I speak rhotic, but do you?
Rhoticity refers to the pronunciation of the letter 'r'. If you speak or hear a definite 'r' especially at the end of a word, then you are speaking with rhoticity. As a Canadian, I speak with rhoticity. If you are Indian, Irish, Scottish or Barbadian, you probably do as well: likewise if you are from south-western England. Add to that many American who dwell in the north and west, excepting the Boston or New York City areas.
I watch a lot of British tv.
(Aside) Unfortunately, it has spoiled me because almost every North American program that I try leaves me dissatisfied. In point of fact, feeling unhappy with the presentation, I usually leave it before too long. I did this after three episodes of True Detective, all related in a monotone surrounded by sleaze. After watching a six-episode of Shetland, with interesting characters and variable tones and speech patterns, I happily left True Detective unresolved.
My digression done with, I return to the topic at hand: rhoticity. Of course, I was thinking of the non-rhoticity that I hear in almost all British programs that I watch where a word such as, paper, sounds more like papeh or papah.
"In non-rhotic varieties, speakers do not pronounce /r/ when it is at the end of a word or in postvocalic environments, that is, when it is immediately after a vowel and not followed by another vowel." (Rhoticity in English)It wasn't always thus, but according to Wikipedia, "by the 1740s to the 1770s, it [rhoticity] was often deleted entirely . . . By the early 19th century, the southern British standard was fully transformed into a non-rhotic variety, but some variation persisted as late as the 1870s."
As mentioned above, there are exceptions in England, such as in the south-west, but, apparently, it is decreasing.
However, for the youngest speakers in Blackburn, these 'r's are very weak, which raises the question of whether future generations will even hear these weak 'r's at all and whether this distinction will eventually fade away. Accent change is often like a puddle: it dries up in most places and leaves remnants around the edges, hence why Cornwall and East Lancs behave similarly here today. link
As a proud and determined rhotic speaker, I find this so sad. ;)
I leave with this short video, explaining rhoticity, primarily in an American context. Perhaps, however, before you go, you will comment and tell me whether you speak with rhoticity.
Of course. once you look up something on YT, you get more suggestions. This man explains how to speak proper southern England English. Generally, you say the 'r' if it is followed by a vowel sound. Of course, this would usually come at the beginning of a word, such as 'red', and not at the end of a word, such as 'heard'.
22 comments:
My son, as an actor, was able to do all sorts of accents. Interesting post!
I guess I speak withOUT rhoticity. Sorry.
I speak with rhoticity as you might expect. In fact, I sometimes add 'r' where there isn't one as when I say "wash". It comes out sounding like "warsh" I'm not sure where or how I picked up that peculiarity as it is fairly rare for around here.
What an interesting version of grammar/speech! Never heard of how it all was explained, but I do hear different accents, just didn't understand at all!
Then there's the sloppy southern English habit of inserting r where it doesn't belong. One of my favorite YouTube presenters makes me cringe when she talks about Anna rand I, or when she visited India rand Pakistan. This pattern was flatly condemned when I grew up in the North, but it seems to prevail now, sigh.
Not that I have any strong feelings about it..
I have never thought about this. I pronounce the r.
@Ed. As far as I can recall, i have only met one other person who inserted an r like that, and it was in the very word that you describe. He was my French teacher, and when he conjugated the verb, wash, he went down the whole list, saying warsh. I warsh, you warsh etc.
@Boud. I hav never noticed that one. How odd when they probably drop the r in other words.
A resounding yes to pronouncing the r at the end of words.
Rhotic here, but my mother, from Cambridge, England, was non-rhotic. She said dee-ya for dear, for example. I admit it makes me cringe inn movies to hear people say hee-ya and they-ya instead of here and there, but Mom's way of speaking was so soft it was not that noticeable. I read somewhere that actors were at one time encouraged to drop that r, as a means, I guess, of sounding upper class?
My sisters in Virginia say warter for water, which also grates on my ears. I can't think where they got that, as neither parent pronounced water that way.
Then there is my husband, from Southern West Virginia. I had to translate for him in Buffalo, NY, and in England as he has quite a thick accent unique to his area of birth. Warshing powders instead of detergent, tars instead of tires...the list goes on and can be pretty funny!
Rhotic here…much ancestry from southwest England, Devon and Somerset.
I pronounce my Rs.
I notice people (not around here, mind you) who don't pronounce the g (at all, not even softly and shortly) at the end of "ing."
Perhaps you can give a lesson on that sometime. Is there a name for it?
Kate
Indeed, I did not know about rhoticity before reading this post, AC, and like yourself I also prefer British programs or films. It's fair to say that various regions have their own methods of pronunciation sometimes for the same word, for example, I love hearing English folks saying the word schedule which comes out as shedule, leaving out the "c" and I know there are numerous other examples. Right now I am off to watch the linked videos in this post.
This is interesting. I doubt I can do the rhoticity at all. My accent is a chimera of multiple dialects and Ochre English
I've never heard this word before, but being a midwest North American, i speak as you do. I agree completely about British television -- it's almost always so much better (even the kind of zany sitcoms). And the dramas and mysteries are much more fun. And I like hearing them speak, too (even though sometimes I have to turn on the captions!) A very interesting post, AC. Off to follow the links!
I never knew the word but, as a longtime broadcaster on radio and television newscasts, I always pronounced it. Which brings me to a particular whine about the broadcasters or pundit I hear these days who begin each answer with the word "So", just hanging out there. But even worse was the young woman reporting from Washington, D.C. today who started every answer with another hanging free word: yeah, but pronounced like people from my native North Dakota as "yah". Then there are people who answer a "thank you" at the end of an interview with "thank YOU". What ever happened to "You're welome"?
I always wondered about this situation as my maternal grandparents are English and my wife was raised in Yorkshire.
Very interesting. But how did you come upon this?
Thanks.
I learned a new word! Thanks, John. Speaking as an American from the South, I have something of a mix of R and non-R. I mostly pronounce the R but I occasionally find myself (for example) calling my SIL Mah-gret instead of Margret. A deep South accent is very non-rhotic, usually replacing the final R with an uh sound. I mostly don't do this.
Thanks for the interesting videos!
I'm hyper rhotic, hahaha! But I have several Louisiana relatives who are non-rhotic. Fascinating! xoxo
Love those videos! I never heard of rhotic before, but now I know what it is.
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