What is the Lancashire accent called?
Kyle Hermiston
2025-04-27 22:42:38
Count answers: 3
The Lancashire accent is disappearing among young people and may vanish altogether in a few generations, a study has warned. Researchers looked at a distinctive feature of the accent, a strong R sound at the end of some words, known as rhoticity. Prominent Lancastrians including comedians Eric Morecambe and Les Dawson, actress Jane Horrocks and Bullseye presenter Jim Bowen are known to use a strong R. Dr Turton said Lancastrian speakers usually differentiate between pairs of words such as 'stellar' and 'Stella', whereas most of England would consider them to be the same. Hundreds of years ago, using a strong R was common throughout England. The habit persists more in older speakers. Dr Turton said: For the youngest speakers in Blackburn, these Rs are very weak, which raises the question of whether future generations will even hear these weak Rs at all, and whether this distinction will eventually fade away. Dr Turton said the disappearance of the accent might be happening so gradually that people don't notice it. She added: In the next few generations, this traditional linguistic feature may be lost.