1) Introduction: the terms’ dialect’ and ‘Cockney’
The paper shall explore the question of the english urban dialect Cockney as an influence of the English language, its spread all over the world and its validity nowadays.
The term ‘dialect’ indicates a regionally specific variety of language, that differs from the Standard in phonological, grammatical and lexical regards. A standard form is in every language a defined variety of the language in phonological, grammatical and lexical regards.
Beside the English Standard variety there exist a lot of rural and urban dialects. The rural dialects lost their importance in relation to the spread of the Standard, but the urban dialects still play an important role – nowadays the same as in the history of the English language, when they emerged during the urbananisation of England.They are language varieties that were built in the big urban regions and among them the best known nowadays is Cockney, which exists beside a large group of other dialects (for example the Scouse in Liverpool or the Geordie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne). By speakers of a more “educated” accent these dialects were often seen as “harsh” and “ugly”, but for the speaker of the dialect they are a possibility to express an identification with a certain group of people.
Cockney is often seen as the language of London’s working class, but actually it is a variant that arised in the East End region and that has its basis there (in general every English urban dialect is a working-class accent of the area it belongs to). Allegedly it goes back to the Middle English word “coken-ey” (a cock’s egg) which was a scournful nickname for a certain group of people (town-dweller). Strictly speaking a Cockney is a person that was born near the bells of the church Saint-Mary-le-Bow in the City of London, traditionally a Cockney is an inhabitant of London’s East End, but it can also be heard throughout the city.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction: the terms’ dialect’ and ‘Cockney’
2) The features of Cockney
2.1.) Grammar: a non-standard with unexceptional vocabulary
2.2) Lexis: Rhyming Slang and language games
2.3) Pronounciation: h-dropping, glottal stop and phonemes
2.4) Summary
3) The history of the spread of the English language
3.1) English in England
3.2) English in the world
3.3) Summary
4) Cockney as a part of Australian English
5) Conclusion: Is Cockney still a living variety of English?
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the role of the English urban dialect Cockney, examining its linguistic characteristics, its historical spread across the globe, and its influence on other varieties of English. The primary objective is to analyze whether Cockney remains a relevant and evolving variety while assessing its specific linguistic impact on Australian English.
- Phonological, grammatical, and lexical features of Cockney.
- The historical development and global spread of the English language.
- The influence of Cockney on Australian English accents.
- Comparative analysis between Cockney and Standard English (RP).
- The ongoing validity of Cockney in contemporary language studies.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3) Pronounciation: h-dropping, glottal stop and phonemes
The pronounciation of Cockney is its most distinctive characteristic, because things that were pronounced in Cockney have often aroused certain pronounciations in RP. Of course not all of it could be taken over in RP, because they are so atypical for RP – while at the same time so typical for Cockney.
First of all the consonants of Cockney should be discussed: among them there is a very interesting phenomenon in Cockney namely the glottal stop. The voiceless stops /p, t, k/ are in Cockney more aspirated before vowels than in RP. In some cases these consonants are spoken like Affricates (it sounds as is two consonants come out of the mouth when it is just one in reality), for example [təI] – tea. When they are in final position these stops may have glottal coarticulation – in other words you can hear a glottal stop (which is normal) and before this one there has already been one (for example [εʔt] - hat).
This is not the only speciality of the glottal stop, because it is outstanding in another way: it can replace the consonants /p, t, k/ completely – which could in some cases be a problem for non-Cockneys, because words like whip, wit and wick are all pronounced as [wIʔ]. If /t/ is intervocalic it can be realized as glottal stop or as tapped.
Summary of Chapters
1) Introduction: the terms’ dialect’ and ‘Cockney’: Defines the scope of the study regarding the Cockney dialect and establishes the importance of urban dialects within the English language.
2) The features of Cockney: Details the grammatical, lexical, and phonological peculiarities that distinguish Cockney from Standard English.
3) The history of the spread of the English language: Provides a historical overview of how English evolved from an insular language to a global phenomenon through colonization.
4) Cockney as a part of Australian English: Investigates the linguistic similarities and differences between Cockney and Australian English, particularly regarding the Broad accent.
5) Conclusion: Is Cockney still a living variety of English?: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that while Cockney has influenced other varieties, it remains a distinct, autonomous entity.
Keywords
Cockney, Dialect, English language, Urban dialect, Rhyming Slang, Glottal stop, Phonology, Australian English, Language variety, Great Vowel Shift, Linguistics, Standard English, Phonemes, Grammar, Colonization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines the English urban dialect known as Cockney, specifically focusing on its phonological, grammatical, and lexical features and its role within the history of the English language.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
The main themes include the definition and features of Cockney, the historical spread of English through colonization, and the specific influence of Cockney on the development of Australian English.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze the characteristics of Cockney and determine its influence on other English varieties, while assessing its current status as a living, evolving linguistic variety.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a descriptive and comparative linguistic approach, utilizing established linguistic theories and secondary sources to analyze dialectal features and historical developments.
What does the main body address?
The main body addresses the specific linguistic markers of Cockney (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation), the historical timeline of English, and a comparative case study between Cockney and Australian English.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Cockney, dialect, phonology, Rhyming Slang, Australian English, and the Great Vowel Shift.
How does the Great Vowel Shift relate to Cockney?
The author argues that Cockney is a prime example of the Great Vowel Shift, as it continued the phonological transformations that eventually became stagnant in Standard English.
Is Cockney identical to Australian English?
No, the paper concludes that while there are significant historical and linguistic overlaps, they are autonomous language varieties with distinct grammatical differences.
- Quote paper
- Kristina Müller (Author), 2006, The spread of Cockney throughout the English speaking world, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/74976
