Does everyone from London have a cockney accent?

Question

What is a cockney accent?

Answer 1

No Im from London and I dont have a cockney accent

Answer 2

No. A cockney accent is a traditional east-end accent. Accents vary greatly across London

Answer 3

No A true Cockney is a native of the East End of London, England, traditionally one born within hearing distance of the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow (Bow Bells) in Cheapside London.
These days new cockneys are usually born at the hospital of St. Bartholomew in Smithfield. The typical cockney has a quick wit, a cheerful manner, the East End "cockney pride" and a way of getting things done.
The East End is also known for it's colourful Cockney Street Markets the traditional Pie & Mash shops. It is also the gangland of the notorious Kray Twins and Jack the Ripper's stalking ground.

The famous dialect is characterized by a complex vowel sound ing continuously from the position for one vowel to that for another within the same syllable (extreme diphthongisation, if you realy must know). So lady becomes lydy; road = rowd; ride = raId; boat = boUt; boy = boi lighthouse = loi'ahse. Usually the h is dropped at the start of a word, and sometimes one is added to a word starting with a vowel. So Harrow (in London) becomes Arrow; hard = ard and answered = hansered.

Occasionally there is an intrusive R which helps to explain why Elephant & Castle is slang for Parcel (castle is pronounced carcel).

A long time ago you might have heard the following conversation: "she ain't sowld naow flahs the 'ole dye." (Poor little girl, she hasn't sold no (any) flowers the whole day) You are more likly to hear exaggerated cockney in films such as Oliver twist or Mary Poppins than in today's London.

The term Cockney is also used to describe any native or inhabitant of London although most don't actually speak like that, me old cocksparra. cocknydom = region of cockneys.
cockneyese = cockney dialect
cockneyfy = give a cockney character to.
cockneyism = cockney quality
Cockney originally meant "****'s egg" meaning a malformed or yokeless egg as can be laid by young hens. This was used as a derogatory term referring to the "weak" townsman, generally by the "tough countryman". By the 1600's (17th Century) the term came to mean a Londoner.

ORAGINS of RHYMING SLANG
Rhyming slang (or cockney rabbit) is a form of code language. It possibly originated in the 1800's to allow some of the more dubious street traders (costermongers) to communicate with each other whilst trale however that its roots go far deeper as the area has been steeped in tradition for hundreds of years. Nothing is quite certain and it may have started among the numerous gangs of Irish and Cockney workmen who made up a large percentage of the workforce employed in building railways and massive construction works during the industrial revolution.

Rhyming slang probably spread to the underworld and was gradually taken up by other sections of society. It flourished in London's East End and hence its name of 'Cockney Rhyming Slang'. It has now become part of general speech to such an extent that many people don't even realise they are using it. People who speak in rhyming slang often omit the rhyming word. A cockney speaker might say "Take a butcher's at that", meaning take a look at that. Some phrases from cockney rhyming slang are well known and used in everyday speech. For example, the phrase brass tacks originated as rhyming slang for facts.

Note: Costermongers have traded in London streets since medieval times. They have been represented on ceremonial occasions by Pearly kings and queens

Answer 4

Les Mis is traditionally set in Paris and elements surrounding that, yet different characters have cockney accents inclusive of the Thenardiers because they both migrated from that area or throughout the time of that aspect it grow to be very undemanding for accents to commute. that is done with a British dialect because Britain grow to be very heavily tied to France and it is a lot a lot less complicated for an actor to speak in proper dialect in a British accent quite than a French one.

Answer 5

No only those who come from the East End of London, Thats from Whitechapel to Ilford thereabouts. Salt of the earth cockneys are!!!!

Answer 6

Dey speke Jive and Polski round souf london wear i lif.

Answer 7

yes

Answer 8

No, maybe it's your hearing. Do they speak English?