Regional Accents -- namely Aussie :)
Posted by Leanne S on April 29, 1998 at 11:57:08:
In response to To Hilary (just in case you're still interested:-), written by Andrea Jutson on April 24, 1998 at 05:47:15
] How is this relevant?- well, New Zealand was settled by the English (and some other European nations) only just over 150 years ago, and already we Kiwis have a very dufferent eksent from the Ing-lish (as well as the Amerricans and the Ostrahlians:-) Actually, just as a point of interest, linguists say that the Aussies will have an accent just like ours within the next fifty years... what do you think of that, Linden!!
I think it's more likely to do with the fact we're getting so many Kiwis emigrating to Australia -- but seriously ... Aussies already have a distinguishable accent and we've been settled for over 200 years now. Americans who try to copy it generally sound South African though :) If I'm using my posh "phone-speaking" voice, I'm mistaken as British. If I've just talked to my family on the phone, I get picked as an Aussie (now and then I have to do a little education on what a Kiwi sounds like vs. an Aussie)
] But still, the accent might not be the same as you know it today. I don't know whether I'm being incredibly stupid and it's just the different recording technology they had a few decades ago, but every time I hear news clips from say, the sixties, even, the accents of the newsreaders are still more English-sounding than now. That could be because they were trained to talk that way, or something, but I still think it's worthy of note that our accent could have changed so much in 30-odd years.
Newsreaders were *trained* to speak that way. They didn't reflect the "common man" at all. But I do agree that the accent would change over time. Just look at the number of regional dialects that have sprung up in Australia, America and then the long-entrenched ones in England. Anyway, up until the Revolution, I can well imagine the middle and upper classes of America mimicking the British accent (just as the Aussies did until the 1950's or so) but after the Revolutionary War, they did not want to be associated with anything British, so the accent would be toned down, perhaps they would even deliberately drawl (this is just guessing) and bits and pieces picked up from emigrants coming to the country etc.
] Apparently, English-born parents were complaining as early as the turn of the century that their children were talking in strange, "horrible" accents!:-)
] Hope this helps- sorry it's so late!
] -Andrea Jutson
]
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