| Estuary English |
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Estuary English is a name given to the form of English widely spoken in South East England , especially along the river Thames and its estuary. It is a hybrid of Received Pronunciation (RP) and South Eastern Accent s, particularly from the London , Kent and Essex area — i.e., the area around the Thames Estuary . It first came to public prominence in an article by David Rosewarne in the ''Times Education Supplement'' in October 1984. {Link without Title} Rosewarne argued that it may eventually replace RP as the ''Standard'' English pronunciation. Some people say (usually in jest) that the name derives from the fact that "It's as clear as mud and flows freely". FEATURES Estuary English shares the following features with Cockney pronunciation:
But the following characteristics of Cockney pronunciation are ''not'' present in Estuary English:
Estuary English uses words from American English and Australian English , and respects the standard grammar used by RP speakers. USE OF ESTUARY ENGLISH Estuary English is widely encountered throughout the south and south-east of the United Kingdom , particularly among the young. Many consider it to be a Working-class accent, though it is by no means limited to the working class. Some people adopt the accent as a means of "blending in", appearing to be more working class, or in an attempt to appear to be "a common man" — sometimes this affectation of the accent is derisively referred to as " Mockney ". For example, Tony Blair , the British Prime Minister , has been heard to adopt the accent at times in TV interviews, etc. Diana, Princess Of Wales (born 1961) was sometimes said to use elements of Estuary English, though they were quite mild in her case. By contrast the Queen 's granddaughter Zara Phillips (born 1981) speaks with a pronounced Estuary English accent. In this acccent, "hen fap" would be pronounced "'en fap" SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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