Cockney
From Teflpedia
Cockney is the working-class speech of London,[1] and particularly associated with the East End. It is considered to have had a "formative influence" on Australian English[2] and on New Zealand English.[3]
It is not to be confused with Cockney rhyming slang.
Characteristics[edit]
A non-rhotic dialect, one of its most outstanding features is th-fronting, that is, the pronunciation of "th" as "f" or "v". Thus, /θ/ becomes /f/ (for example, three is pronounced as [fri:], i.e. like free) and /ð/ becomes /v/ (for example, mother is pronounced as [mʌvər]). Another typical feature is that of dropping the aitches, but contrary to popular belief, this is not exclusive to Cockney and can be heard in many parts of in England and Wales.[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ Wells, J. C., "The Cockneyfication of RP?" in: Gunnel Melchers and Nils-Lennart Johannesson (ed.), Nonstandard varieties of language. Papers from the Stockholm Symposium, 11-13 April 1991. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International, 1994. ISBN 91-22-01635-X.
- ↑ Kemmer, S. "Cockney Rhyming Slang"
- ↑ Hay, J.; Maclagan, M; Gordon, E. New Zealand English Edinburgh University Press at Google Books
- ↑ Sounds Familiar? British Library
