NEITHER MAYFAIR NOR SOMERSET

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 14, 17 January 1925, Page 6

NEITHER MAYFAIR NOR SOMERSET

The experience of an educated New Zealander in being recognised as such in England because\>f his speech does not indicate necessarily that we in this country are, forgetting how to speak correct English. The United Kingdom has a great diversity of forms ;of English speech, varying from what is known as the Oxford accent, and the mbre or less' affectation of Mayfair, to the many pleasing dialects of the counties. May fair may change its style, and the droppin' of " g's " which is accounted fashionable one year may be bad form the next; but the county dialects are constant. New Zealand has drawn people from all parts, and their tongue's art intermingled. The newcomer from Lancashire may be recognised as such-" for thy speech bewrayeth thee," but -he gradually and. his children speedily lose the accent and use instead English which has perhaps a little Scotch or North Ireland, a little of Devon, a trace of Cockney, and a suspicion of Irish. It is this mixture of many tongues which oftenest' indicates the colonial. Upon the mixture Canada and Australia have laid an accent of their ojsn, and New Zealand is under suspicion of following suit. If it were. distinctively national, as the American accent is/ there might be less objection to it; the patriotic Scotchman prefers to speak Scots, and the American is not ashamed of his twang. But the only difference discernible as yet .in New Zealand speech is largely due to carelessness in the vowel sounds. Too many of' the children say " yer" for "you" or " your," and for "I " they have something between the " Oi" of brogue or dialect and the "Ai" of affectation. Mr. Hutchison, who has. drawn attention to this failing, suggests gramophone lessons and free exchange. of primary school teachers to corregt it; but all that is really required is a little more attention. Most of our teachers speak reasonably correct English without being affected, though some drop into careless forms", and they are fully capable of checking their pupils. ' ' I