Sussex dialect being wiped out by commuting (From The Argus)
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Sussex dialect being wiped out by commuting
5:30pm Sunday 3rd January 2010 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter
Sussex's regional accents are in danger of dying out.
Academic studies have found that many regional accents including Geordie, Scouse, Mancunian and Brummie are becoming more distinct, but southern dialects, particularly the East and West Sussex accents, are becoming less noticeable.
Researchers found that “commuter culture” meant big city accents were surviving, but colonising the way people talk in surrounding areas.
Linguistics experts from universities across the country found northern accents thriving as people with strong accents, like Ant and Dec and Cheryl Cole, featured prominently on TV.
Paul Kerswill, a professor of sociolinguistics at Lancaster University, said: “Northerners do not want to sound like Southerners.
“Accents are more varied in northern England because they have not been subjected to the mass levelling of speech caused by London and its commuting hinterland.
“In the southeast, Kent, Essex and East and West Sussex are all losing their distinctive accents while the capital’s own Cockney is also under threat.”
Comments(13)
TheInsider
says...
7:58pm Sun 3 Jan 10
New Year's Eve brought a whole load of people out speaking this new Sussex dialect, mainly spoken by young men and women who like to do it as loudly as possible when talking about even the most mundane subjects....the f-ing milkman, broughmen two c-ing bottles of wan**ing milk today.
I do wish people would stop swearing in every day life.
puddingandpi
says...
9:10pm Sun 3 Jan 10
I'm from the North & people say to me "you haven't lost your accent, have you?" To which I reply, you mean I haven't aped the pronunciations of the natives?
Everyone should be proud of their accent.
mark by the sea
says...
9:11pm Sun 3 Jan 10
TheInsider wrote:is it accents? or are peole just thick? also what is it with people doing the yank slang? init? man! blood! this from people that have never been out of brighton! lol
The new Sussex dialect seems to involve an f-word and a c-word and a b-word every five seconds. New Year's Eve brought a whole load of people out speaking this new Sussex dialect, mainly spoken by young men and women who like to do it as loudly as possible when talking about even the most mundane subjects....the f-ing milkman, broughmen two c-ing bottles of wan**ing milk today. I do wish people would stop swearing in every day life.
cheezburger
says...
9:46pm Sun 3 Jan 10
onerob
says...
10:11pm Sun 3 Jan 10
7Dials
says...
2:02am Mon 4 Jan 10
7Dials
says...
2:02am Mon 4 Jan 10
cheezburger
says...
7:39am Mon 4 Jan 10
onerob wrote:Of course cockneys sound different from Brightonians, which does not mean theres a distinctive Brighton accent. Besides the article mentions West Sussex accents, and Brighton isnt in West Sussex.
There is – or was – a distinctive Sussex accent. The way the letter "i" in words is pronounced is different, e.g. "rice with spice" would sound different from the lips of a working class Brightonian than a cockney.
Tye
says...
9:58am Mon 4 Jan 10
cheezburger wrote:Those who cannot criticise :(
No such thing as a West Sussex accent, just nonsense. Non story.
Might I suggest you set up a website with items of news that you think interesting - and then WE can be an irritating moaney minnie-
boring
advert
not interesting
PS Where did it say WEST Sussex accent anyway - surely that a council made distinction
She-Ra, Princess Of Power
says...
1:09pm Mon 4 Jan 10
onerob wrote:There still is, in the more rural areas, amongst older people. "Cows" becomes "cuws", "ours" becomes "aiurs"...
There is – or was – a distinctive Sussex accent. The way the letter "i" in words is pronounced is different, e.g. "rice with spice" would sound different from the lips of a working class Brightonian than a cockney.
Of course those accents are diminishing.... slowly but surely the South is becoming one bland southern dialect. Which is a shame, because the true Sussex accent is a good one!
cheezburger
says...
1:10pm Mon 4 Jan 10
I suggest you actually read the article before commenting. West Sussex accents are mentioned at the top of the article and at the bottom.
Incidentally that article has been edited since it was first written. Didnt mention East Sussex originally.
Tye
says...
3:31pm Mon 4 Jan 10
cheezburger wrote:don't forget to tell us what your website will be called
You already are irrittating Tye. I suggest you actually read the article before commenting. West Sussex accents are mentioned at the top of the article and at the bottom. Incidentally that article has been edited since it was first written. Didnt mention East Sussex originally.
blardeblar says...
7:38pm Sun 3 Jan 10