XVI Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2024

Initially, I want to present a definition and figure out what a Cornish accent is, as it is very important to understand the meaning of the work as a whole.

• The Cornish accent (also known as Cornish English, Anglo-Cornish or Cornu-English; Cornish: Sowsnek Kernowek) is an accent of English spoken in Cornwall by Cornish people. Dialectal English spoken in Cornwall is to some extent influenced by Cornish grammar, and often includes words derived from the Cornish language. The Cornish language is a Celtic language of the Brythonic branch, as are the Welsh and Breton languages. In addition to the distinctive words and grammar, there are a variety of accents found within Cornwall from the north coast to that of the south coast and from east to west Cornwall. Typically, the accent is more divergent from Standard British English the further west through Cornwall one travels. The speech of the various parishes being to some extent different from the others was described by John T. Tregellas and Thomas Quiller Couch towards the end of the 19th century.

Now it is worth mentioning the geographical component of the accent, in order to understand the birthplace of the accent and the description of the place itself.

The Cornish accent is primarily associated with the county of Cornwall, which is situated in the southwestern part of England. Cornwall is bordered by the Celtic Sea to the west and the English Channel to the south. It is known for its rugged coastline, beautiful beaches, and countryside, as well as its rich cultural history and distinct identity. The geographic location of Cornwall, with its isolation from the rest of England, has contributed to the preservation of its unique accent. The accent has been influenced by the region's history, including its Celtic heritage, as well as its geographical isolation, which has allowed for the development of its own linguistic characteristics.

One important component, if not the most important, is the causes of the accent, its historical factors and its development as a unit of language.

The first speakers of English resident in Cornwall were Anglo-Saxon settlers, primarily in the north east of Cornwall between the Ottery and Tamar rivers, and in the lower Tamar valley, from around the 10th century onwards. There are a number of relatively early place names of English origin, especially in those areas. The further spread of the English language in Cornwall was slowed by the change to Norman French as the main language of administration after the Norman Conquest. In addition, continued communication with Brittany, where the closely related Breton language was spoken, tended to favour the continued use of the Cornish language. But from around the 13th to 14th centuries the use of English for administration was revived, and a vernacular Middle English literary tradition developed. These were probable reasons for the increased use of the English language in Cornwall. In the Tudor period, various circumstances, including the imposition of an English language prayer book in 1549, and the lack of a Cornish translation of any part of the Bible, led to a language shift from Cornish to English. The language shift to English occurred much later in Cornwall than in other areas: in most of Devon and beyond, the Celtic language had probably died out before the Norman Conquest. However the Celtic language survived much later in the westernmost areas of Cornwall, where there were still speakers as late as the 18th century. For this reason, there are important differences between the Anglo-Cornish dialect and other West Country dialects. Cornish was the most widely spoken language west of the River Tamar until around the mid-14th century, when Middle English began to be adopted as a common language of the Cornish people.

The English Civil War, a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists, polarised the populations of England and Wales. However, Cornwall in the English Civil War was a staunchly Royalist enclave, an "important focus of support for the Royalist cause". Cornish soldiers were used as scouts and spies during the war, for their language was not understood by English Parliamentarians. Following the war there was a further shift to the English language by the Cornish people, which encouraged an influx of English people to Cornwall. By the mid-17th century the use of Cornish had retreated far enough west to prompt concern and investigation by antiquarians, such as William Scawen who had been an officer during the Civil War. As the Cornish language diminished, the people of Cornwall underwent a process of English enculturation and assimilation, becoming "absorbed into the mainstream of English life".

Now we will talk directly about the linguistic components of this accent, namely the phonetic distinctive features.

In this sub-topic, I will draw on the research of John Wells, which is related to the phonetic components of the accent. Firstly, according to John Wells' notes, it can be understood that the Cornish accent belongs to the southwestern accents of the UK. And Cornwall is located with areas such as Bristol, Portsmouth, the retroflex area covers Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon with appropriate accents. In general, vowel length is not as important as it is in other parts of England. Traditionally short vowels are lengthened in many environments, so that one may have pronunciations of the type [dɪ:d] did, [stɜːm] stem, [fla’ʃ] flash, [tɒ’p] top,[pʊ’s] puss. This applies particularly when such monosyllables are phrase-final and intonationally prominent. The possibility in a (lower-) middle-class accent of deleting post-vocalic /r/ under the influence of the RP norm rises still further complications. The result in START words is a long vowel or centring diphthong fronter than that of (middle-class) BATH: he writes farce [fa - əs], as against pass [pa+:s]. There is thus at least the possibility of a four-way distinction of the type man [mæ:n] vs. pan [pæn] vs. barn [baən] vs. Calne = Khan [ka:n]. In some areas, though – parts of Cornwall, for instance – START has a back vowel, [a:﹝); so even when derhoticized it tends to remain backer than the [a:] of BATH.

The vowels of FOOT and GOOSE are fronted in rural Devon speech, spilling over into adjacent parts of Somerset and Cornwall: LAE shows foot as [fYt] and goose as [gY:s]. The letter may also have something of a closing diphthong, of the type [ØY].

The FACE and GOAT vowels are monophthongal, [e:] and [o:] respectively, in the more old-fashioned kind of Cornwall speech. Nowadays, though, there as elsewhere, there is a tendency for these monophthongs to be replaced by diphthongal qualities.

Now about consonants. The phonetic quality of /r/ is retroflex, [ɻ], in most of the west country: this applies both to consonantal /r/ and to the r-colouring of vowels just discussed. As recorded in LAE, the isogloss separating retroflex from post-alveolar /r/ runs from about Bristol to Portsmouth; the retroflex area covers Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. There is a phonemicization with the vowels before /r/. Contracts such as nearer-mirror, fairy-ferry seem always to be preserved, so that the vowels of NEAR and SQUARE cannot be identified with /ɪ/ and /ɜ/.

H Dropping is sociolinguistically variable in most parts of the west country just as elsewhere in England. It is certainly so in urban Cornwall, although the city lies within a relic area shown in LAE as retaining historical /h/.

Glottalling of intervocalic and final /t/ is another possibility which is frequently found in a Bristol accent, as [lɒʔ, lɒʔs] lot, lots, [‘bʌʔən] button, [‘dɜ:ʔi ‘wɔːʔɤ] dirty water. I have heard occasional T Glottalling in adolescents from as far west as Redruth (Cornwall), where it is nevertheless probably a very recent innovation.

Stereotypes about the Cornish accent and its speakers are varied and, as with all stereotypes, may not accurately reflect the reality. Some common stereotypes associated with the Cornish accent include:

1. Rural and traditional: There is a stereotype that the Cornish accent is associated with rural areas and traditional lifestyles, often leading to assumptions about the accent's speakers being linked to farming or fishing communities.

2. Quaint and idyllic: The sing-song quality of the Cornish accent and its association with the beautiful coastal region may lead to stereotypes of the accent and its speakers as quaint and idyllic, with a laid-back and friendly manner.

3. Insular or isolated: Due to Cornwall's geographical location, there can be a stereotype that Cornish-accented individuals are more insular or isolated from the rest of the UK, contributing to perceptions of a strong regional identity.

It's important to recognize that stereotypes do not capture the full complexity and diversity of the individuals who speak with a Cornish accent, and they should be approached with caution. Additionally, these stereotypes may not reflect the realities of modern-day Cornwall and its diverse communities.

I want to make a conclusion. That the accent that was considered today, plays a big role in the English language. It is unique because it brings its own specific structural phonetic components, complementing the language, making it even more diverse.

Список литературы

1. [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_dialect (дата обращения 21.01.24)

2. [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://word-connection.com/the-english-west-country-accent/ (дата обращения 21.01.24)

3. [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://www.uv.es/anglotic/accents_of_english/01/cornish_english.html (дата обращения 21.01.24)

4. [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://omniglot.com/writing/cornish.htm#:~:text=Cornish%20is%20a%20Celtic%20language,Status%7C%20Names%20of%20the%20language%7C (дата обращения 21.01.24)

5. Wells J. C. Accents of English (Cambridge University Press, 1982). – 669 p. [Электронныйресурс]. URL: https://archive.org/details/accentsofenglish0000well/page/342/mode/2up