Even Queen Elizabeth II, throughout her lifetime, began to speak in a way that was, well, a little bit less Queen's English and a little bit more cockney. Compared to the 1950s, by the 1980s the way she said “goose”, “food” or “moon”, for instance, had changed subtly.
Anyone who has heard the Queen's speeches will recognise her distinctive British accent. This is RP – 'Received Pronunciation'.
"Our analysis reveals that the Queen's pronunciation of some vowels has been influenced by the standard southern British [SSB] accent of the 1980s, which is more typically associated with speakers younger and lower in the social hierarchy," said Jonathan Harrington and three colleagues at Macquarie University in Sydney ...
Cockney is the accent spoken in the East-End of London. It has been stigmatized for centuries but also has covert prestige, that is, it is a badge of identity for its speakers. Cockney is famous for its rhyming slang, much of which is humorous such as trouble and strife = wife.
Cockney, dialect of the English language traditionally spoken by working-class Londoners. Cockney is also often used to refer to anyone from London—in particular, from its East End.
. 'Hiya' or 'Hey up' – these informal greetings both mean 'hello' and are especially popular in the north of England.
Cockney might thus have spread around the world, but research published in 2011 found that in east London, young people increasingly speak multicultural London English, a different dialect, which includes elements of both cockney and other languages and English dialects from around the world.
To most people living outside London, the term Cockney simply means a Londoner, but traditionally to be known as a 'true' Cockney you have to be born within earshot of the Bow Bells from the Church of St Mary Le Bow in Cheapside, the East End of London.
The cockney dialect is not dead, it's just called Essex now. As English dialects go, cockney is one of the most influential. Long considered the preserve of working-class communities in east London, it has shaped the way people speak across the country, from Reading, Milton Keynes and even Hull all the way to Glasgow.
It is thought that the word Cockney originates from the Norman word for a sugar cake, cocaigne. The Normans called London the 'Land of Sugar Cake', and the name has stuck with some variations over the years. In the 1360s, the writer William Langland also used the term 'cockeney' to mean cock's egg.
Received Pronunciation, or RP for short, is the instantly recognisable accent often described as 'typically British'. Popular terms for this accent, such as 'the Queen's English', 'Oxford English' or 'BBC English' are all a little misleading.
The standard British accent is something called received pronunciation, or RP. Geographically, people who speak with this accent live in the southeastern part of England. This is traditionally a “posh” part of England, so this accent is considered to be upper/middle class.
French. One of the most widely spoken European languages in the British Royal Family is French. Queen Elizabeth II was close to fluent and, in her role as a diplomat, she delivered speeches and addresses in the language throughout her 70-year reign.
EastEnders star Danny Dyer is perhaps the Marmite of Cockney culture, with some branding him 'the most Cockney man in the world,' and others seeing his performance of Mick Carter as pastiche and inauthentic.
“There is no evidence that there is any deliberate manipulation of pronunciation happening,” said Gerry Docherty, who studies changing accents at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne's Department of Speech. He instead suggested the changing accent was in keeping with the rigors of television addresses.
Cockney is a dialect of English that is spoken in London, specifically in the East End. It is known for its distinctive accent and use of slang, as well as its use of rhyming slang. The term Cockney can also refer to a person from London, particularly from the East End.
To sound like a cockney you will need to change the 'th' sound in words like think, thank you to an 'f' sound. So you'll say 'fink' and 'fank you'. Dropping the 'h' sound in words like holiday, hotel and happy will help you sound like a cockney.
Stereotypical cockneys are working-class people, and the term was originally meant as an insult. However, nowadays cockneys use the title with pride. The cockney accent is very different from what people call “the Queen's English,” which is considered an upper-class way of speaking.
Originating in the East End of London, the term Cockney refers to anyone born within the sound of the church bells of St Mary-le Bow in Cheapside, the City of London.
RP English is said to sound posh and powerful, whereas people who speak Cockney English, the accent of working-class Londoners, often experience prejudice.
A 2011 study by then professor of sociolinguistics at Lancaster University Paul Kerswill found people in the capital had begun to speak 'multicultural London English' - which he said combined elements of Cockney with dialects from around the world. Dr Cole said this led to the belief the dialect was dying.
Tottenham: North London, known as cockneys. West Ham: East London, known as cockneys. You can technically only be a Cockney if you were born in the city's East End. Specifically, you must have been born within the sound of Bow bells. ...