How did the colonists to the Americas 'loose' their English accents?

Question

I've always wondered this...It could not have simply vanished.

Answer 1

I don't agree that we are closer to the english accent of the 17th century. Everyone so far has failed to bring up the fact we are all made up of different nationalities. In the beginning of this country, they spoke with english accents similar to how it is now in england. As this country grew and more people from different european countries settled here, it began to take on its own sound. Every nationality having its own influence to the way we pronounce words and sounds. I agree with one writer who says that if you go to some parts of this country, some still have hints of the english sound.
When I was in new england, I felt they had a distinctive original accent that is probably derived from the english accent. In the appalacians, some of the hills people and their decendants have a course sound of scotish/irish influence in their speech since that is where their ancestors are from. Do you realize that if you went back in time in england around a thousand years ago, they didn't have a english accent as we know it today since most were speaking French.

Answer 2

the convergence of the many cultures in the American Melting Pot. In England that are several accents w/in the island if Great Britain, when they started shipping people out to the New World those accents, as well as, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Germans, etc. all started to interact w/ the native population. over time certain words from the various languages bled over into the others. and w/o the home country re enforcing the standard the accents started to blend and alter. But you can still find traces of it everywhere. PBS had a special a few years back called "How to speak American." which went into greater detail.

Why did Boston lose its "R's"as in "pahk the Cah" instead of park the car and Texas gain them, as in "Warsh up" instead of "wash up"

Answer 3

It did "simply vanish". Two systems, when separated, tend to diverge.

This is how biological evolution works. In central america, for example, the mountains rose and at some point in history, separated the animals on the east from those on the west. The genetic make up of the two groups begins to diverge and after enough centuries, you have two different varieties, then different races, different sub-species, and after enough time, different species.

Answer 4

In our course-book they write that they didn't lose their accent. In fact the way the Americans speak is closer to the 17th century English than the British English. And they differ because of something that is called a "colonial lag" - the US English hasn't developed the same way the UK English has. So in the reality it is British who's lost their "English accent"

Answer 5

its been 300 years! There are still areas with european accents though. For a somewhat english accent you can go to the extreme Eastern North carolina coast where there are a group of people that are known as "downeasters". They have a strange accent that is very similar to what I believe the english call "Cockney ".

Answer 6

not everyone was from England. The "American English" language is made up of words from just about every country.
Different areas pronounced words differently. This is still true today, There are southern accents, norhern accents, west coast and east coast accents.

Answer 7

Various accents were sort of integrated over time when all the different pronunciations came together .

Answer 8

They didn't. Appalachia is the only place in the world where the people still talk like in Shakespeare's time.

Answer 9

Over time.

We weren't in England anymore and we were by ourselves. Over time people started saying things different, and eventually more and more people did the same.

A type of evolution persay.

Answer 10

So u noe that the Indianz give them like mad dope like wild chronic so like everyone was havin' good time and bam no limey accent!