american....like I now say herb instead of erb (for herb) and I say Tomato with a soft a rather than a hard a. But I have noticed when I am talking with a visiting American my accent gets really strong!

 I also must add this.... to me women have different accents to men in Australia. I know that is weird but that's what I feel I am hearing. Oh and interestingly enough with the ethnic groups that have migrated here in the 1950s 1960s I notice a certain accent developing with their descendants as it melds with the existing Aussie accent... which I find really interesting... I guess it's that development of an accent in action that kinda intrigues me!

Thanks for bringing up such an interesting topic!

[BevL]

I know why the Australian accent is so different - it's because we don't open our mouths too much in case we swallow a fly!
Bev

[mariahswind]

LOL especially this time of year ...

[maidmarianoops]

WE CAME OUT FROM THE MIDLANDS UK IN 1968

I AM STILL ASKED IF I AM A VISITOR TO AUS


SYLVIA

MIND YOU IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET RID OF
HEY UP ME DUCK ARE YOU ARAIGHT

[mariahswind]

That/s funny cuz I just assume those with a British accent have migrated here and arn't just visiting!  (which reminds me of the days long ago when I couldn't tell the difference between an Aussie and British accent.... hard to believe!)

That's one thing I love about living in Australia is the diversity of ethnic backgrounds all around me.