Archive for Dialects

Anthony | September 29, 2011
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Left slanging

This week, the latest edition of Jack Speak – an in-depth guide to the slang phrases used by the Royal Navy – has been published by long time chronicler Rick Jolly. Jack Speak is a great example of how quickly creative use of language can work its way into modern lexicon.

Slang is all around us and it is often a key component of our spoken word, but more often than not the slang terms are unique to a certain group from a particular city or region, age group, vocation or class and do not penetrate beyond their circles.

What makes Jack Speak so special is that the wide scope of the language means it can be transferred to everyday use in a way that Medical Slang, for example, cannot. Looking through examples of Jack Speak it is clear to see a blend of functional bluntness, military jargon, and euphemism.

The Royal Navy is an interesting petri dish for the English language – a melting pot of different classes, regional dialects, hierarchy, different levels of education, all thrown together in an isolated organisation that is used to working in the most extreme conditions at sea. And then it is brought ashore by the sailors and it weaves it’s way into common usage.

Here are some of the most common examples of Naval Jack Speak still in popular use, originally found here:

• If food is collected from the galley kitchen as soon as it is ready and still hot it is referred to as Piping hot

• Toe the line. Each sailor was expected to step forward to a chosen line and give his name and duties. The phrase is used when asking people to meaning to conform to rules and authority, as well as obey orders.

• Pig’s Ear, a term for something messy, refers to an upper deck urinal used by sailors when on watch.

• The expression all above board refers to things being open to inspection as they were on the top deck of the ship and could be easily viewed. Now we use it to show that a deal is transparent and legitimate.

• Similarly, Copper bottomed, which refers to something being an idea or investment being worthwhile originates from when copper plates were fixed to wooden ships hulls to minimise worm attack and prevent the build-up of barnacles and weed – therefore providing long term strength and reliability.

• Showing your true colours relates to Naval etiquette which, while allowing false colours or flags to be displayed when approaching an enemy ship, insists that true colours are flown once battle begins and fire is exchanged.

Doing a bit of reading into this subject got us thinking – are there any other examples in any other languages of slang terms developed and used by one set of people having such a profound influence on the use of the mother language overall? Has the language of the French Foreign Legion enlivened the French language or does the lingo of the old west live on in US cities?

Category: Accents, Cultures, Dialects | Tags: , , , ,
Emma | May 16, 2011
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Pet sounds

A pod of Sperm whales

"Got to my mickey, found me way up the apples, put on me whistle and the bloody dog went. It was me trouble telling me to fetch the teapots."

When we talk about accents and regional dialects we automatically think about Geordie, Scouse, Manc and Cockney to name but a few, but what if I threw Sperm Whale into the mix?

According to research carried out by a PhD student at Dalhousie University in Canada, Sperm Whales use different phrases and dialects to communicate, much like humans.

We all know that animals communicate with each other but it had never occurred to me that a dog in England would have trouble understanding what a dog in Spain was barking about, so this research got me thinking.

I remember a story about a lady whose friend passed away and she took ownership of her dog. At first she thought the dog was deaf. It wasn’t until she took it to the vet that it occurred to her that the mother tongue of the previous owner was not English; the dog wasn’t deaf, it just couldn’t understand her! Then there was the dog that spoke Polish…

Anyway, I digress.  I found it interesting that, according to the research findings, whales are able to identify which member of the family is speaking based on the way they pronounce their words and their accent. This is similar to the way that humans identify the voice at the other end of a telephone call.

This made me think about Anna’s last post regarding The Queen’s English and the role of accents in modern society; or, more to the point, do we as humans overcomplicate an issue that is clearly one of the most natural things in the world?  If all living creatures have accents, why do we prioritise one over another?  After all, isn’t The Queen’s English a manufactured accent that the hierarchy of society decided to prioritise?

The research does not go into whether the rest of the animal kingdom reacts differently to the language used by their leaders, but this would certainly make for interesting reading.

Category: Accents, Dialects, Interpreting | Tags:
Anna | March 8, 2011
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Acceptable accents in the business world

Be proud of your language roots

I was surprised this morning to stumble across a press release posted on the San Francisco Chronicle’s site promoting accent reduction programmes in the US.  The slant of the press release was to basically to highlight the fact that more than a quarter of people in the skilled workforce of the US who have either a doctoral degree, a degree or a master’s are “foreign-born” and how those individuals are missing out on opportunities in business because of their accents.

It is safe to say that international speakers must be valuable economically if they make up more than a quarter of the US workforce. The shocking part is that the press release claims many of these individuals are unable to convey the true level of their academic competence because of their roots. Roughly translated (pardon the pun) this suggests that people with foreign accents who are speaking English in the workplace are considered to be less academic and therefore less able to climb the career ladder.  So US employees are held back in their roles  because of accents, despite the massive push for more multilingual content across companies globally?

With offices and colleagues in the US, I am not convinced that this is the case but who am I to argue with facts?  Ok, I’ll give it a go.

I feel passionate about accents and their perceived impact in the business environment because I am one of those people with a very strong accent.  Born and raised in Glasgow, I left Scotland as soon as I had completed my degree at University and moved to London, the top financial centre of the world. I was offered the first job that I interviewed for, which  thankfully has been a common theme in most jobs I have applied for.  Is this because I was the best candidate? I hope so. Is it because I was memorable because of my accent in a sea of English people?  I tend to think that it has played a pretty big role.

An accent alone will not get you the job.  It has to be backed up with confidence, experience and an ability to speak articulately so that your interviewer will understand you – accent or no accent. I am extremely proud of my Scottish accent.  Yes, I have had to slow down my delivery (even people in parts of Scotland can’t always keep up with a Glaswegian conversation) and certain words have definitely softened over my 11 years in England but this has been due to time spent with my peers and not a deliberate decision.  I would never want to, nor would I ever expect a colleague to “reduce” their accent in order to progress professionally.

Perhaps I am missing something.  Maybe some companies do consider people with different accents to be less able to progress, more risky to put in front of clients and less competent in delivering tasks.  I hope not and I am pleased to say that my current employer would never discriminate in this way and encourages employees from different parts of the country and the world into their English-speaking offices.

Languages, dialects and accents are so precious.  We should be doing everything we can to preserve them, not reduce them.

Category: Accents, Business Management, Cultures, Dialects, Languages, Localization |
Matthew Connaughton | August 19, 2009
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Holiday Translation Tool: “In’t reet gud” according to ALS staff member

Just seen a funny (gimmicky, yet useful) post about a UK travel company that has launched a new online search facility – it lets users search by typing in phrases in their own dialect.

Lastminute’s new ‘Pronto’ tool translates pre-set search terms in Scouse, Geordie, Manc, Brummie, Bristolian and Glaswegian dialects. Alternatively, the more skeptical (confused) visitor can decide that they are “standard”, and thus use the Queen’s English instead.

Users can select their accent by clicking their location on a map – and flit between for their own amusement, obviously. The company has admitted leaving out Cockney Rhyming slang, presumably for a multitude of reasons (for those of you who have heard of this but are yet to experience it first hand, I suggest you spend a few weeks on YouTube studying StepToe and Son or Russell Brand (or worse, Alf Garnett)).

A "Brummie" (Birmingham) search on Pronto

A "Brummie" (someone from Birmingham) search on Pronto

I spoke to a few people at Applied Language Solutions’ Head Office and Sam Philpot, Web Marketing Executive, had this to say about the tool:

“It is a bit gimmicky, but some of the searches are  funny and besides, it’s got people talking about the brand!  There is a bit of an omission in that there’s no Yorkshire accent either…I were fair opin to gerrona plane and go ovver seas!” I should point out at this point that Sam hails from Huddersfield. He adds “…I’m not surprised Cockney Rhyming Slang isn’t on there either, it’s that complicated I don’t even think most Londoners fully understand it!”

Selecting your (chosen) dialect

Selecting your (chosen) dialect

Some searches found by The Telegraph (thanks) include:

Scouse (Liverpool): Ello der, la, ay wanna boss ’otel in Dublin for two nights termorra.

Queens English: I’d like a fantastic hotel in Dublin for two nights tomorrow.

Geordie (Newcastle): Howay man! Aa’d leik te gan bi plane te John F Kennedy Airport, pet.

English: I’d like a flight to John F Kennedy Airport tomorrow.

Brummie (Birmingham): Gizza groit hotel in London to-die.

English: I’d like a hotel in London today.

Bristolian (Bristol): Awrite, me old luvver, I’d like summat to eat in Bristol ternight, my love.

English: I’d like to book a table in Bristol tonight

Mancunian (Manchester): Ay-up! A wanna bitta scran t’morra at a curry house for two avin’ it large in Brick Lane

English: I’d like a table for two at an Indian resturant in Brick Lane.

Read the full story here.

 

Category: Dialects, Free Translation, Translation | Tags: , , , , , ,