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I've always found old audio recordings fascinating because of just how differently people seemed to speak. It's a shame recording technology came so late, but f

I've always found old audio recordings fascinating because of just how differently people seemed to speak. It's a shame recording technology came so late, but future generations will have a lot of fun with this, I guess!

mhh__ 4y ago
https://www.dialectsarchive.com/ https://www.dialectsarchive.com/
retrac 4y ago
It is still a bit hard to believe that a language changes so much, even during a single person's lifetime. It seems so static when we use it. And yet the proof's right there. I've been noticing it more often, in older films and shows. Even as recent as the 1980s sometimes. They are, in effect, speaking a different dialect. It's not just the groovy phrases they used to use. Intonation patterns have shifted. Some of the vowels are a bit different. What's funny is I don't remember noticing this with some of the same material just 20 years ago; I suppose their accents weren't quite as pronounced yet.
- noneeeed 4y ago
  This reminds me of reading The Hobbit to my son last year, I actually found the language quite hard to work with in places. The rhythm is just different to modern English and there were turns of phrase that are rarely used now. It’s amazing the difference a century can make.
- Tangurena2 4y ago
  Accents change due to status and changing fashions. One such is the "Mid Atlantic" or "Transatlantic" accent. This accent was an attempt to be a neutral midpoint between English & American accents. You'll hear it in older movies from the 30s & 40s (it was dying out in the 50s). 0 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL2MJ8rQ12E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL2MJ8rQ12E
  - masswerk 4y ago
    The most idiosyncratic mark is probably an audible starting "h" in question words like "who", "why", "when", etc. And [1] this is a great channel on these topics, recommended.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
ljiljana 4y ago
I also enjoyed learning about accents in Shakespeare's time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2QYGEwM1Sk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2QYGEwM1Sk
- delecti 4y ago
  What's fascinating to me is that it's a bit foreign (in the unfamiliar sense, rather than "of another country") but also totally comprehensible, despite being 400 years old.

mhh__ 4y ago

https://www.dialectsarchive.com/ https://www.dialectsarchive.com/

retrac 4y ago

It is still a bit hard to believe that a language changes so much, even during a single person's lifetime. It seems so static when we use it. And yet the proof's right there. I've been noticing it more often, in older films and shows. Even as recent as the 1980s sometimes. They are, in effect, speaking a different dialect. It's not just the groovy phrases they used to use. Intonation patterns have shifted. Some of the vowels are a bit different. What's funny is I don't remember noticing this with some of the same material just 20 years ago; I suppose their accents weren't quite as pronounced yet.

noneeeed 4y ago
This reminds me of reading The Hobbit to my son last year, I actually found the language quite hard to work with in places. The rhythm is just different to modern English and there were turns of phrase that are rarely used now. It’s amazing the difference a century can make.
Tangurena2 4y ago
Accents change due to status and changing fashions. One such is the "Mid Atlantic" or "Transatlantic" accent. This accent was an attempt to be a neutral midpoint between English & American accents. You'll hear it in older movies from the 30s & 40s (it was dying out in the 50s). 0 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL2MJ8rQ12E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL2MJ8rQ12E
- masswerk 4y ago
  The most idiosyncratic mark is probably an audible starting "h" in question words like "who", "why", "when", etc. And [1] this is a great channel on these topics, recommended.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]

ljiljana 4y ago

I also enjoyed learning about accents in Shakespeare's time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2QYGEwM1Sk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2QYGEwM1Sk

delecti 4y ago
What's fascinating to me is that it's a bit foreign (in the unfamiliar sense, rather than "of another country") but also totally comprehensible, despite being 400 years old.