Specifically I’m wondering how the typical English accent became the typical western accent (Which sounds relatively country), and how did that become the modern accents on the West Coast? What factor was added in that made cowboys start sounding like the modern day Californian.
I’m assuming the typical NY accent comes from Italians coming over.
​
Bonus question: Why are there no places in the US at all that kept the English accents????
In: 613
Your underlying premise that the “English accent” went somewhere is false. The modern British accent has something which is called “non-rhoticity”; basically they lost most of their R’s and don’t pronounce them. “Water” for example would be pronounced “wah-uh” in a modern British accent, but Americans did not take on this change to the British pronunciation in the 18th century.
Because of this and other factors the modern American English is actually closer to the 18th century English pronunciation than modern British English!
Now as for how every aspect of how modern American accents got to how they are these days, that is an entire field in itself.
Latest Answers