Uk regional accents

[funkyrich]

 How were the uk's regional accents formed,and how did certain ones become associated with certain areas?

[jno]

They weren't formed consciously, but regions - and even individual settlements - were much more cut off from one another in the middle ages than they are now. People would speak as they heard their family and neighbours speak, but Yorkshiremen wouldn't have much opportunity to hear how Kentishmen spoke (no radio or TV then to transmit speech patterns nationwide). Vocabulary and pronunciation do change gradually, even now, but they would have done so in different directions in different regions in those days.

[EssJay1]

Is it connected with who the main invaders/settlers of the area are too?
I've noticed that some American accents are related to the accents of the original european settlers too.

[Sequin]

Certainly is - the Scouse accent is a combination of Lancashire, Welsh and Irish - there were lots of irish immigrants into an area on the borders of North Wales/ Cheshire/ Lancashire - the boundaries of the Scouse accent are still surprisingly sharp - you only have to travel about 8-10 miles before you change accent to Lancky (known in Liverpool as woolyback) - areas such as Prescot, Widnes and St Helens sound nowt like Liverpool

[Cartaphilus]

There is an excellent book by Melvin Bragg called 'The Adventure of English' (the biography of a language) it covers almost everything about the history of the language. It's a good read.