A Qu for America-Brits..

[pokemon_master]

I thought about this question while watching a Doctor Who Serial called "The War Games"; involving lots of Time travel ~ one of the times being into the American civil war.

My Question is:

"If Americans resulted from mass immigration from a load of different countries, where the heck did the American accent come from?"

You see, if Americans come from a load of countries surely there shouldn't be an American accent? After all, they should have something like an irish/english/whatever accent due to whatever country they came from if a majority of them are imigrants..

Weird huh? Please can someone explain this?

 

[jjpenguin]

hmmm, I just read about this in Bill Bryson's brilliant book "Mother Tongue" but I can't replicate it so you will have to get a copy out of the library

 

[jeannine1101a]

I am an American who worked for a British Telecom company in the US. I met a Brit who sounded almost American (I can't remember where he came from) but he told me the reason why American speak the way we do is that a huge number of Brits from his area of the UK were the first on our shores.

Don't know if it's true, but it sounds like it could be!

 

[Deedee]

Ok going a bit deeper how do we get our accents in the first place. if we are English or American why don't we all speak the same throughout our country?

 

[carolfoy]

I've often wondered that too! I mean how can someone from, say, Ireland have a totally different accent than someone from Liverpool? geographically they aren't that far apart, and London compared to the midlands? not far but miles apart accent wise?

 

[Kilted_Yank]

My Question is:

"If Americans resulted from mass immigration from a load of different countries, where the heck did the American accent come from?"

Television.

No. Really.

Consider the history of the British (not just the English) in America. Go back some 400 years. From the start, the english language in America was influenced by many things. There were the people that colonised Virgnia at Jamestown... all English, I believe. The Plymouth Rock-Mayflower pilgrims who were also English.

Once these colonies were established, and regular trade began, other parts of the British empire were also depositing people on these shores. No small number of Irishmen and Scotsmen came here, not to mention no small number of Englishmen/Irishmen/Scotsmen that were transported to America as part of the British penal system. Many, if not most, of these people couldn't be considered to be part of the more educated classes of people.

Consider that these people, most of whom would be laborers, prisoners, soldiers, or indentured servants, would also spend a great deal of time around african slaves, whose english was taught to them by probably-not-very-well-educated overseers. So when children are born, they take their parents accents... and those of others around them.

Now, at this point some of you are saying: "But the people in New Zealand, Australia, and other places of the old Empire sound more British than the Yanks (and Canucks)"

You would be right... but for another very large factor: Add to the factors that I just listed and then add an incredibly high number of Germans, Swedes, norwegians, and Dutchmen to the mix... particularly in places like Pennsylvania and our mid-western states. Now this is crucial to the point, so pay attention, children: These particular influences had the effect of flattening our accents.

Oh... did I forget the influence of the French? Shame on me. If you know a bit of our history, you'll know that Boston was our chief city for many, many, many years. As Boston was our chief port, Massachussetts was the chief colony. Get out your maps and see how close Boston is to Quebec.

Consider that when George Washington was still serving George the 3rd as an officer of the Virginia militia (his home is 10 miles from my house), he fought the French (and made a poor show of it) in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The French were a big influence in colonial America, even after they were finally shown the door.

So... to recap: We have English, Scots, Irish, African, French, Dutch, German, Norwegian, and Swedish influences on our language here in AMerica... is there any wonder that our accents are different than most of the English speaking world?

The "American" accent that you lot usually think of is what you here on television. Television has a huge impact on our culture... people often sound more like the people that speak on television than the local regional accent... and I am sure you know that we have as many regional accents as you do... it is all a matter of influence.

Now, if you haven't fallen asleep yet... have a nice evening.

Bill

 

[daipp]

Thanks for that kilted-yank.

I'm also reading Bill Bryson's "Mother Tongue" at the moment and I have to agree (like all of his books) is an excellent and informative read - I would recommend it to anyone.

David