37.2664, Media: Molly Gorman and William Park: BBC Report (Audio and Print) on the History of English (UK) Dialects, July 12, 2026

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-2664. Thu Aug 13 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.2664, Media: Molly Gorman and William Park: BBC Report (Audio and Print) on the History of English (UK) Dialects, July 12, 2026

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Date: 13-Aug-2026
From: Mary Rebecca Burns [rburns311 at gmail.com]
Subject: Molly Gorman and William Park: BBC Report (Audio and Print) on the History of English (UK) Dialects, July 12, 2026


"Two BBC journalists go on a quest to find out whose accent is older –
and uncover a dramatic history filled with hidden twists and surprises
that have shaped the language we speak today."
This presentation makes use of tiny samples of UK English dialect
differences to chase their research question of "which UK English
dialect is the oldest." The result is a friendly, engaging
micro-history of UK English. In a linguistics class, this material
could provide a relatable context for exploring the phonetics of
English vowels, the nature of language change in speaking and writing,
and the forces that shape those changes. It also provides a welcome
opportunity to clear up the general misuse of the terms "short" and
"long" to describe English vowels.
The journalists quote several UK linguists and dialectologists which
might invite students into further reading.  Enjoy!

URL:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260708-which-is-the-oldest-english-accent

Linguistic Field(s): Historical Linguistics
                     Ling & Literature
                     Phonetics
                     Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s): English (eng, stan1293)

Language Family(ies): Celtic (celt1248)
                      Germanic (germ1287)
                      Italic (ital1284)



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