American accents at the time of the revolution

[Blarni]

I know this has been vaguely discussed on a couple of other threads, though to my knowledge no real authoritative contributions were made (and I can't relocate the main one I'm thinking of).

But was there a distinct American English dialect/dialects at the time of the revolution? Or to put it this way: would the countless redcoat deserters in hiding have stood out by their speech - and would Washington as a colonial aristocrat have sounded more Old Country than his men (the same way Australian/NZ money affected more English accents into recent decades).

(PS. I do know many Patriots and Continentals were actually British-born).

[Pallantides]

I always thought Washington sounded ridiculous in Empire Total War

[Ciabhán]

The way I understood it the New England accent of today is actually closer to the 'standard' English accent of the Revolution than the 'standard' English accent of today is. It would have been somewhat similar to that. I say English specifically, as Irish, Scots, and Welsh would have stood out.

[Dodge]

I always thought they spoke a dialect similar to what is now spoken in the West Country/Bristol area.

[TheXand]

Huh, never really thought about this before but I suppose that they would have sounded much more British then than they do now.

[Kahotep]

An American accent in the 18th century probably sounded like a British accent at the same time, which in turn may have sounded quite different from a modern British accent.

[Ciabhán]

An American accent in the 18th century probably sounded like a British accent at the same time, which in turn may have sounded quite different from a modern British accent.

Not to be picky but there is no such thing as a British accent. Even at the macro-level we have at least 4 totally different accents. These are not just regional variations like you would see between say Ohio and Georgia but more like the difference between American and English accents now.

[emperorpenguin]

An American accent in the 18th century probably sounded like a British accent at the same time, which in turn may have sounded quite different from a modern British accent.

Why would British accents have changed?

The reason you sound the way you do is because of your environment. You mimic your parents, friends and neighbours way of speaking at an early age. This is why people in a certain geographical area sound the way they do.
Different accents occur due to a geographical divide or an influx of new accents which subsequently cause the next generation to mimic a hotch-potch of accents until a new "standard" appears.

This is how the accents of the various British colonies appeared, through massive immigration of other european accents into the British accents of the original settlers.

There has been no massive demograhic shift in Britain, there is no reason for the accents to change. There has been geographic shift, with overspill from London causing the "west country" accent to be pushed back and smothered for example.

[Blarni]

Why would British accents have changed?

The reason you sound the way you do is because of your environment. You mimic your parents, friends and neighbours way of speaking at an early age. This is why people in a certain geographical area sound the way they do.
Different accents occur due to a geographical divide or an influx of new accents which subsequently cause the next generation to mimic a hotch-potch of accents until a new "standard" appears.

This is how the accents of the various British colonies appeared, through massive immigration of other european accents into the British accents of the original settlers.

There has been no massive demograhic shift in Britain, there is no reason for the accents to change. There has been geographic shift, with overspill from London causing the "west country" accent to be pushed back and smothered for example.

According to many linquists, British accents have changed, markedly. And you only need to listen to World War 2 film to hear clear differences between the BBC English then and how it sounds today. Also reconstructions of the English spoken in London in Shakespeare's day sound very different - actually kind of west country, go back further and there's a lilt that sounds almost Swedish.

I've read American English is essentially 17th/18th century English/Scots - the quintessential 'rrr' sound especially. I'm just wondering if there was a clear division between colonial and British English dialects at the time of the revolution. Though I guess the lines could have been very blurred since it seems a surprising number of even the Continental Army were recorded as being 'Old Country-born'.

[The Good]

George Washington himself may have had a proto-Southern accent, with some British influences.

[Del Valle]

I think were all just guessing here, because seriously, how the is anyone supposed to know?

[DekuTrash]

Chowda!

[Blarni]

I think were all just guessing here, because seriously, how the is anyone supposed to know?

Yep, so far we're guessing. But I'm wondering if any contemporary accounts make reference to a colonial dialect/s - I've read quite a lot of material regarding the revolution and its build-up and never seen a single one - you might think a snooty British officer or peeved Patriot may have commented.

And linguists seem to be able to reconstruct medieval and Shakespearean dialects, so I'm sure there must be work on this somewhere.

I'm wondering if the colonies presented a broad variety of accents with leanings toward particular parts of Britain - more so than today, where even thought there are clear local dialects they are still recognisably North American (except in places like New Foundland). And in those days 2/3 of the non-native population were of British descent (not including Irish with Africans being the second largest group) so the supposedly German or Dutch influences often touted can't have made too much impact except in small pockets.

New Zealand apparently had the beginnings of a distinct standard accent by 1900, and substantial European immigration only started there in the 1850s, so you'd expect something uniquely 'American' would have sprung up by the revolution...?

[Azog 150]

^^There is definitely a change in some accents though. As someone else pointed out, West Country accents are slowly fading away as younger generations (Unfortunately) take on a more South Eastern/Cockney type accent. Its a great shame really- but the West Country accent comes with a lot of stigma if you go elsewhere (Getting called farmers and that). However, the younger people should be brushing that off and be proud of where they are from.

Other accents as well. Scouse accents on the other hand are getting stronger and stronger (And it is a relatively new accent as it is- only came about in the early to mid 1800's and is a mixture between Welsh, Irish and Lancashire). You can tell this just by listening to the older generations as opposed to the those today. My Granddad for example (Born and bred Scouser) has great difficulty understanding some younger Scousers talk)

[emperorpenguin]

^^There is definitely a change in some accents though. As someone else pointed out, West Country accents are slowly fading away as younger generations (Unfortunately) take on a more South Eastern/Cockney type accent.

. Scouse accents on the other hand are getting stronger and stronger (And it is a relatively new accent as it is- only came about in the early to mid 1800's and is a mixture between Welsh, Irish and Lancashire). )

That was me who mentioned west country accents. Wiltshire is a great case in point. It attracted high levels of immigration from London following the Second world war, the result of which is that the "old" accent is mostly heard in the older generation, while the younger generations are using the now majority London accent they hear around them. This is a perfect case of geographical shift, it is not a spontaneous accent change.

The Scouse accent thing is a perfect example of a fusion of accents following the large Irish immigration post 1840s. If you listen to the Scouse accent it is indeed made up of all three accents you mentioned, but in my opinion most closely resembles North Welsh.

Canadian accents betray a large Scots heritage.

Are there any others anyone can think of?

[Barry Ferguson]

People in the falklands have west country accents

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

People in the falklands have west country accents

well, they are sheep farmers...

[Irish King]

I think the Revolutionary American accent sounded more British, but the closest modern American accent would be in New England (best accebt ever in my opinion.)

[emperorpenguin]

That doesn't make any sense. You are suggesting that accents are "morphing". The reason you have your accent is from learning to speak based on what you hear around you. You could take a Chinese before they learn to talk, leave them in Denmark and they'll grow up sounding Danish. Accents do not "mutate" in the way genes do.

The Harry Enfield skit does poke fun at the accent because that was all you ever heard on pre1960s British tv. That accent has not died out, it just no longer is the broadcasting norm, so is not heard as much anymore.

[Londinium]

That doesn't make any sense. You are suggesting that accents are "morphing". The reason you have your accent is from learning to speak based on what you hear around you. You could take a Chinese before they learn to talk, leave them in Denmark and they'll grow up sounding Danish. Accents do not "mutate" in the way genes do.

The Harry Enfield skit does poke fun at the accent because that was all you ever heard on pre1960s British tv. That accent has not died out, it just no longer is the broadcasting norm, so is not heard as much anymore.

Accents do mutate, they take onboard various cultural influences and changes in the environment, a large influx of say people from Scotland into a small town will result in Scottish twangs finding their way into some people's accent over years, it's the same principle as when you see people go over to say New York for a year or two and they come back speaking with an American twang until they snap out of it after a few days back surrounded by their normal accent.

If accents didn't mutate then the Scouse accent would never have been formed from the fusion of Irish and Lancastrian.