I.

Introduction

British English is a term that refers to the varieties of the English language used in Great Britain

that are combined into a single variation, including Scottish English, Welsh English, and

Northern Irish English. Additionally known as UK English, English English, and Anglo-English.

British English has long been a language of accents and dialects, and one of the most diverse

accent populations in the English-speaking world is considered to be the United Kingdom.

Invasions and migration have played a significant role in the development of dialects and accents

in the United Kingdom.

Germanic tribes from the northwest of the European continent started to colonize the island

(British Isles) in the fifth century. There are three different ethnic groups made up the settlers:

the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. The first two tribes were the most numerous, therefore the

settlers became known as Anglo-Saxons. They all brought different dialects of their native

Germanic tongue, which is now known as Old English or Anglo-Saxon. These three distinct

individuals would settle in various locations around England. These various settlement patterns

led to the development of various Old English dialects, which in turn gave rise to the many

accents of British English that we are familiar with today.

In 1066, the French-speaking Normans invaded England. The French language, which was

substantially different from Old English, became a language for the elite and governing class.

The English language underwent drastic modifications during the Norman period. French

vocabulary began to infiltrate the language, particularly those related to administration, law, art,

and religion. However, adjustments were made to its grammar and spelling. In fact, by 1100, the
English language had evolved so much that it could no longer be classified as Old English. It had

evolved into a new language called Middle English.

Over the next few centuries, the language became further standardized. The first printing press

was brought to England in 1476, which accelerated the process. Spelling and grammar grew

more consistent, resulting in a more consistent written language. The Standard English we use

today is a result of this 15th-century development. It is also the foundation for the British accent

known today as Received Pronunciation.

RP (Received Pronunciation), commonly known as 'BBC English,' 'Queen's English,' or 'Oxford

English,' is probably the most recognized dialect in Britain and one you have undoubtedly heard

many times. It is generally associated with persons from the top and upper middle classes and is

widely regarded as the most prestigious accent of British English.

Since the 1950s, there has been significantly greater social and geographical mobility and

increased access to education and broadcast media. All of this has had an impact on British

accents and dialects. There has also been a new wave of immigration, which has resulted in

speakers bringing new dialects and accents that have further enriched the linguistic landscape.

The languages spoken throughout the country today retain an astonishing level of regional

diversity; languages and dialects are incredibly dynamic; they are always changing, evolving,

and responding to the necessities of their users. (Søvik, K., 2021)

 II. Discussion

The majority of individuals in the United Kingdom speak with a regional accent or dialect.

However, approximately 2% of Britons speak with a region-free accent known as Received

Pronunciation (also known as "the Queen's English," "Oxford English," and "BBC English"). It

is a hybrid of Midlands and Southern dialects spoken in London during the early modern period.

It is commonly used as a model for teaching English to non-native speakers of English. There are

substantial differences in dialects in the South East; the Cockney accent spoken by some East

Londoners is noticeably distinct from Received Pronunciation (RP). Cockney rhyming slang can

be (and was originally intended to be) difficult for outsiders to understand, however its

prevalence is frequently exaggerated.

British English has a wide range of accents, dialects, and vocabulary. In the US, people

frequently use the words "trash" or "garbage," whereas, in the UK, people frequently use the

word "rubbish". In the UK, if you live on the ground floor, then the person above you lives on

the first floor. They speak "lift" rather than "elevator," and 'pavement' instead of 'sidewalk'. The

British have also been heavily impacted by their neighbors and the people who have settled

within their borders. One example is the English name for the herb 'coriander,' which was

derived from the French ('coriandre'). Another example is the vegetable name 'zucchini' (BmE)

which is also taken from French. Same with the spelling (although the spelling was preserved in

America) the -ise suffix (used to denote "organize," "realize," and "civilize") was permitted in

Britain. Words with -er endings, such as "theater" and "center," experienced the same fate. While

the Americans retained the original spelling, the British word was modified to -re ('theatre',

'centre'), giving it a French flavor. (Søvik, K., 2021)

Regarding their accents, Standard British English is a non-rhotic form, which implies that the

consonant /r/is not present in speech unless before a vowel. Interestingly, the British accent used

to be rhotic, like the modern American accent, but the /r/ has now vanished from Standard

British English. This transition began at the end of the 17th century or early 18th century, and

Americans who returned to Britain at the end of the 18th century were surprised by the major

change in language pronunciation.

British English phonological traits focus around the sound of the letter R, as well as the dental

plosive T and some diphthongs unique to this dialect. Once considered a Cockney trait, /t/ is now

generally realized as a glottal stop when it is in the intervocalic position, a process known as T-

glottalisation. National media, being based in London, have seen the glottal stop spreading more

widely than it once was in word endings, “not” being heard as "no” .Outside of the West Country

and other nearby regions in the UK, the majority of England does not pronounce the consonant R

if it is not preceded by a vowel, extending the preceding vowel instead. They also have a term

called intrusive ‘r’, meaning that people sometimes add an r-sound to a word that doesn’t have

one if it’s followed by a vowel in the next word.

III. Conclusion

The emergence of English in the world has been advantageous to us as it allows all of us to

communicate and understand each other in a common language. We are able to communicate

with one another and comprehend one another’s perspectives, which promotes trade, and

international dialogue.
Considering its contributions to our lives in the modern day, we cannot deny the fact that before

it emerged many nations had been colonized, which causes many linguistic problems, such as in

Britain. This causes changes in terms of their dialects, spelling and vocabulary. This also resulted

a lot of differences between the British English and American English. Language is an important

matter that each and every one of us must be knowledgeable about as it contributes to our unity

as a society, regardless of where you originated from.

Søvik, K. (2021, April 22). The Origins of British Accents. Ndla.no; NDLA.
https://ndla.no/nb/subject:1:c8d6ed8b-d376-4c7b-b73a-3a1d48c3a357/topic:59a2daf8-
db7f-4f47-8160-551f9d9c582c/resource:e6f6b746-fc11-4d0c-b058-a807aaf1eb43?
fbclid=IwAR2DvuCyAOfxoOpfCgdo9a3j4tbcyoSrKxEt8gMK1dwAjLOs6sBXx3Yfwm
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Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, November 27). British English. Wikipedia; Wikimedia

Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English

Søvik, K. (2021, May 11). British and American English in a Historical Perspective. Ndla.no;
NDLA. https://ndla.no/nb/subject:1:c8d6ed8b-d376-4c7b-b73a-3a1d48c3a357/
topic:59a2daf8-db7f-4f47-8160-551f9d9c582c/resource:f7757d81-884b-4b05-ae52-
62dec99a3242