Did Americans in 1776 have British accents? • Hacker News Board

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#11

Post by jacquesm » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:13 PM UTC

Rod wrote: post #7

Interestingly, it's also hypothesized that Brazilian Portuguese is closer to Portuguese proper 500 years ago than Portuguese proper today. The fact that the Portuguese spoken in former Portuguese colonies in Africa sounds more Brazilian Portuguese than Portuguese proper suggests the hypothesis is right. Moreover, Portuguese poetry of the Renaissance period only makes sense phonetically if spoken with a Brazilian acce…

Same for Spanish, Spanish as spoken in Colombia is very crisp and precise, Spanish spoken in Spain much less so.

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#12

Post by aristus » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:14 PM UTC

Rod wrote: post #7

Interestingly, it's also hypothesized that Brazilian Portuguese is closer to Portuguese proper 500 years ago than Portuguese proper today. The fact that the Portuguese spoken in former Portuguese colonies in Africa sounds more Brazilian Portuguese than Portuguese proper suggests the hypothesis is right. Moreover, Portuguese poetry of the Renaissance period only makes sense phonetically if spoken with a Brazilian acce…

Doubtless it's true. There are pockets of people in the Colorado and New Mexico who essentially speak 16th century Spanish. They just got pinched off from the mainstream for a long time.

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#13

Post by astine » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:19 PM UTC

joe_the_user wrote: post #5

As I recall from an article in Time a while back, the Southern American accent is the most authentic representative of the pre-revolutionary war accent. The Northern American accent has been changed more by waves of immigrants (especially those coming in the 1890-1920). I've heard that the French-Canadian accent is closer to pre-Revolutionary French as well. It seems that those areas with the least upheavals are wher…

I wouldn't describe the American South as having had few upheavals. It's actually had more than most places in the United States. Though, I would agree that it's had fewer lninguistic influences than other regions of the country.

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#14

Post by gcv » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:21 PM UTC

chc wrote: post #10

rgrieselhuber wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember hearing that there was a concerted effort in England (initiated by some Queen) sometime after Shakespeare to modify the way that vowels were pronounced and that this was largely responsible for the divergence we hear today. I did a little searching but couldn't find anything. Any links would be appreciated.

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of the Great Vowel Shift, but as far as we know that occurred naturally, not as a direct result of any royal dictate. At any rate, it was basically over by the time the American colonies got going. The oldest colonies might have been affected to some degree, but my (strictly amateurish) feeling is that it doesn't really fit as the main explanation (except in that the English accent was…

Just to add to this, the Great Vowel Shift happened at around the time of Chaucer, which is why it takes a slight mental adjustment to read his text (well worth it though, the guy is hilarious once you get on his wavelength). Shakespeare used modern English.

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#15

Post by motters » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:22 PM UTC

It's an amusing thought that a couple of centuries ago we were all talking like Americans. It just goes to show that accents, like everything else, are subject to fashion.

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#16

Post by sgt » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:28 PM UTC

Here in SA we are very proud of how much better (and some may say more poetic) Afrikaans sounds than Dutch. But hey, that is a very subjective opinion indeed :-)

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#17

Post by wwortiz » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:30 PM UTC

mahmud wrote: post #3

Which explains why we can understand Aussies and Kiwis, but a random Nigel from the UK would have a speech that baffles. It boggles the mind how two people from different corners of London have different accents. Not to mention Manc vs Scouser vs the myriads of tongue-twisting nasal hiccups uttered all over them Shires. It's like they almost take pride in differentiation. Throw an international party and the two UKia…

Your typing comes off with a very thick accent, something you don't find often online.

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#18

Post by detst » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:37 PM UTC

wwortiz wrote: post #17

mahmud wrote: post #3

Which explains why we can understand Aussies and Kiwis, but a random Nigel from the UK would have a speech that baffles. It boggles the mind how two people from different corners of London have different accents. Not to mention Manc vs Scouser vs the myriads of tongue-twisting nasal hiccups uttered all over them Shires. It's like they almost take pride in differentiation. Throw an international party and the two UKia…

Your typing comes off with a very thick accent, something you don't find often online.

Right, but which one? He says "us Somalis", "...the U.S (we...", mentions in his profile that he lives in Northern Virginia but also calls Sydney home yet the diction (i.e. "shopkeepers", "Chavs", "piss-taking", etc.) of his post screams British to me.

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#19

Post by pbz » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:38 PM UTC

(I apologize for my ignorance, but) without audio recording how can we know what the accents were back then?

Re: Did Americans in 1776 have British accents?

#20

Post by mahmud » Sun, Jul 04, 2010, 7:39 PM UTC

wwortiz wrote: post #17

mahmud wrote: post #3

Which explains why we can understand Aussies and Kiwis, but a random Nigel from the UK would have a speech that baffles. It boggles the mind how two people from different corners of London have different accents. Not to mention Manc vs Scouser vs the myriads of tongue-twisting nasal hiccups uttered all over them Shires. It's like they almost take pride in differentiation. Throw an international party and the two UKia…

Your typing comes off with a very thick accent, something you don't find often online.

Oh, a funny American. Did you get that humor in a legal settlement?

--

Edit:

Let me add that what you're noticing is probably my staccato diction, filled with code-words and verbal winks to deliver mild amusement to an invisible audience of masochists who I love oh so very much.

Cultural and linguistic banter might not be appreciated in these "learned" circles; but to the objects of my affection, the working classes of the crown and its colonies, it's a delicacy best enjoyed over beer and a pool table (Warning: too much of it might lead to the real-world version of a downvote, a black eye.)