There was a programme recently on UK Radio 4 in which some Outer Banks speakers were interviewed. To my ears their accent betrayed their origins in the English west country and if I had heard them and taken them to be from England that is where I would have located them. I think there was such a variety of accent in Elizabethan England that a time traveller returning there (providing [s]he avoided anachronisms) would merely be regarded as outlandish (in the Elizabethan sense of course).
Eric Crouch On 12 Jan 2006, at 22:42, Nelson, Jocelyn wrote: > Some communities in the Outer Banks off the coast of North Carolina > still speak in this distinctive dialect, which is considered by > many to be the closest surviving speech to Elizabethan English. > Jocelyn Nelson > (currently living in Eastern NC) > > > ________________________________ > > From: guy_and_liz Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thu 1/12/2006 3:03 PM > To: [email protected]; Herbert Ward > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Surviving in Eliz. England. > > > > The actor would probably be noticed the minute he or she opened > their mouth. > I attended a talk several years by an expert on Elizabethan English (I > forget the name). What we tend to think of as an Elizabethan accent > is "BBC" > English, but that comes from the Victorian period. The Elizabethan > accent > was apparently distinctly different. She said that the closest > equivalents > to Elizabethan English aren't found in England at all, but in > isolated parts > of the northeastern US (presumably preserved by isolated > communities of > early immigrants). > > Guy > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Herbert Ward" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 10:44 AM > Subject: [LUTE] Surviving in Eliz. England. > > >> >> Who, from the 21st century, would stand the best chance >> of visiting Elizabethan England and not being spotted >> as foreign in his manners, knowledge of day-to-day life, >> political knowledge, and overall demeanor? >> >> Of course, some Shakesperean actor would probably be best >> suited as far as language and dress are concerned. However, >> I'm not convinced that Shakespeare's world of sword fights, >> robber princes, and moonlit balconies would prepare him well >> for everyday life. >> >> >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> > > > > > > --
