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Geographical description of the accent

The Yorkshire accent traditionally spoken by inhabitants of Yorkshire, a historic county located in northern England. It encompasses several unique variations, as the accent can differ considerably between areas within the region, such as West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Geographically, Yorkshire's landscape is diverse, ranging from the urban industrial centers of cities like Leeds and Sheffield to the rural beauty of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. This diversity is mirrored in the accents of the region. Urban areas often have accents that are influenced by multicultural interactions and can be markedly different from the rural accents, which have remained more consistent over time.

Accent history

The Yorkshire accent has roots that trace back to the Old English spoken by the Anglo-Saxon inhabitants, further influenced by the Vikings during the Danelaw period, leaving a Norse imprint on the vocabulary and pronunciation. Throughout the centuries, the Yorkshire accent evolved, embodying characteristics of Middle English and Early Modern English, reflecting the social and economic landscapes of the region. Industrialization in the 19th century saw an influx of immigration into the county, which introduced slight variations and nuances to the local parlance. Despite the social changes brought about by the advent of mass media and population mobility, the Yorkshire accent retains a strong identity that continues to be a source of regional pride.

Each accent has its own characteristics, but there are several linguistic features that we can identify specifically in the Yorkshire accent.

Distinctive features of vowels

1. There is no foot – strut split in the Yorkshire accent.

The Yorkshire accent doesn`t contain sound [ʌ] and where it is exists in Received Pronunciation it is replaced with the sound [ʊ].

Example: I’m as comfortable as that there monk.

Received Pronunciation: /aɪm əz ˈkʌmfətəbl əz ðæt ðeə mʌŋk/

Yorkshire accent: /aɪm əz ˈkʊmfətəbl əz ðat ðæt mʊŋk/

2. There is no trap – bath split in the Yorkshire accent.

In contrast to Received Pronunciation when the letter 'a' appears before certain fricative and nasal sounds combinations, it produces the short sound [æ] in the Yorkshire accent and this is similar to many other Northern counties.

Example: You look daft when you laugh.

Received Pronunciation: /juː lʊk dɑːft wɛn juː lɑːf/

Yorkshire accent: /juː lʊk dæft wɛn juː læf/

3. Monophthongisation.

Vowels that are normally diphthongs in standard Received Pronunciation tend to be pronounced as monophthongs in Yorkshire English. The diphthong /əʊ/ in Yorkshire accent becomes the monophthong [ɔ:]:

Example: She spoke in a nice tone.

Received Pronunciation: /ʃi: spəʊk ɪn ə naɪs təʊn/

Yorkshire accent: /ʃi: spɔ:k ɪn ə naɪs tɔ:n/

Similarly, this process works with the diphthongs /eɪ/, it becomes the monophthong [e:].

Example: It’s a great day to play!

Received Pronunciation: /ɪts ə greɪt deɪ tu: pleɪ/

Yorkshire accent: /ɪts ə gre:t de: tu: ple:/

4. Sound /ʌ/ changes to /ɒ/ in certain words in the Yorkshire accent.

While the /ʌ/ sound is replaced by an /ʊ/ sound in most cases, there are certain words (e.g. none, one, once, nothing, amongst) where it takes on an entirely different pronunciation. In these instances, the /ʌ/ sound becomes /ɒ/ sound.

Example: There's nothing you can do about it.

Received Pronunciation: /ðeəz ˈnʌθɪŋ juː kæn duː əˈbaʊt ɪt/

Yorkshire accent: /ðeəz ˈnɒθɪŋ ju: kæn du: əˈbaʊt ɪt/

5. Words ending with -y latter.

In the Yorkshire accent the final "-y" in words is often pronounced with a short [ɪ] sound, which is similar to the vowel sound in "kit". Sometimes, it may be pronounced with a more open [ɛ] sound, which is akin to the vowel sound in "dress".

Example: He is very happy today.

Received Pronunciation: /hiː ɪz ˈvɛri ˈhæpi təˈdeɪ/

Yorkshire accent: /iː ɪz ˈvɛri ˈhappɪ təˈdeː/

Distinctive features of consonants

Consonants in the Yorkshire accent exhibit several characteristic deviations from the Received Pronunciation:

1. Voicing of intervocalic /t/.

A common characteristic is the glottalization or voicing of the /t/ sound when it appears between vowels. It can become a glottal stop [ʔ] or an alveolar flap [ɾ] in the Yorkshire accent.

Example: It’s better to stay at home.

Received Pronunciation: /ɪts ˈbɛtə tuː steɪ æt həʊm/

Yorkshire accent: /ɪts 'beʔər tuː ste: æt ˈɔ:m/

2. H-dropping.

It is common in the Yorkshire accent to drop the /h/ sound at the beginning of words. The phenomenon is common in many accents of English, either as a purely historical development or as a contemporary difference between accents. H-dropping is stigmatized as a sign of careless or uneducated speech.

Example: I may go home.

Received Pronunciation: /aɪ ˈmeɪ gəʊ ˈhəʊm/

Yorkshire accent: /aɪ ˈme: gɔ: ˈɔ:m/.

3. The 'Dark L'.

In the Yorkshire accent, sound /l/ at the end of words or before consonants is typically velarized — also known as 'dark L.' This means the back of the tongue is raised toward the velum during articulation, creating a darker quality of the /l/.

Example: Fill in the gaps.

Received Pronunciation: /fɪl ɪn ðə ɡæps/

Yorkshire accent: /fɪɫ ɪn ʔ ɡæps/

4. Th-fronting.

Th-fronting refers to the linguistic phenomenon where the sounds typically represented by the letters "th" in standard English words (like "think" or "this") are substituted with other sounds, most commonly "f" for voiceless [θ], as in "think" becoming [fɪŋk], and "v" for voiced [ð], as in "this" becoming [dɪs]. It's a feature found in various dialects of English, including younger speakers of the Yorkshire accent.

Example: This madame is unpleasant.

Received Pronunciation: /ðɪs ˈmædəm ɪz ʌnˈplɛznt/

Yorkshire accent: /dɪs ˈmædəm ɪz ʊnˈplɛznt/

5. Sound [ð] may be omitted or glottalised.

Quite often in the Yorkshire accent a sound [ð] is omitted or glottalised in the definite article “the”.

Example: I`m going to the shop.

Received Pronunciation: /aɪm ˈɡəʊɪŋ tuː ðə ʃɒp/

Yorkshire accent: /aɪm ˈɡɔ:ɪŋ təʔ ʃɒp/

Suprasegmental level

Yorkshire speech generally has a more syllable-timed rhythm compared to the stress-timed rhythm of RP. This means that syllables tend to have more equal duration, making the Yorkshire accent sound more evenly paced.

The Yorkshire accent typically features a wider pitch range than RP and the intonation patterns can vary significantly. For example, the intonation in a Yorkshire accent might convey a greater sense of insistence or directness, with falling tones even on statements that might have a rising tone in other accents.

Yorkshire speakers may be characterized as speaking more slowly and deliberately in comparison to speakers from other regions, which can emphasize the regional features of their accent.

Conclusion

Thus, the Yorkshire accent is a dynamic element of the English linguistic landscape, representing a blend of historical language influences and regional identity. With its distinctive vowel and consonant features, and unique suprasegmental qualities, the accent holds an important place not just in phonetic study but also as a living illustration of England's varied cultural heritage

Bibliography

1. Соколова, М. А. Теоретическая фонетика английского языка. – М., 2008

2. Wells, J.C. Accents of English. Vol 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982

3. Hughes, A., Trudgill, P., Watt, D. English Accents and Dialects: An Introduction to Social and Regional Varieties of English in the British Isles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007

4. The Yorkshire Accent(s): Northern vs. Southern Differences in Pronunciation, URL: https://youtu.be/vB-7HCwmHTk?si=c8f7QPFoSKf3B2VF

5. THE YORKSHIRE ACCENT | British Accents From The North of England | British English Pronunciation, URL: https://youtu.be/hsxsl0s718w?si=Ua0u0VlPOS9cxqNl

6. Yorkshire Accent - Learn English Like A Native, URL: https://youtu.be/THsSizqiSKs?si=NSFIzjUrOmexD5vD

7. YouGlish: improve your English pronunciation with YouTube, URL: https://youglish.com/

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