West Country dialects

The West Country dialects, or West Country accents, are generic terms applied to any of several English dialects or accents used by much of the indigenous population of the south western part of England, the area popularly known as the West Country. This is the region centred on the traditional counties of Devon (Devun), Cornwall (Corrnwahll) and Somerset (Zummerzet), amd to a lesser extent on Wiltshire, parts of Gloucestershire (Glahstershire), Oxfordshire (Ahxforrdshire) and Dorset (Darrzut); the eastern and north eastern boundaries of the West Country are disputed. Immigration to the towns from other regions means that the dialects are now only commonly encountered in rural areas.

Related Topics:
English - Dialect - Accent - West Country - Counties - Devon - Cornwall - Somerset - Wiltshire - Gloucestershire - Oxfordshire - Dorset

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In the neighbouring counties of Berkshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, it was possible to encounter comparable accents and, indeed, distinct local dialects until perhaps the 1960s. Although natives of such locations, especially in western parts, can still have West Country influences in their speech this is less than in the true West Country counties. The increased mobility and urbanisation of the population have meant that local Berkshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight dialects (as opposed to accents) are today essentially extinct.

Related Topics:
Berkshire - Hampshire - Isle of Wight - 1960s - Urbanisation

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Strong West Country accents can still be difficult for speakers of Standard English to understand. Although popularly considered to be only accents, academically the regional variations are considered to be dialect forms. These are dialects of English and should not be confused with Cornish, which is a Celtic language related to Welsh, and more closely to Breton.

Related Topics:
Standard English - English - Cornish - Celtic language - Welsh - Breton

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