Accent on the BBC

Talk about anything but keep it polite and reasonably clean.
Post Reply
User avatar
AW77
Morgan 1991
Posts: 1113
Joined: 20:20 Wed 25 Sep 2013
Location: Cologne, Germany

Accent on the BBC

Post by AW77 »

This is a question for all you native speakers on this forum:
I watched some BBC reports by a journalist named Anna Holligan today (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25547203) and wondered what her accent was. My first guess was: a slight hint of Scottish. Is that right? (I'm always curious about identifying the origin of a person by his way of speaking, in English or my native German.)
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt know thy Port
User avatar
DRT
Fonseca 1966
Posts: 15779
Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Chesterfield, UK
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by DRT »

Yes, she is Scottish, probably from Edinburgh going by the accent.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
User avatar
djewesbury
Graham’s 1970
Posts: 8165
Joined: 20:01 Mon 31 Dec 2012
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by djewesbury »

AW77 wrote:This is a question for all you native speakers on this forum:
I watched some BBC reports by a journalist named Anna Holligan today (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25547203) and wondered what her accent was. My first guess was: a slight hint of Scottish. Is that right? (I'm always curious about identifying the origin of a person by his way of speaking, in English or my native German.)
That, my dear André, is a Northern Irish accent. You're right to detect a hint of Scots in there. On the north coast, where I work, the accent is often indistinguishable from a Scots accent. But then Scotland is only 12 miles away, at the closest point..
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
User avatar
djewesbury
Graham’s 1970
Posts: 8165
Joined: 20:01 Mon 31 Dec 2012
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by djewesbury »

DRT wrote:Yes, she is Scottish, probably from Edinburgh going by the accent.
Piffle. See above.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
LGTrotter
Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
Posts: 3707
Joined: 17:45 Fri 19 Oct 2012
Location: Somerset, UK

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by LGTrotter »

Ignore Daniel, Derek is right. I would further say the thing that disguises it is the public school, or possibly elocution lessons, followed by Oxbridge.
User avatar
DRT
Fonseca 1966
Posts: 15779
Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Chesterfield, UK
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by DRT »

djewesbury wrote:That, my dear André, is a Northern Irish accent.
"Made in Scotland"?
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
User avatar
djewesbury
Graham’s 1970
Posts: 8165
Joined: 20:01 Mon 31 Dec 2012
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by djewesbury »

LGTrotter wrote:Ignore Daniel, Derek is right. I would further say the thing that disguises it is the public school, or possibly elocution lessons, followed by Oxbridge.
Hmm. I only listened to a few words. But posh Belfastards sound like that.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
User avatar
djewesbury
Graham’s 1970
Posts: 8165
Joined: 20:01 Mon 31 Dec 2012
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by djewesbury »

I listened to a few more words. The similarity between Edinburgh and posh belfast / north Down is amazing.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
User avatar
DRT
Fonseca 1966
Posts: 15779
Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Chesterfield, UK
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by DRT »

djewesbury wrote:The similarity between Edinburgh and posh belfast / north Down is amazing.
To people from England.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
User avatar
djewesbury
Graham’s 1970
Posts: 8165
Joined: 20:01 Mon 31 Dec 2012
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by djewesbury »

DRT wrote:
djewesbury wrote:The similarity between Edinburgh and posh belfast / north Down is amazing.
To people from England.
Careful. You need my vote remember.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
User avatar
djewesbury
Graham’s 1970
Posts: 8165
Joined: 20:01 Mon 31 Dec 2012
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by djewesbury »

You need to listen to some of the BBC Newsline team here. Like they're drowning in treacle.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
User avatar
AW77
Morgan 1991
Posts: 1113
Joined: 20:20 Wed 25 Sep 2013
Location: Cologne, Germany

Re: Accent on the BBC

Post by AW77 »

Thanks for your feedback. I was somehow sure it was a Scottish accent.

Should we go on and take this example to talk some more about sociolinguistics?
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt know thy Port
Post Reply