The New Zealand Accent

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21708, 15 February 1936, Page 14

The New Zealand Accent

A visitor from England, Mr W. Grierson, has resurrected a recurring theme in directing attention to the New Zealanders’ alleged accent pr manner of speaking. New Zealanders have no particular reason ,to resent comment or even 'strictures on the way they talk, since it would be very difficult to decide from among the welter of dialects in which the English language can be made understandable, which is really the “correct” usage. It would be no more possible, even at this early stage in New Zealand’s history, to assert with truth that there is a standard accent in general use throughout the country than to say that Englishmen invariably speak with a common inflexion or with common valuations for vowels and consonants. For even highly-educated Englishmen find it difficult to discard the manners of speech and accent that betray their I county of origin. So in New Zealand it might be possible for the sensitive ear to distinguish the accent of a man from Christchurch from tljat of a man from Dunedin, or a countryman’s voice from a townsman’s; it might even be possible for the manner of speaking to differentiate the North Islander from the South Islander, or the sheepman from the cowman—the latter would almost invariably refer to the animal as “ keow.” But all of that is not really important; what Joes matter is that the speken word should be pleasant to the ear, that vowels should be clearly graded, that consonants should neither grate noi* be swallowed. So if New Zealand is really developing a distinguishable accent our prayer should be that it will develop into a smooth and gentle thing, compact of the sunshine and fresh air in which if was born. Teachers and parents can do much by example, and pretext to discourage stilted affectations and ugly distortions against the time when New Zealanders will truly be known by their speech—and favourably known.