How english, welsh and Irish am I?

[netgrrl79]

I remember falling out with a girl I was in halls with at university over this :smiles wryly: I always disputed her claim to be Welsh as she was London-born to Welsh parents (although her home address was Monmouthshire) but didn't speak the language; 13 years later, I don't think someone's nationality (or do I mean national identity?) can be governed by birthplace alone - if a baby is born e.g. in France to non-French parents, does that make them French? By birth, technically, yes, but...

Katie

[coombs]

My great, great gran was born in December 1863 in Sussex but her parents moved to London just after her birth and she was baptised in November 1864 in Stoke Newington, London. She lived from 1865 to 1876 ish in Bow, then 1876 to 1878 in Lambeth and Walworth then from 1878 to 1886 in Holborn and from then on in Islington and Camden dying in Archway Hospital, North London in 1943.

She was not actually born in London but because she was baptised there and grew up there and lived there for 99.5% of her life, I consider her a true Londoner and she grew up in various parts of London.

Being born in London is not the only qualification for being a Londoner as much as growing up there is. Because she grew up in London she was a Londoner.

[snaptoo]

Snaptoo, south of the Medway would be east of it, right? So you'd be a Maid of Kent        Cheers,     China          

Hi China!

Yes, just checked, Maid O Kent I am! Never have been able to remember which was which!!!!!!!

snaptoo

[Erato]

slightly off topic ... I know 'American' refers to someone from the United States of America, but since it's a continent it's always struck me as a slightly strange term, like me saying that I'm European.. instead  of Irish


Shane

Here in South America, people understandably object to the term ‘americano’ being used for citizens of the US.  In fact, they often call the country Los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica and its citizens ‘norteamericanos’ even though there are other countries in North America.  Sometimes they object to Estados Unidos, too, because that phrase has been included in the official names of some other republics [e.g., México and also Venezuela, Colombia and Brasil in the past].

[Blue70]

If you come from certain places where there was historically a high proportion of migrations of people with a distinct culture, religion, language or surname you are always going to retain a sense of having come from somewhere else. If those people influenced your accent then every time you open your mouth something of your ancestors is speaking through you.

C   

[coombs]

Some people reckon the Australian accent is similar to the London accent. Call me blind but I cannot see a similarity.

[Blue70]

The origin of accents can be a tricky issue. I think the Liverpool accent has both Irish and Welsh influences aswell as the local Lancastrian English but the experts usually say the accent is a hybrid of only Lancastrian English and Irish. No Welsh influences. I find this hard to believe as the Welsh of North Wales came here in great numbers before the Irish and most of them spoke Welsh. Often when people go from one language to another they speak the new language with an accent.

C   

[Jean McGurn]

I think regarding accents this is influenced by how your parents speak.

 I was born in Liverpool and from the age of 2 months lived in Huyton. I remember being told off and on occasions smacked for "talking down my nose" 

68 years later, unless I have a cold or am among fellow scousers, I don't have a Liverpool accent although I still use phrases I grew up with.

Having lived in my village in West Sussex for nearly 40 years I am now considered by many to be a local 

Jean

[Nick29]

I'm a citizen of the world - I'm over all this territorial rubbish.  Sure, I love where I live, but I love lots of other places in the world too